The Wheel's Still In Spin

Best Albums Of February 2007

1. The Papercuts - Can't Go Back | buy it at insound!

   It sounds like a mixture of Californian country rock (Byrds to Beechwood Sparks), English pop (Beatles to Coldplay), and Bob Dylan. It’s layered, intelligent, and extremely well produced.



2. The Apples In Stereo – New Magnetic Wonder | buy it at insound!

   This album sounds like the typical pop music fans have come to expect from The Apples In Stereo, but comes with a wealth of additional information (and a few short tracks based) on a new scale Robert Schneider has created.



3. Loney, Dear – Loney, Noir | buy it at insound!

   There's lots of falsetto singing and lush instrumentation from Emil Svanängen. It sounds like George Martin producing Sufjan Stevens, Blake Sennett, or Ben Gibbard.



4. Field Music - Tones Of Town | buy it at insound!

   It’s an upbeat album that is not conventional. Catchy pop music.



5. Do Make Say Think - You, You're A History In Rust | buy it at insound!

   This is a very diverse album. Instrumentations change throughout songs. Multiple textures are audible all over the album. The melodies hold up the whole time.

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The Papercuts - Can't Go Back

Release Date: 13 February 2007 (Gnomonsong)

Can’t Go Back is the third album by The Papercuts, a band that is fronted by Jason Quever. Recorded at his Pan American Recording Studio in San Francisco, the album has a wall of sound that subtly evokes everything from The Zombies to Wilco.

Dear Employee (mp3) [removed] | John Brown (mp3) [removed] | Summer Long (mp3) [removed]

An Account Of Continental Influences

Emily wanted a change. She had lived in San Francisco all of her life. While many people were envious of her upbringing, she wanted to move. After breaking up with the man she’s been seeing for the past five years, she put an ad in the London Times that read “Trade my 2-bedroom apartment in San Francisco for your 2-bedroom flat in Central London.” After a month or two of emails, she was able to find the best Londoner with whom to exchange subleases.

After making the move, Emily went into Piccadilly Records, an independent store in Manchester. They were playing Can’t Go Back by The Papercuts, from her hometown. She was from San Francisco, but wouldn’t this band from the same city until she transported her life to another country. She was immediately captivated by the sound of the album. The LP was recorded on two-inch tape with a substantial amount of tube gear (tube mics, pre-amps, compressors, etc.) and the warmth was immediately noticeable.

The Apples In Stereo - New Magnetic Wonder

Release Date: 6 February 2007 (Elephant 6 / Simian / Yep Roc)

Drenched with the same layered pop music The Apples In Stereo have made popular with the Elephant 6 label they founded, New Magnetic Wonder, includes keyboard and guitar hooks, do-do and bah-bah background vocals, and cowbells. Mixed with the updated ELO and Beach Boy sounds are some short “link tracks” and the introduction of a new musical scale.

Energy (video - directed by Elijah Wood)

The Sun Is Out PART 1 (video) | The Sun Is Out PART 2 (video) | The Sun Is Out PART 3 (video) | The Sun Is Out PART 4 (video)

The Sun Is Out is a documentary by David Gray. It follows The Apples in stereo as they record New Magnetic Wonder.

A Mathematical Puzzle

Kyle and Ian rarely disagreed. They would often play devil’s advocate for the other’s research, but that was merely to substantiate scientific theses. The cause of this dispute was a puzzle. It was a jigsaw of computer generated, algorithmic artwork, an image of a three dimensional spiral that changed colors at it wrapped itself around its own axis.

“Why do we need to finish the puzzle?” Kyle asked rhetorically. “If I know what the full picture is and can tell you exactly where each of those remaining pieces fit, why do I need to waste my time putting the pieces together?”

“I can’t believe you would ask that! It’s about the completion of the artwork.”

“But my mind has already completed it. I can see every piece. So I’d rather spend my time working on something I find more important.”

Perhaps this argument was based on something more abstract. The theoretical physicists were listening to the new Apples In Stereo CD, New Magnetic Wonder, as they put this puzzle together.

Aereogramme - My Heart Has A Wish That You Would Not Go

Release Date: 6 February 2007 (Sonic Unyon)

My Heart Has A Wish That You Would Not Go is the third full-length album from the Scottish band Aereogramme. It’s been over two years since their last EP and almost four years since their last LP. The album is full of well-placed string orchestrations, dynamic and rhythmic changes, and powerful alternative/progressive rock.

Nightmares (mp3) [removed]
To hear the songs on My Heart Has A Wish That You Would Not Go and watch the video of "Barriers," click here.

Nick's New Knee

Today Nick is scheduled for a follow-up doctor’s visit. If all goes well, he’ll be allowed to minimally walk with a cane from now on. It’s been a long six weeks of bed rest. He’s watched a lot of movies. Dune, Trainspotting, Beetlejuice, The Exorcist, Tron – those were some of the favorites. He’s also listened to a lot of music. Radiohead, Mogwai, U2 (especially the pre-Rattle And Hum albums), and King Crimson. There was one new album that resonated with him. That album is My Heart Has A Wish That You Would Not Go by Aereogramme.

Loney, Dear - Loney Noir

Release Date: 6 February 2007 (Sub Pop)

Emil Svanängen records under the name Loney, Dear. He records the albums himself and plans to record 2 albums a year until 2009, when the project will end. He started out releasing his albums on CD-Rs and selling them himself. After doing that for a few years, Loney, Dear has been well received. Loney, Noir is lush sounding album. Emil's voice often jumps to his falsetto range on top of multi-textural songs. This album is addictive and sedative, beautiful and relaxing.

I Am John (mp3) [removed]

I Am John (video) [removed]

Under A Spell

I guess most people would call me a workaholic. I’m at the office from about 8am until 6pm or so. Then I go home for dinner and spend the evening emailing my colleagues and reading reports while the TV plays in the background.

I’ve been pretty stressed out lately. It hasn’t been going well at the office. When you work as much as I do, people seem to think there is nothing you can’t do or that there is no limit to the workload you can handle. I’ve hit my limit.

A few weeks ago my girlfriend dumped me. She said I was “too much for her” and that I “wore her out.” For the past few months, however, she was suggesting I go to her therapist. I was reluctant for a long time. Between the stress of overworking and losing my girlfriend, I felt it was time to call Dr. Stevenson.

I should clarify. Dr. Stevenson is a hypnotherapist.