small immunities

"But there was nothing about the little, low-rambling, more or less identical homes of Northumberland Estates to interest or to haunt, no chance of loot that would be any more than the ordinary, waking-world kind the cops hauled you in for taking; no small immunities, no possibilities for hidden life or otherworldly presence; no trees, secret routes, shortcuts, culverts, thickets that could be made hollow in the middle – everything in the place was right out in the open, everything could be seen at a glance; and behind it, under it, around the corners of its houses and down the safe, gentle curves of its streets, you came back, you kept coming back, to nothing; nothing but the cheerless earth."
Thomas Pynchon, "The Secret Integration"

This is Ian Mathers' Tumblr. I live in Canada. I've written about music and other things for Stylus, PopMatters, Resident Advisor, the Village Voice, and a few other places. Hi.

imathers@gmail.com

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Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor

 

Eluvium — “Cease to Know” (by InuTheOmnicient)

Still grappling with the new album, but I for one liked it when Cooper decided to sing a little. Now if only I could remember who his voice sounds like…

The key to the vast majority of Underworld’s work as a trio and then as a duo is propulsion… Edgeland, in conception and in name an exploration of life out on the margins instead, rather determinedly resists the idea of propulsion in general. There are refrains and melodies, often quite lovely ones, and the music is absorbing and gorgeous on a moment-by-moment basis. But these little explorations are more interested in wading into the dreamier end of Hyde’s observational flow, and in presenting interesting/beautiful sounds for examination, than in making anything you’d sing along to. In some ways, Edgeland feels like it’s more about poetry and sound design than songwriting.

My review of Karl Hyde’s solo debut, the well worth investigating Edgeland, went up at PopMatters last Friday.

Radiohead — “Bullet Proof..I Wish I Was” (by CompanyCaller)

I set my alarm for 8 this morning, because it’s always easiest to reach Immigration as soon as their phone lines open. Mercifully I was actually tired early last night and was in bed last night by maybe 11:30. I slept well.

Which doesn’t really explain why I would wake up (and stay awake), feeling fine, at 6:46 am. Or why, despite being in a perfectly good mood, this song would be stuck in my head. I guess when I hung out with my best friend from high school Friday night we did listen to this album while having some beer. Still!

It’s raining today.

Mogwai — “Take Me Somewhere Nice” (by stimpykatz)

After a week of summery, sunny days, it’s cold and rainy again. I like grey days, don’t get me wrong. And what an odd little niche this one occupies in their work; nothing else has quite the same quiet, calm desperation. It is, I suppose, the closest I’ve heard a band like this get to expressing saudade. The guitar crackle as the strings rise feels like far away storm clouds. Despite the fact that one of the things that brings it to mind today was the excellent, justly-praised return of Hyperbole and a Half, this is not a song I’ve ever found depressing, even when I’ve been feeling it much more keenly than I am today.