Tokyo Trawler Recommendation #19 (13/01/11)

Artist: Bombay Bicycle Club

Tune: Jewel

Record: Flaws (2010)
 

Category: A deep thinker/twilight zoner

If it hasn't already been said that love and regret* go hand-in-hand*, the Tokyo Trawler will put his head on the line, and if you chat to the singer from Bombay Bicycle Club, he might well do the same. A tale* of lost love that once 'looked so beautiful', Jewel is a proverbial* gem* of an acoustic track, with folky simplicity and rich, almost clockwork* guitar. The vocals are unique in that they could belong to that aunt you see once a year with the husky* voice, but if you are able to picture a bloke* singing this ear-soothing* melody, this tune is guaranteed to be far more enjoyable.

The Tokyo Trawler’s message to the people: A refreshingly melancholy song for the non-broken-hearted.

To download or not to download?? 4/5 (ESSENTIAL)
iTunes available: Yes
勉強のキーワード: regret, hand-in-hand, tale, proverbial, gem (2), clockwork, husky (1), soothing

Jewel URL:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn7REtVFpZw

Tokyo Trawler Recommedation #18 (06/12/10)

Artist: Arcade Fire

Tune: Crown of Love

Record: Funeral (2004)
 

Category: A deep thinker/twilight zoner

Don't you sometimes wonder how your speciality* tomato sauce pasta would taste if you were able to make it in Gordon Ramsay's kitchen, and the man himself were there to guide you (read: swear relentlessly*)? Undoubtedly* of huge talent, with a reputation for innovation* and originality, Arcade Fire appear actually to stick to the basics here, at least lyrically. I mean, this probably isn't the first painful love-poem you've ever heard, but make no mistake*, there is a hell of* a musical feast to be had here - the lead-footed, bassy piano opening, the rich violins, the build up to an almost frantically* angry ending. The recipe's a classic, but it just shows what you can do when you've got all the best tools at your disposal*.

The Tokyo Trawler’s message to the people: Actually recorded in Gordon Ramsay's kitchen. Fact. 

To download or not to download?? 3/5 (IT'S GOTTA BE DONE)
iTunes available: Yes
勉強のキーワード: speciality (2), relentlessly, undoubtedly, innovation, make no mistake, a hell of (5), frantically, at one's disposal (3)

Crown of Love URL:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QY_dkTWHfg

Tokyo Trawler Recommendation #16 (16/09/10)

Artist: Blur

Tune: Coffee & TV

Record: 13 (1999)
 

Category: A deep-thinker/Twilight-zoner

Sometimes the beauty of something is in it's simplicity*, especially if you're partial* to a bit of modern art. Couple simplicity with effortlessness*, and you may well have an ingenious* piece of work. On Coffee & TV, there is little in the way of experimentation* or the unexpected, but as a result there is huge appeal in the lack of complexity*. An easy listen, with steady but far from intrusive* drums, layered guitars with a slight crunch and subtle* harmonies, Blur are well within their comfort zone* here. That's no bad thing though: this is the musical equivalent* of the best Chicken Korma curry you ever had.

The Tokyo Trawler’s message to the people: Easy on the chillies.

To download or not to download?? 4/5 (ESSENTIAL)
iTunes available: Yes
勉強のキーワード: simplicity, partial to (2), effortless, ingenious, experimentation, complexity, intrusive, subtle, comfort zone, equivalent

Coffee & TV URL:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXRVX1AKAew

Tokyo Trawler Recommendation #13 (20/05/10)

Artist: The Streets
Tune: Has It Come to This? (Original Mix)
Record: Original Pirate Material (2002)

Category: A deep thinker/twilight zoner

"This ain't a club track", explains lyricist Mike Skinner, in his intriguingly* relaxed, almost conversational delivery. I can tell you, he's right, this really ain't a club track. A thoughtful evolutionary* reinterpretation* of the 'UK Garage' urban music genre* which was prevalent* around the turn of the Millennium, the production is a marriage* of music styles, which helped this song to achieve huge success in both urban and alternative arenas at the time of release. Lyrically, the song deals with the familiar theme of suburban frustration, but the attention to detail* is stunning, and it is this which makes it less of a rap tune, and more of a cultural narrative*.

The Tokyo Trawler’s message to the people: "Videos, televisions; 64s, PlayStations"... Geez, people actually had disposable cash back in '02...

To download or not to download?? 5/5 (DO IT NOW!!)
iTunes available: Yes
勉強のキーワード: intriguing, evolution, reinterpretation, genre, prevalent, marriage, attention to detail, narrative

Don't Look Back into the Sun URL:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTS6INVmZGI

Video Interviews, Shibuya (#1)

Tokyo Trawler Catch of the Day: Cornelius, USA
Artist: Mogwai
Tune: I am Jim Morrison, I am Dead
Record: The Hawk is Howling (2008)

Cornelius’ Essential Rating: 10/5

Cornelius’ Message to the people: “People in Tokyo need it, it helps them get up in the morning, gets them moving…This song kinda reminds me of Tokyo sometimes”

The Interview:



The Tokyo Trawler’s Essential Review:

Category: A deep-thinker/Twilight zoner

A long movie is not always an epic*. Often the storyline is loose, there are too many sub-plots, too many characters, repetition and sometimes, plainly, it’s just too damn long. If this wordless 6-minute effort were a movie, I’m pretty sure it’d go down in history as an epic. Deep, haunting layered instrumental textures* mean that much like an epic movie with its cinematography, every time you listen there’s another beautiful part you’d never noticed before. Somehow woven* together with clear direction, these parts come together to form an image of a stunning*, yet entirely bleak* landscape perhaps reminiscent* of the band’s Scottish homeland.

The Tokyo Trawler's message to the people: The most organic* song I’ve ever listened to in so many ways. Save that money you were gonna spend on a trip to the highlands, and download this.

To download or not to download?? 4/5 (ESSENTIAL)
iTunes available: Yes
勉強のキーワード: epic, texture, woven (to weave), stunning, bleak, reminiscent, organic