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05/29/10 The Parlour - Stripmall Architecture, Happy Prescriptions, The Silent Numbers, Portland, Oregon , US
Discography
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Over the past 10 years the internet has changed the face of popular music. Fact.
It’s inescapable, unavoidable and so bleedin’ obvious that you don’t need me to stress the point any further. Depending on your job title, this means one of two things.
Ask any record industry dullard and they will you:
“The dream is dead”
“There is no money in contemporary recorded music”
“The artists can barely afford to feed themselves”
These are the same people who think torrenting Hollywood blockbusters eight months before they are released funds terrorism.
For every one else: Spotify, Youtube and a revolving network of internet radio stations mean that we can actually get a feel for the sort of music we want to buy before we part with our hard earned cash.
In the 1980’s shitty “Hair Metal” bands like Mötley Crüe or Van Halen would celebrate the release of a new record by hosting tediously over blown parties, chock full of strippers and spandex, Ice sculptures and caviar, cocaine and regret.
Parties, which in essence, were full of everything barr a half decent record or a modicum of good taste.
In stark contrast to the sickening excess of their 80’s counterparts, Stripmall Architecture celebrated the release of Feathersongs for Factory Girls by taking to their Twitter page and selecting 10 followers at random, serving each one up with a tiny little micro song, a slice of alt-pop perfection which encapsulated both their screen name and something about their character as perceived by the band.
They are, in short, a shining example of the perfect business model for the music industry in the 21st century. All of which is great, although that’s not why any of us are here....
....Very few of my friends read independently run music blogs for marketing tips, and it’s likely that if you’ve got this far, you want to know what the album sounds like. In a word, it sounds “great”.
If I had my way, a copy “Feathersongs....” would nestle comfortably in every half decent record collection in the multi-verse, labelled up as “twitchy-American-indie-dance-pop loveliness” and filed between DJ Shadow (who isn’t pop) and the Howling Bells (who aren’t American). The first time I heard it, I kinda liked it.
By the time album opener “Radium Girls” had reached its reverb drenched climax, on my second listen through, I was openly in love with this record. The chapel was booked, and plans were afoot for us to marry the following morning.
I was commissioned to write a 5 part mini series based around the whole thing. “Inspired by True Events” ran the tag line. “Stripmall’s..” own “Pripyat” was due to play over the opening credits which seemed curiously appropriate. The rest of the album, looked on scornfully, all post Radiohead screechy guitars, sexual jealousy and resentment.....
.....I woke up before I found out how it all ended. “Never mind” I thought “I’ll make a cup of coffee, and get a bit angry about the 1980’s for a while, that will cheer me up”.
05/13/2010 02:02:34 ♥ nick (
♥twitter.com) ♥ stripmallarchitecture.com ♥ myspace.com
