MILLY – Star Thistle Blossom
MILLY is the latest group to throw their collective hats into the ring for the title of “World’s most chilled-out band”. It’s category invented by the kings of “don’t break your wrist trying” cool, Pavement. (They also remind me of Creation Records’ less oft-praised lackadaisical rockers, Swervedriver).
Now, MILLY sounds a lot like Pavement, from the waves of towering, harmless guitars, to the anaesthetic inducing vocals. This is not to say that they are not a good band, but rather it’s my way of marvelling at the sustained influence of Stephen Malkmus’ band of hipsters.
“Star Thistle Blossom” is the king of the song you need to rent out and move into before you truly begin to appreciate it. It’s all a case of a subdued fireworks display, from the guitar work to the pretty melodies and harmonies, all lost in an autumnal, hemp haze. Note that the song also features a pretty humorous video about discovering a religious symbol woven into a ketchup stain, and then having the stained shirt auctioned.
If slacker-rock is your flavor, MILLY could well be your comfort food for the cold months ahead.
immaterial possession – In the Loom
In the same way that you wouldn’t want your surgeon to arrive in sneakers and a tattered, old jacket, immaterial possession look like they know what they’re doing. Sure, my overexcited brain was quick to judge the group on artwork and name alone, half expecting to hear the tortured, unhallowed cackle of Rozz Williams’ Christian Death.
What I got instead was something all the more stylish, Williams’ well-bread, clean and shaven cousin, that’s actually allowed into church on Sunday. The slow, dreamlike sounds of “In the loom” have staying power, with the simple instrumentation and the otherwordly vocals proving quite memorable.
There’s an air of psychedelic-malevolence throughout the song. But, it has less to do with Charles Manson’s psych-pop inventions, and, because of the simple jazz-rock playing, more in common with the Doors, or Jefferson Airplane.
I was wrong. immaterial possession is modern-hippie music meant to bewilder, not terrorize.
Tugboat Captain – Everything About You
We’ve reviewed Tugboat Captain before, and in the interim, they’ve travelled some distance from confirming our verdict of “sad, bastard music”. Sure, there’s still a misanthropic air to their style, but this time it’s dialled down and brought into the world of dating.
Frankly, “Everything About You” is a desperately sweet pop-rock sound about meeting the other hipster-half in your life. The protagonist here is so smitten with his date that they are encouraging them to thoroughly go through the list of their favourite records, or the first place they first got blazed.
As something of a music obsessive, I’d like to state for the record that I too believe this to be one of the most important questions before any hopes of romantic courtship can advance any further.
Musically, Tugboat Captain sound energized on this one. The tune is a hyped-out alt-rock jam, complete with effervescent guitars and keys straight off of a Cars hit-record.
