An
eerie and apocalyptic pop record, in turns hopeful, haunting,
and harrowing, “Between Bedtime And Sunrise“,
the debut full-length from Celestine, is one of my most
anticipated releases of 2005. Celestine’s EPs and
the rough mix CDRs I’ve heard over the past year
showed true promise, but I think it was hooking up with
studio-warlock Mattias Olsson (the mastermind behind
AK-Momo and Nanook of the North), that really clarified
the band’s breathtaking cinematic leanings in this
shadowy suite of songs.
The
music is an elastic blend of plush hypnotic
rock, ghostly bonfire folk, and sinuous studio signalese,
and the juxtaposition of the acoustic and the vintage
electro (producer Olsson’s forte) is truly spellbinding,
and the magnitude of the orchestration truly enthralling,
but the centerpiece here is Mattias Eriksson’s
deeply passionate vocals. You’ll see…check
out “Sunflower” and “A Part of Change” above.
The
Swedish press has dropped names like Nick Cave and
Radiohead, along with fellow Scandinavians Madrugada
and Christian Kjellvander…while I hear whispers
of Sparklehorse, of Celestine’s northern brethren
Isolation Years, and even Nirvana’s "Unplugged
In NY”.
|
| |
| Past
Picks: |
| Jim |
Frida
Hyvonen Until Death Comes |
| Angie |
Jennifer
O'Connor The Color And The Lights |
| Jim |
Moneybrother To
Die Alone |
| Michael |
Dungen Self-Titled+bonus
tracks |
| Geoff |
Various
Yellow Pills: Prefill |
| Roy |
The
Perishers Let There Be Morning |
| Shadie |
The
Antarcticans Self-Titled |
| Geoff |
The
Music Maker Label |
| Michael |
Black
Bonzo Self-Titled |
| Jim |
The
Soundtrack of Our Lives Origin Vol.
1 |
| Michael |
Mars
Volta Frances The Mute |
| Jim |
Dead
Cowboys Twin Evil Stars |
| Michael |
Antony
and the Johnsons I am a bird Now |
| Roy |
Frank
Lenz Conquest Slaughter |
| Geoff |
Teenage
Fanclub Grand Prix |
| Michael |
AK-Momo Return
To N.Y. |
| Michael |
Johan Pergola |
| Angie |
Rilo
Kiley More Adventurous |
| Jim |
Hederos & Hellberg Together
In The Darkness |
| Michael |
Melon
Galia Les Embarras Du Quotidien |
| Roy |
Dinosaur
Jr Green Mind |
| Lisa |
Union
Carbide Productions Remastered To Be Recycled |
| Geoff |
Eccentric
Soul: The Capsoul Label |
| Angie |
Tegan & Sara So
Jealous |
| Jim |
The
Gun Club The Las Vegas Story |
| Bill |
Grifters Crappin'
You Negative |
| Geoff |
Ric
Menck The Ballad of Ric Menck |
| Angie |
Concrete
Blonde Concrete Blonde |
| Bill |
Secret
Machines Now
Here Is Nowhere |
| Roy |
Isis Oceanic |
| Michael |
Marjorie
Fair Self Help Serenade |
| Bill |
Didjits Hornet
Piñata |
| Angie |
Gina
Villalobos Rock N' Roll Pony |
| Geoff |
Honcho
Overload "Singles" |
| Jim |
The
Knife "The
Knife" |
| Roy |
Seam "The
Problem With Me" |
| Michael |
The
Hellacopters "By
the Grace Of God" |
| Jared |
The
13th Floor Elevators "The
Psychedelic Sounds Of..." |
| Bill |
Bettie
Serveert "Palomine" |
| Geoff |
Mojo magazine |
| Angie |
Loretta
Lynn "Van Lear Rose" |
| Roy |
Boy's
Life "Departures & Landfalls" |
| Jim |
V/A "Accelerator" |
| Michael |
Devendra
Banhart "Rejoicing
In The Hands" |
| Jared |
Dead
Kennedys "Plastic
Surgery Disasters" |
| Jim |
KVLR "KVLR" |
| Angie |
Liquorette "When
You Work I Sleep" |
| Roy |
Buffalo
Tom "S/T" |
| Michael |
José González "Veneer" |
| Jared |
Björn
Olsson "S/T
(The Crab)" |
| Michael |
Starsailor "Silence
Is Easy" |
| Jim |
Hip
Whips "Hip
Whips" |
| Bill |
Echo & The
Bunnymen |
| Geoff |
Willie
Nelson "Crazy" |
| Jim |
Leopold "Dreaming
Is For Anyone" |
| Angie |
Easterly "S/T" |
| Jim |
The
Concretes "S/T" |
| Roy |
Ron
Sexsmith "Other
Songs" |
| Michael |
Wal
Light "Let's
Wake Up Somewhere Else" |
| Jared |
The
Cure "Kiss
Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me" |
| Bill |
June & the
Exit Wounds |
| Geoff |
Langley
Schools Music Project "Innocence
and Despair" |
| Roy |
Wayne
Everett "Kingsqueens" |
| Angie |
88
Magic "Gere
Played Piano" |
| Jim |
Motorpsycho "It's
A Love Cult" |
| Roy |
Pelican "Untitled
EP" |
| Michael |
Josh
Rouse "1972" |
| Jared |
Adam & the
Ants "Kings
of the Wild Frontier" |
| Bill |
Bright "S/T" |
| Geoff |
Unbunny "Black
Strawberries" |
| Angie |
The
Fiery Furnaces "Gallowsbird's
Bark" |
| Jim |
The
Crystal Committee "Forever
Overhead" |
| Sally |
The
Aislers Set "How
I Learned To Write Backwards" |
| Roy |
The
Weakerthans "Reconstruction
Site" |
| Michael |
Sukilove "Sukilove" |
| Jared |
Kiss "Destroyer" |
| Bill |
Mars
Volta "De-Loused
In the Comatorium" |
| Geoff |
Let's
Active "Cypress/Affoot" |
| Angie |
Trembling
Blue Stars "A
Certain Evening Light" |
