OMD - crush

continuing my re-obsession with stephen hague...



introductory video to OMD’s album, crush, which was produced by stephen hague. hague features fairly prominently in this video, as well, which is nice…most times, the producer gets as much as a “thanks” in album liner notes, and that’s about it.

for the record, crush was the first of OMD’s albums that didn’t really work for me as a whole, but had so many real nice moments, and one of my favorite singles of theirs, “so in love.”

(finally: could paul and andy be anymore adorable together, seriously?)

OMD - history of modern (part 1)

here's the very charming video from OMD's latest single, "history of modern (part 1)". easily one of the best tracks on their new album, as well.



i love it when oldie bands reference their own past in records and videos, honestly. those record covers that shuffle in and out of the shelves...i've owned them all at one time or another. but i ebayed that stuff off a long, long time ago.

my new favorites, mackintosh braun, open for OMD on tour this year. not coming to san diego, though, unfortunately.

2010 albums

mackintosh braun

album of the year: a song from "where we are" pops up in my shuffle, and i'm compelled to stop and listen. more than any other album this year, "where we are" snags me every time.

spacy, but never drab and static; highly atmospheric, yet "pop"; and the processed vocals are still forefront with interesting lyrics. every track a winner. (while looking them up, take a gander at their previous album, the sound, which is sadly, no longer available on CD, but really impressive.)

also rans:


alphaville:catching rays on giant
terrific new album came out this year, catching rays on giant. who knows what that title means, but every track fits well, somewhere in alphaville's history.




brandon flowers: flamingo
early track of the year: "on the floor 2.0", flamingo. i adore this song, really wraps up an album that nicely encapsulates a man coming to terms with his inherited "faith", and the many disappointments therein. interesting concept coming from mr flowers.

daft punk: TRON

for another track of the year: "son of flynn". a minute and a half of 70's electronic nostalgia, which, when watching the (very good) movie, made me want to buy the album from my seat. (why don't theaters carry more merchandising for the "blockbuster" movies?) this album has made me reconsider my apathy toward movie soundtracks lately. starts out all moody synthesizer, and builds into big drumming action stuff. really, really good.

devo: something for everybody
they do what they do, don't they? something for everybody, a new album, released this year, and i had the chance to see them live again, so good to have them back on the list.

"fresh" is a real good single, too. how'd they luck out and get the spot to play this on NBC's olympic coverage?

the drums: the drums

you know how you can instantly spot a new order song by the bass line? the drums have something like that going on, and not in a copycat way. this is a great summer album...at first listen, it sounds all one-pattern, but continued listenings really bring out the teen angst among a warm and friendly collection of songs.




findlay brown: love will find you
came across "holding back the night" on a blog here or there, and loved the song...then i saw the album was out, so i ordered the CD. first listen, i was a little disappointed, because the songs didn't match "holding back" so much...but as each song comes up in a shuffle these days, i find myself checking my ipod to see what track is playing and who this artist is, emulating great voices of the past. i'm growing to like this album more and more and more.

i highly recommend the above.


hockey: mind chaos
an album i sincerely love, but have somehow avoided posting. this was going to be my "album of the year", but then mackintosh braun came along and stole my heart. still, hockey's album is quite good, running through various music styles in a few tracks, all tied together with the lead vocalist's gravel pit delivery (meant as a compliment).

i can't recommend this one enough. really, really wonderful.

hurts: happiness
probably my most anticipated album that actually came out this year, and definitely one of the most fulfilling. take songs by a-ha, give them the sheen of spandau ballet, performed by a duo with the charisma of pet shop boys, but attitude of depeche mode, and you have HURTS. definitely a plus that the first video for "wonderful life" was shockingly goofy; the second version a little too polished, but retaining that odd choreography style.


OMD: the history of modern
the 80's strike again, with a pioneering duo releasing new material that sounds very classic. thank you, plink-plink gods.


scissor sisters: night work
missed their live show, but love the album. i started listening to it, appreciative of their 70's pop radio leanings...but wondering, what of the 80's? and then in pop nods to devo, giorgio moroder, and even george michael.

the lead single, "fire with fire", is pretty gorgeous.

fabulous.

OMD - sister marie says

new single from OMD, sister marie says. very much in line with enola gay, and stuffed with lots of religious imagery...classic OMD, but new.


Sister Marie Says

OMD | Myspace Video

OMD - history of modern

 

picked up the new OMD album, which i find to be a remarkable comeback after so many years out of the spotlight. though the album certainly has some questionable direction on a few tracks (three of them are just terrible), for the most part, this album fits very easily into a space somewhere between -- and spanning -- architecture and morality, junk culture, and crush. not so much dazzle ships, which would have been way too experimental as a comeback. really, some great stuff here:

1. new babies: new toys: fairly unremarkable opener to the album, but not offensive. more in line with their "john hughes" phase than their earlier releases. move past this track without judging, because it gets a lot better...
   
   
2. if you want it: first single (which had a laughable dance video) is all about heavenly choruses getting interrupted by his lead vocals. it's a decent, accessible pop song, ready for airplay.
   
   
3. history of modern (part 1): here's where the album kicks into gear...taking us back to 1985, keyboards running scales up against the drum machine. more in line with junk culture than later releases, which is a good great place to touch back to.
   
   
4. history of modern (part 2): picking up from the previous track, and all the more thumpy bass and drum machine, and very much in line with architecture and morality.
   
   
5. sometimes: kills the momentum the album just gained. this track is dreadful, as if they found some old moby backing vocals and decided to slander him with it. you will miss nothing by skipping over this completely.
   
   
6. RFWK: back to the good stuff. btw, did we know the band took a gay perspective? here the lead sings "i loved you when" lines to a male figure, with which i have no problem (obvies)...i just didn't know this.
   
   
7. new holy ground: returning to their religious imagery, "new holy ground" is a little more moody, a little more introspective, than prior tracks, a la "joan of arc" before the percussion. nice.
   
   
8. the future, the past, and forever: trying to find their funk, not finding it. another track that doesn't belong.
   
   
9. sister mary says: indulging more in the cliches that they themselves established, (and that's a compliment), the arrangement of "sister mary" makes something of a companion piece to "enola gay" (though not lyrically).
   
   
10. pulse: see "the future, the past, and forever", above. i'm not saying a band who have been out of the spotlight for well over a decade doesn't have a right to put out something unexpected...i'm just saying this isn't the way to do it.
    
    
11. green: toning down "if you want it", above. not a bad track, but works best if associated with the other track.
    
    
12. bondage of fate: you know how some movies seem to have several points at which they could have very successfully ended? this track is something like that...a good ending to the album, that isn't the end. starts as a sleepy bye-bye, but then goes into a short burst of fireworks...and then, back to sleepytime.
    
    
13. the right side?: the real end of the album, and though it's quite long, it's an utterly charming send off.

a big, big recommendation.

OMD - if you want it

new track from OMD, with embarrassing video. (still waiting for them to break in and say JK about the 'dancing'.)


OMD - If You Want It
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