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Akron/Family & Angels of Light | Review
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CD Times | Richard Hughesas you become more immersed in it, the more pleasure it derivesDecember 12/ 2005 A curious beast this Alt-Country animal. Where does the Alt bit start? Why isn't it just Alternative music? Why not, in fact, just Rock music? I'm not sure I want get into all that here, but it becomes an interesting discussion when listening to this split album by Akron/Family and Angels of Light (who is Michael Gira, the label boss of Young God Records). Over these twelve tracks you can almost hear the progression of rock music from humble country music into modern alternative music... just in reverse! The open salvo of tracks is all Akron/Family. These verge from an acoustic tinged country ballad of "We All Will" to a full out 70's rock-stomp on "Raising the Sparks". They seem a band that has listened to just about every rock record ever released. Their half of the record manages to make a rather coherent stab at distilling all their influences into just seven songs. If we're looking for modern recent equivalents, "Future Myth" wouldn't sound out of place on the Arcade Fire's album Funeral. It's an exhilarating listen which can seem a......
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Akron/Family & Angels of Light | Review
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CD Times | Richard HughesDylan's "I Pity the Poor Immigrant" which is a beautiful song and given full justiceDecember 12/ 2005 A curious beast this Alt-Country animal. Where does the Alt bit start? Why isn't it just Alternative music? Why not, in fact, just Rock music? I'm not sure I want get into all that here, but it becomes an interesting discussion when listening to this split album by Akron/Family and Angels of Light (who is Michael Gira, the label boss of Young God Records). Over these twelve tracks you can almost hear the progression of rock music from humble country music into modern alternative music... just in reverse! The open salvo of tracks is all Akron/Family. These verge from an acoustic tinged country ballad of "We All Will" to a full out 70's rock-stomp on "Raising the Sparks". They seem a band that has listened to just about every rock record ever released. Their half of the record manages to make a rather coherent stab at distilling all their influences into just seven songs. If we're looking for modern recent equivalents, "Future Myth" wouldn't sound out of place on the Arcade Fire's album Funeral. It's an exhilarating listen which......
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Mi and L'au | Review
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Plan9 Magazine (UK) | Francis May Morganan intro of fragmented guitar, occasional harmonium, and digital burble glides into a delicate orchestral seaDecember 05 AUGUST (this first part seems to refer to seeing Mi and L'au live in UK) We stood in the church porch and smoked cigarettes through half of their set at the festival, while an acquaintance detailed his upcoming separation from his partner and children. Yeah, Mi and L'au. Very nice. Whatthefuckever. They were too beautiful to ever live lives like ours. Mi was blond and pale, lips trembling as if she could cry at any moment. Her hair lay all the way down her back, almost to the back of her stalk-like legs. Her partner, L'au, was dark and angular; a thousand pretty worries playing across his brow. They were too lovely ever to say the wrong words or raise a voice to hurt each other. They moved to a cabin in Finland, where they lived like skinny, elegant Moomins (????) with two guitars and a toy piano. They made music like cobwebs and icicles and fires. People liked it, because they'd always dreamed of such isolation and brooding happiness. I liked it too, but real life......
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Angels of Light and Akron/Family | Review
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Plan9 Magazine (UK) | Francis May Morganit's the songwriting that's fascinating: songs emerge tentatively and grow strongDecember 05 AUGUST (this first part seems to refer to seeing Mi and L'au live in UK) We stood in the church porch and smoked cigarettes through half of their set at the festival, while an acquaintance detailed his upcoming separation from his partner and children. Yeah, Mi and L'au. Very nice. Whatthefuckever. They were too beautiful to ever live lives like ours. Mi was blond and pale, lips trembling as if she could cry at any moment. Her hair lay all the way down her back, almost to the back of her stalk-like legs. Her partner, L'au, was dark and angular; a thousand pretty worries playing across his brow. They were too lovely ever to say the wrong words or raise a voice to hurt each other. They moved to a cabin in Finland, where they lived like skinny, elegant Moomins (????) with two guitars and a toy piano. They made music like cobwebs and icicles and fires. People liked it, because they'd always dreamed of such isolation and brooding happiness. I liked it too, but real life kept gnawing at my cuticles.......
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Angels of Light and Akron/Family | Review
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Plan9 Magazine (UK) | Francis May Morganthere's an angry magic I wonder if the band themselves realize they've capturedDecember 05 AUGUST (this first part seems to refer to seeing Mi and L'au live in UK) We stood in the church porch and smoked cigarettes through half of their set at the festival, while an acquaintance detailed his upcoming separation from his partner and children. Yeah, Mi and L'au. Very nice. Whatthefuckever. They were too beautiful to ever live lives like ours. Mi was blond and pale, lips trembling as if she could cry at any moment. Her hair lay all the way down her back, almost to the back of her stalk-like legs. Her partner, L'au, was dark and angular; a thousand pretty worries playing across his brow. They were too lovely ever to say the wrong words or raise a voice to hurt each other. They moved to a cabin in Finland, where they lived like skinny, elegant Moomins (????) with two guitars and a toy piano. They made music like cobwebs and icicles and fires. People liked it, because they'd always dreamed of such isolation and brooding happiness. I liked it too, but real life kept gnawing at......