Kurt Vile joins Matador
Some people are great at figuring out what beautiful stuff is. They have taste. And some can figure out how to make this stuff. They actually know what they're trying to achieve. They're good artists. They're skilled at their craft, too. People like this, ummm, well I'm recently compelled to say the members of Grizzly Bear. And David Gordon Green. Terence Malick, James Joyce, Chris Ware.
Kurt Vile too. It's really hard to describe the way his music makes me feel. I like his second album, God is Saying This to You... more than his first, but they both evoke something like J Mascis got close to, but blazed right past. Hazy bliss (got a weakness for it, like Brightblack Morning Light, Beach House). "Freeway" kind of sounds like a poppier Springsteen.
I get the feeling he is an uncomfortable lyricist. Well #1 he reuses lyrics between songs and #2 his music is so powerful even when I don't listen to the words, when my head's in the clouds. The lyrics and tone of the music are pretty depressed-sounding, especially on album 2, but it's like the way a little bit of depression is nice; at least it isn't hard. At least you get to think about it. At least life is good, really. Pitchfork described him as "the talented but aimless kid in high school." That makes sense...look at him. He looks like all the kids who bring in guitars so they can play the songs they practice at home; the kids I wish I was friends with but they don't take all AP classes so I have nothing to do with them.
A month ago I went to the local record store to see if they had any of his albums. After some confusion re: Vile vs. Weill, I found out his stuff's pretty limited. It made me sad; I download like all the music anyone ever deems significant, and buying the records I like lessens that gross feeling of consumption a little. And the cover art's pretty neat.
So anyway, so happy this happened! There were rumors but now here's concrete. And now my life will be as easy as songs like "Red Apples" and "Classic Rock in Spring/Freeway in Mind" make it seem. Because now Kurt Vile is going to be a huge rock star and I'll get to buy his records and see him at the Wachovia Center or whatever. jk but he'll be on the shelf at Main St. Jukebox.
Now here he is really channeling a going-nowhere Dino Jr at SXSW, on a day the sun's not trying that hard.
Kurt Vile too. It's really hard to describe the way his music makes me feel. I like his second album, God is Saying This to You... more than his first, but they both evoke something like J Mascis got close to, but blazed right past. Hazy bliss (got a weakness for it, like Brightblack Morning Light, Beach House). "Freeway" kind of sounds like a poppier Springsteen.
I get the feeling he is an uncomfortable lyricist. Well #1 he reuses lyrics between songs and #2 his music is so powerful even when I don't listen to the words, when my head's in the clouds. The lyrics and tone of the music are pretty depressed-sounding, especially on album 2, but it's like the way a little bit of depression is nice; at least it isn't hard. At least you get to think about it. At least life is good, really. Pitchfork described him as "the talented but aimless kid in high school." That makes sense...look at him. He looks like all the kids who bring in guitars so they can play the songs they practice at home; the kids I wish I was friends with but they don't take all AP classes so I have nothing to do with them.
A month ago I went to the local record store to see if they had any of his albums. After some confusion re: Vile vs. Weill, I found out his stuff's pretty limited. It made me sad; I download like all the music anyone ever deems significant, and buying the records I like lessens that gross feeling of consumption a little. And the cover art's pretty neat.
So anyway, so happy this happened! There were rumors but now here's concrete. And now my life will be as easy as songs like "Red Apples" and "Classic Rock in Spring/Freeway in Mind" make it seem. Because now Kurt Vile is going to be a huge rock star and I'll get to buy his records and see him at the Wachovia Center or whatever. jk but he'll be on the shelf at Main St. Jukebox.
Now here he is really channeling a going-nowhere Dino Jr at SXSW, on a day the sun's not trying that hard.
posted by Kiptok at 5/29/2009 05:02:00 PM
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