Montt Mardie Skaizerkite. My eye continues to twitch. It, my own spasm, has taken on a romanticised life of its own "alien eyelid syndrome", Alec Baldwin can narrate a faux serious documentary on it. My eye is dead tired in it's complicity in my own painful existence. All of my excitement comes from work. I am taking more initiiative to be a work jerk it would appear. I recommended firing someone who wasn't fired. I saw him this morning in the frozen foods section. I would have fired myself if I had done what he did. I quit for less. I wasn't allowed to quit. Welcome to Stalingrad. There is a new abundance of corny, shiny Swedish indie "soul". Montt Mardie came before Napoleon. But after Corduroy UTD. I miss Corduroy UTD. Don't you? Montt Mardie's not nearly as convincing as a singer as the handsome young man from Napoleon. He wears ascots and has loads of hair and is prone to not shaving. Perhaps John Mcentire should have produced. This record seems less "high school drama", to borrow one of his song titles, and more, ahem, adult. Mature? Possibly. Second track now, One Kiss, romance has replaced melodrama. It is an improvement. Montt Mardie was once a one man concern. As such it might be difficult to compete with the likes of the 139 strong Napoleon. Have they their own brand of military elite? Immortals? What has France to do with Swedish faux soul anyhow? This sounds more like a collective effort than in the past, it doesn't sound as if it was entirely gestated in his bedroom. Alone. Though perhaps this only means that he has upgraded his software. The first record was tinny drum machines and clever lyrics and boyish naivety, the second record was partly that and partly something smarter and more interesting. This one is mostly organic and stirring and as large as his life as an artist. Third song. Some sort of Celtic jig or something, strange, this is their Pearlfishers record? When they go from mediocre amateurs to auteurs? Surely not. He's not David Scott. He's not even Michael Scot. I almost bought an Iphone today but who would I call and who would call me? I was intending to use it as a level. What would Michael Scot have thought of an Iphone? Would he have fetishized it as so many brainless tarts have today? Are today's vapid geeks assuming the inheritance of the brave souls of Toledo who carried forward the greatest traditions of Western Civilization? I assume Micahel Scot knew how lucky he was. I doubt that the situation today is analogous. This song's a trifle mediocre. I am not much for the guitar, not for the samples and not for the voice. Hmmm...maybe that song is not for me. Now to singer songwriter territory. Many are demanding a movie be made about the pirate escapades this weekend. I'd rather see a movie about Peter Abelard. Please. The cult of Apple may become one of the world's major religions one day. Will Steve Jobs have his own council of nicea? In 300 years when the average temperature is 193 degres fahrenheit and everyone is permanently tan and drinking pina coladas. 88% of Americans believe Jesus was real. Ah. But people who believe in God do a lot of godless things. That's alright. They could always act contrite by driving a Prius. In the next world Gaia will smite those who drive a Ford Excursion. This record's alright. I really don't love it though. Not like I love the Napoleon album. I think this one's meant to be a Hall & Oates homage but he's not Darryl Hall is he. It's pretty good, maybe a bit Joe Jackson? But he's not Joe Jackson although he does seem a nice boy. I can act condescending, I am old, I have accomplished so little. This one is called Bang Bang(Echo in Warsaw). It is the best track so far. Do Swedes have natural soul? I alays thought the national malady was melancholy. But that's what making generalizations gets you. A head in a hamper and a realization that I do not have any friends. The one person who is my friend I act weirdly around, completely different to how I act around every other person that I might possibly interact with. Mostly because I believe I know them but then there was the distance of time and they changed and I stayed the same. I have the same stories. The same nervous twitches with new spasmodic eye. The same worries of boring through their skull with my tedium so I don't say anything. Ah. Wise. Next song. A duet. This is part of the Pearlfishers thing I am feeling from this album. The adult contemporary smarm soul style that David Scott pulls off with great aplomb but Montt Mardie needs some work. He's too earnest. David Scott is more wedded to the idea of performance I think. I could be completely off base. Orange Juice might also be a touchstone. Is it a Joy Division reference? The new corporate "indie" station also plays Joy Division regularly and then they will play the Editors and Interpol in succession. Is this cheek? Are they clever enough for cheek? Possibly. Of course there are those who claim that Interpol sounds nothing at all like Joy Division. And...uh he does sound a bit like