Mighty Healthy

Nathan Fake - Xmas Rush

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 12:14:00 +0000

I posted this around the same time last year.

Nathan Fake - Xmas Rush by Pampa Records

Christmas just isn’t the same without some pretty industrial sounding electronica, is it now?

Julianna Barwick - Prizewinning

Mon, 16 May 2011 22:06:00 +0100

(Yes, I certainly did forget to post this a few months ago.)

Tim Hecker - Blood Rainbow

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 20:09:55 +0100

Tim Hecker’s new album, the amazingly named ‘Ravedeath, 1972’, has deservingly received high praise since its release.

The album is great but my favourite thing to come from listening to it is that it reminded me about this much earlier Tim Hecker song from 2006’s Harmony in Ultraviolet.

Listen to Blood Rainbow in the evening on a train. Or having a nice walk somewhere in the city. It doesn’t matter, it’s really excellent.

Tim Hecker - Blood Rainbow by themightyhealthy

That Ghost - Calls

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:11:00 +0100

Lo-fi has a slightly awkward position in music these days. Too often used as an aesthetic afterthought, feeling inauthentic and overly-stylised, hearing a lo-fi song that feels genuine is quite rare.

That Calls’ ‘Ghost’ is one of those rare songs. The whole thing is so woozy and sleepy it just sort of ‘happens’. It’s not unlike large chunks of the debut album from Real Estate, so if you liked that, you’ll like this. Probably.

That Ghost - Calls by themightyhealthy

Dent May - Eastover Wives

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 20:25:00 +0000

If you’re still impatiently waiting for new material from Jens Lekman (you are) this should keep you going.

All the components are there, including; rich voice, a hint of funk and some very excellent sax. SAX.

It takes a long time to leave your head once you’ve listened to it, which is no bad thing.

Eastover Wives - Dent May by TRNGTRNG

Squadda B - 2012 (Feat. Robbie Rob)

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:20:16 +0000

This is basically amazing. My favourite hip-hop song in a long time…including Kanye’s last album. A case of the sum being greater than the parts, what I love about 2012 - the second half particularly- is that it has the atmosphere of classic 90s West Coast hip-hop like Pharcyde and Souls of Mischief.

Tremendous fun to rap along to if you don’t mind sounding completely off your face.

Squadda B - 2012 (Feat. Robbie Rob) by themightyhealthy

Fat tail like the back of a whale.

Dodos - Black Night

Sun, 20 Feb 2011 21:59:37 +0000

Dodos’ Visiter was one of my favourite albums of 2008. Raw, a bit schizophrenic and thoroughly excellent. Its follow up Time To Die felt like a sanitised version of the band - not quite a misstep but missing some of the jagged edges that made Visiter such a welcome surprise.

Black Night brings back the rawness while keeping some of the better aspects of Time To Die - namely richer instrumentation.

Things are definitely good for the new album.

Braids - Native Speaker

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 23:20:49 +0000

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz (in a good way).

Braids “Native Speaker” by aalbert83

The rest of the album, Native Speaker, is very enjoyable too. See:

Braids - Lemonade by H+ Records

Jeans Wilder - Tough Guys

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 22:03:12 +0000

The last few months have been very good for swearing in music. A new trend of disguising threats and abuse by singing them everso sweetly has come to prominence. Here we get “You’re such a motherfucking tough guy….”

If you like swearing you’ll love it. You’ll also love it if you like (very) lo-fi pop with nice melodies.

Jeans Wilder - Tough Guys by themightyhealthy

Also - he’s called Andrew Caddick. Like the cricketer with substantial ears. Which is good isn’t it.

Maybe it’s the same person? Let’s compare:

No.

On Shuffle: Sunset Rubdown - Stadiums and Shrines II

Sun, 06 Feb 2011 14:38:00 +0000

Wolf Parade announced they were going on an ’indefinite hiatus’ at the end of November last year. I’ll read that as ‘we’re splitting up but we still quite like each other’. In truth it’s not that surprising - in recent years the band had increasingly felt like a side project for its two songwriters Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner rather than the main focus it once was.

Quite sad news, nevertheless. Then I listened to Stadiums and Shrines II from Spencer Krug side-project (err…main project) Sunset Rubdown’s Shut Up I am Dreaming (great album name, incidentally) and didn’t feel quite so sad.

Spencer Krug was always my favourite of the two. He could turn Humpty Dumpty in to an epic, life-affirming adventure. Stadiums and Shrines II is certainly that.

Sunset Rubdown - Stadiums And Shrines II by themightyhealthy

When he sings that lyric ‘…there’s a kid in there, and he’s big, and he’s dumb and he’s…kinda scared’ followed by that sublime guitar whine…

…And when that guitar whine turns in to a beautiful flourish leading into the chorus…

…And the way he slows the pace right down before building up to a typically huge, triumphant finish… I’m getting a bit carried away here, but that’s what happens with Spencer Krug songs. It’s difficult to articulate their impact - they aren’t songs to be dissected in a review, they’re songs to listen to and get taken along for the ride.

In the end, the name of the band doesn’t really matter. As long as Spencer Krug is writing and releasing songs like this I’ll be happy. Even if it’s a cover Humpty Dumpty.

I won’t quite be the same, though. Together, Wolf Parade were frequently brilliant. Almost untouchably so on occasion. Let’s hope it is just a hiatus.

Purity Ring - Ungirthed

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 20:20:33 +0000

Yeah, I know. Glitchy synth-pop and cut up vocals. It sounds familiar - everybody’s doing it. BUT BUT BUT. BUT! If you want an example of how it should be done, you won’t find many better than this.

