Goodbye Abstract

Lismore “Far Off And Away” – “That’s me in the corner, that’s me in the spotlight, that’s me crying by a bus stop in St. Paul…” — The structure of this song is both epic and vaguely disjointed, seeming something like an emotional travelogue tied together with brisk snare hits and a voice that shifts from an enchanting siren call to a bitter sing-song and back again. There’s an implication of physical distance and space, but it all seems to be taking place within one woman’s mind. (Click here for the official Lismore site.)

Imitation Electric Piano “I Mean Wow” – There are three distinct phases in this song. The first being a rather lovely mix of lullaby and slow jam, the second is an up tempo British folk ballad as sung by a woman who sounds as though she dropped in from the English countryside circa 1972, and the third is the part when Simon Johns seems to shrug and say “well, I am a member of Stereolab,” and shifts into a part that could have been on any one of that band’s records from Dots and Loops onward. Nevertheless, the composition comes together nicely, especially in the way that the beat is just a bit too quick and restless alongside the placid vocals of the middle section. The beat seems more immediate and emotionally true, revealing her cool amazement in the lyrics to be quite an understatement. (Click here to buy it from Newbury Comics.)

Elsewhere: Cortney Harding on the thinly veiled conservatism of the Killers’ Brandon Flowers in The Huffington Post.

Also Elsewhere: Rbally, which is unfortunately about to shut down for good, has a wonderful parting gift: A kick-ass Pavement show from Cologne, Germany circa 1994 with very good sound and a setlist featuring rare performances of “From Now On” and “5-4=Unity” as well as pretty fantastic versions of “Hit The Plane Down” and “Forklift.”