the guy from Kitchens of Distinction but clearly there is a love letter to Atrocity Exhibition underneath the pillow of the guy from Interpol who hasn't been outed for having a well travelled STD. This is so last Pearlfishers record, Womack and Womack. Soulful. Next track, nice, perhaps this is a really good record. This has some Dexy's spirit about it. Strings, biggish sound, nice vocals, very very good. It sounds smaller than the Napoleon record. perhaps they should work together. The NHL playoffs have begun. We are very excited over this as well. We haven't watched a single regular season game, not one, but we will watch every evening now. There is a ridiculous billboard nearby with soccer players aboard and the caption "Passion". Ha. I think maybe he's a big fan of David Scott. There need to be more David Scott fans in order for the world to right itself and for the population to come to its senses. I sent in my tax bill. I owed 126 dollars. I had capital gains. Yes, Turkey was good to me before the crash. I need make sure that i declare my measly 200 dollars in gains and somehow overlook my monumental losses from my 401k. Shouldn't the risk be the tax? Ah but I need to contribute to the mortgage bailout. I have a database of homes now that I could afford. I am frightened of the government though, I am convinced that when I buy a home they will somehow criminalize buying a home, or criminalize the thought of buying a home, or I'll get shipped to Durban and have to repent for my sins against the United Arab Emirates. Next song. Piano, Billy Joel meets the Pearlfishers. Nice. For the Longest Time was on the radio today, I was miffed when I realized that I was only catching the last few moments. But it was alright Just the Way You Are came on another station only a few moments later. Today is the aftermath of a very large winter storm. In April. Luckily, for my sanity, it was mainly rain on the plain, and not snow, though there were maybe 8 inches of snow lying about. It could have been 8 feet. It could have been Tuesday. I could be marxist. My feet are wet beyond human tolerance of wetness. I feel cold. It is meant to be 75 in a few days. All of the snow will melt and will travel through storm drains and tributaries and canals and estuaries and arrive in Nebraska in a few weeks. Unemployment is rather low in Nebraska. Is it the Saddle Creek effect? Emo is a growth enterprise. Next track, big horns, whispered vocals. Very David Scott. He should feel honored to be compared to a legend like David Scott. I rather like this. This is the Am morning radio lite rock album. Tender, dreamy, competent, professional, really good! He's no Henrik Zetterberg. Henrike Zetterberg is magnificent. Napoleon is about setting medium sized dance floors aflame with corny, Swedish soul, Montt Mardie is about playing solo concertos for the lonely and alone. Both are honorable positions to be accorded the deepest respect. This is very smart. He's grown with each record, perhaps next record he'll make his Neil Hannon 'happy meal' record. He'll record with the Topeka Orchestra and write songs about horses and Kate Beckinsale movies. Cold Comfort Farm has been taken, perhaps Underworld 2. Next song, more grown up guitar, more Dexy's-ish soul. According to a post on I Love Music Searching for the Young Soul Rebels received but one star when it was reviewed by Rolling Stone. What madness is this? Will they besmirch the Blue Ox Babes similarly? Possibly they have run out of stars after giving 5 stars to every record ever released by Bruce Springsteen. Apparently he's a cheater and a botoxer, Brooooce, or so it is alleged by the corporate indie DJ's who feel it is their duty to disparage non-corporate indie rock. They would not understand my tears of joy over Just the Way You Are. This is epic and romantic and dreamy. It is too idealistic to be the Pearlfishers, there is a boyishness about David Scott but I think only in the nostalgic remedies in his daydreams where this is adolescence suspended. Different flavors of the same thing. This is an interview with Graeme Downes. I am not sure I am happy about discovering it. While listening I had the image of Ward Churchill run through my mind. Oh dear this song is silly, dungeons and dragons and star wars references, he does sort of look the part of shined up nerd. Graeme's a smart man, sure, but he's on and on about politics these days. I suspect his new record with the dreadful title Corporate Moronic will be nothing but impotent rage over the dismantling of the Common Agriculture Policy, rants against John Key and some sub Blubird bilge about global warming. it does not portend glory. His last record was actually a bit of a drag, but it is a complicated mess. We didn't love it. Is the use of "we" as annoying as I intend it to be? Annie, the reprise. Is there a real Annie? His own AnneMari? This is the big hearted send off the sappy love song, a declaration for the human right to unrequited love, viking vocals, tenderness and a big splash.