Unique indie darlings Stereolab are bookended in the magazine this week by SAHB's 7th best album and a second outing for my recently acquired Chicago Greatest Hits compilation. The Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street is retained for a well deserved second week with Paolo Nutini's soulful debut album, and Supertramp's classic pop album Breakfast in America makes (surprisingly) it's first appearance in the blog.
Incidentally, music aside, one of the most interesting things I've found out about this 1979 Supertramp album recently is the conspiracy theory behind the album cover which allegedly depicts, or predicts, 9/11, when viewed in a mirror. Have a look...
(whoever sees these things?).
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1. Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street
2. Paolo Nutini - These Streets
3. Sensational Alex Harvey Band - The Impossible Dream
4. Stereolab - Dots and Loops
4. Stereolab - Dots and Loops
5. Chicago - The Heart Of 1967 - 1997
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Anyway moving swiftly on to the music, record of the week is Dots and Loops from Anglo/French indie band Stereolab who were most active in the 90s. Dots and Loops, their fifth album, came out in 1997 and brought with it a more mature chilled jazzy lounge sound departing from their previous guitar driven rock characterised by minimalist motorik stylings. The band continued recording in the noughties releasing 4 more albums despite the death of singer and guitarist Mary Hansen who had been a member of the group since 1992.
The breathy female vocals (mostly in French) allied with the dreamy moogs and vibes reminds me most of contemporaries The Cocteau Twins. In fact I'd be surprised if the two did not come close in the music map. Let's take a look:
Well look at that! No Cocteau Twins in the frame! I can only conclude that Dots and Loops is not representative of the band generally with this music map very much laying emphasis on their indie guitar and krautrock leanings with even a nearby showing for Can (I think you'll find that if you enter Cocteau Twins in the mind map you'll see a lot of common ground with the bands in the above map, Ed.)
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| Very cool, very black and white, very French |
The breathy female vocals (mostly in French) allied with the dreamy moogs and vibes reminds me most of contemporaries The Cocteau Twins. In fact I'd be surprised if the two did not come close in the music map. Let's take a look:
Well look at that! No Cocteau Twins in the frame! I can only conclude that Dots and Loops is not representative of the band generally with this music map very much laying emphasis on their indie guitar and krautrock leanings with even a nearby showing for Can (I think you'll find that if you enter Cocteau Twins in the mind map you'll see a lot of common ground with the bands in the above map, Ed.)
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| Stereolab fronted by partners Tim Gane and Laetitia Sadier with the late Mary Hansen right |
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Tragedy strikes (from the BBC archives) |