Ungirthed by PURITY RING

Here’s a link to a ‘Not Safe For Work’ video clip if you want it. (You do).

Cass McCombs - County Line

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 08:52:55 +0000

Cass McCombs is great. This song off his new album, WIT’S END (his caps, not mine), is great. Everything is GREAT.

Cass McCombs - County Line by DominoRecordCo

Typically understated, soulful and generally gorgeous.

Doesn’t he look like Robert Smith from The Cure on that new promo shot?

Christian AIDS - Fever

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 22:36:44 +0000

What a superbly horrible band name. Fever wafts around airily for the first 2 minutes until a pained shout of ‘set me free’. Then exactly that happens - the song comes to life, switching from ambient and woozy to ravey instantly.

Christian AIDS - Fever by themightyhealthy

Kurt Vile - Jesus Fever

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 09:52:54 +0000

This song is a both a gift and a curse. The gift is that it’s pretty fucking amazing. The curse is that, along with previous Kurt Vile songs like ‘Freeway’, it makes me wish I lived on the West Coast of the US. In a field or something.

Kurt Vile - Jesus Fever by themightyhealthy

Deadboy remixes - Drake, Jamie Woon and Delorean

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 20:54:00 +0000

Deadboy is from London and does lots of remixes for lots of good people. Here are some of them.

Drake - Fireworks

Not so much a remix, more Deadboy sampling a few bits of the original - namely that incredible Alicia Keys chorus - to make something very special. The result is not unlike Mount Kimbie ‘Maybes’ - similarly eery and atmospheric.

Drake - Fireworks (Deadboy Slo-Mo House Edit) by themightyhealthy

Jamie Woon - Night Air

Takes Burial’s beat and beefs it up considerably. Sounds better for it.

#39 Jamie Woon - Night Air (Deadboy Remix) by Numbers

Delorean - Real Love

The original is a blissful, wistful summer evening classic. This is the same, but a UK Garage re-imagining. What he’s done with the vocals is also very lovely.

Real Love (Deadboy Remix) by matadorrecs

So - Deadboy is very good.

Panda Bear - Atiba Song

Sun, 16 Jan 2011 15:58:00 +0000

ATIBA EVANS Panasonic GH2 Skate from skatefairy on Vimeo.

New Panda Bear song x skating video shot in California at sunset/night = perfection.

Tomboy is finally getting released in April. A long wait, but it will doubtless sound amazing in the middle of Spring.

Zoo Kid - Out Getting Ribs/Ocean Bed

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 12:40:00 +0000

Zoo Kid is worthy of note for a couple of reasons. Firstly, he is 16. SIXTEEN! Secondly, he seems to be proving that not everybody who graduates from the Brit School is an insufferable bastard.

Zoo Kid - Out Getting Ribs by themightyhealthy

Out Getting Ribs and Ocean Beds are both wonderful examples of his atmospheric, very rough-around-the-edges singer-songwriter style. (Sorry about all those hyphens. Sloppy)

Zoo Kid - Ocean Bed by themightyhealthy

He sounds like the singer of Girls albeit with an English accent, too.

Wye Oak - Civilian

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 08:16:55 +0000

Wye Oak have been around for a while but I never bothered listening to them. I didn’t mean to listen to this to be honest, it just came on after another song had finished on a website. I’m glad it did though ‘cause it’s good.

Wye Oak - Civilian by cityslang

Lady got a nice voice. My special ‘Random Alternative Female Singer Soundalike Generator’ (RAFSSG) is broken so I can’t make any redundant comparisons today. Apols.

Nice artwork, too.

Hercules and Love Affair - My House

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 09:35:40 +0000

*2 years of silence is broken*

Hercules and Love Affair: HEY EVERYBODY WE’RE BACK. We’ve got a new album out soon!

Everybody: *quick memory jog* Oh man I really loved your first album! That’s great news. Tell us more…

H&LA: Well, we’re continuing where we left off, and we’ve got some new collaborations lined up.

Everybody: Cool. Who? Is Antony from Antony and the Johnsons back again?

H&LA: *enthusiastically* Kele from Bloc Party, and this guy who was a fan and he ended up singing for us and joining for the new album and he sings on the single!

Everybody: Sounds interesting. And Antony?

H&LA: This guy is really good. His vocals fit our sound perfectly. Real early 90s vibe.

Everybody: BUT WHAT ABOUT ANTONY?!

H&LA: …..No.

Everybody: Oh. Right.

*awkward silence*

Everybody: *deflated voice* Well it’s nice that you’re back anyway.

My House is actually pretty good but it’s not really up there with anything from the debut album.

Hercules & Love Affair - My House by Freeman PR

James Blake - Measurements

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 10:28:00 +0000

To (barely) paraphrase Simply Red, ‘if you don’t know James Blake by now, you really really should pay more attention’. He’s had quite a big year - have you been stuck down a mine or something?*

There are, effectively, two James Blakes. The dubstep/post-dubstep/whatever one and then the Bon Iver-in-church one. By all accounts the album features mainly the latter.

Measurements is going to appear on the album but this dubplate version has been hiding in the corners of the internet for a few months. Whatever the final studio mix sounds like, this version is too amazing not to share.

JB - M by themightyhealthy

Play it loud through some headphones, will you?

For good measure here’s a link to I Only Know… from Klavierwerke because its my favourite song of the year.

*NOSTALGIC CHILEAN MINER JOKE HAHAHAHA