Listenable – Zola Jesus, the low-fi band that doesn’t exist
Posted by Mat | Filed under Music
“Zola Jesus didn’t need to clean up to stand apart from the Lo-fi horde– they already had Nika Danilova’s voice”
In the very first sentence of their review of Zola Jesus’ new EP Stridulum, Pitchfork presents the reader with a clear image of the music – great female vocals and Lo-fi sound. The expectations are set – early Liz Phair, or maybe the garage sounds of No Age or Vivian girls.
Nope, no Lo-fi here.
Buzzing guitars, scratchy vocals, pervasive noise, and other Lo-fi staples have been supplanted by dron, martial percussion, and a sole, powerful and echoing, voice. This is downright goth.
A look over at Zola Jesus’ site confirms the thought:
What are your musical influences? – Singers with big voices, like Diamanda Galas and Tina Turner. Divas. Film scores from the ’70s and ’80s. Industrial and power electronics. BBC Radiophonic Workshop, Opera, Philip K. Dick.
Bizarre female vocalist? Really avant garde electronic music? Dystopian science fiction?
Congrats to you, Zola Christ, you’ve managed to break the vicious cycle – you’re beyond the scene and have a much more relevant genre tag. I have found my post-goth figure to rally behind.
Tags: elitism, industrial, listenable, low-fi, post-goth, scene, zola jesus
NOTABLE: Dum Dum Girls you are here at last
Posted by Mat | Filed under Music
I promise, I promise, the promised XX vs Slowdive post is forthcoming.
Presidents Day, Valentines, and Valentines Day are apparently more important than the internet – shocker of shockers.
On to business.
My little Sirius unit bestowed to me the knowledge that the new Dum Dum Girls single just came out. What a cruel world it is when satellite radio out info-dumps Gorilla vs Bear and Pitchfork. For shame!
So, it would seem that yesterday Dum Dum Girls dropped a much overdo single to hype their March release. We get two songs, and update on Jail La La and a Rolling Stones cover.
The Stones cover… well, I’m no fan of the Stones, so I’ll blame the source material. The update on Jail La La adds the Ronettes backup vocals that’s been on the videos coming out of live shows. Really, Best Coast should watch out, as the Dum Dum Girls seem to be the strongest of the low-fi, Spector-esque Los Angeles bands. Scratch that – best L.A. bands.
March can’t come soon enough, as I really want a mastered version of this song:
Tags: dum dum girls, low-fi, notable, spector-esque
