"Digging Holes"
from the EP Mexico
2010
iTunes
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Upon listening to Mexico — the latest EP from Madison folk-popsters Icarus Himself — it's apparent that mastermind Nick Whetro has really learned to let his songs breathe. The old cliché of "no, no, it's the notes he's not playing" is a tired one, but it really holds its ground here. What's even weirder is that Whetro has basically added a full band to what was once a solo endeavor, and the results still sound way more minimal. When pushed up against 2009's more singer-songwriter oriented Coffins, Whetro's haunting vocal delivery sounds a bit more soulful and less forced this time around as he sparsely colors in the tiny arrangements of watery guitar, lo-fi keyboards, and low-key rhythms of tunes like "Digging Holes" and "Half Ton Load." In fact, on some tunes, Whetro only sings on every other measure, allowing his lyrics to be a vehicle for the progression rather than the other way around.
Jentri Colello — aanother Madison singer-songwriter — joins forces with Whetro over the Casio-disco pulse of "Half Ton Load," the EP's most infectious cut. Collelo's ethereal voice and feathery choruses give his tortured howling a soft place to land. Also, multi-instrumentalist Karl Christenson (who played with Whetro in the late National Beekeepers Society) brings his own subtle wizardry to the table, foregoing bass and opting to rumble out some baritone guitar instead. The volcanic closer "Seen It Coming (Mexico)" is a quiet killer, erupting from its delicate finger-picked chorus into an explosion of crashing drums and rippling guitar as Whetro cries out, "You're my Mexico!" Sure, Mexico tumbles into darker dives than its predecessor, but it may be Whetro's penchant for the morose and his leaning toward incorporating lo-fi electronics that help split him off of his over-orchestrated neo-folk peers.~ Joel Shanahan, The A.V. Club Madison
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Every day, Daily Downloads offers 10 free and legal mp3 downloads, plus free and legal live sets from around the internet.
Today's free and legal mp3 downloads:
Blonde Redhead: "Here Sometimes" [mp3] from Penny Sparkle (out September 14th)
other Blonde Redhead posts at Largehearted Boy
Bottle Up & Go: "That's How Strong My Love Is (O.V. Wright cover)" [mp3]
other Bottle Up & Go posts at Largehearted Boy
Chikita Violenta: two songs [mp3] from TRE3S (out August 17th in Mexico)
other Chikita Violenta posts at Largehearted Boy
Dean & Britta: "Silver Factory Theme" [mp3] from 13 Most Beautiful: Songs for Andy Warhol's Screen Tests
other Dean & Britta posts at Largehearted Boy
Estate Sale Boat: "Mindless Heartprints" [mp3]
other Estate Sale Boat posts at Largehearted Boy
Heister: "Fairfield" [mp3]
other Heister posts at Largehearted Boy
Icarus Himself: "Digging Holes" [mp3] from Mexico EP
other Icarus Himself posts at Largehearted Boy
Lovers: "Figure 8" [mp3] from Dark Light (out October 12th)
other Lovers posts at Largehearted Boy
No Age: "Glitter" [mp3] from Glitter (out August 24th)
other No Age posts at Largehearted Boy
Richard Ringer: free and legal (name your own price) Creepster Freakster album [mp3]
other Richard Ringer posts at Largehearted Boy
Free and legal mp3s of live performances at other websites:
Apples in Stereo: 2010-08-13, Athens [mp3]
other Apples in Stereo posts at Largehearted Boy
Common Prayer: 2010-08-13, Brooklyn [mp3]
other Common Prayer posts at Largehearted Boy
Deerhunter: 2010-08-12, New York [mp3]
other Deerhunter posts at Largehearted Boy
also at Largehearted Boy:
other daily free and legal mp3 downloads
2010 Bonnaroo downloads
music festival downloads
Try It Before You Buy It (mp3s and album streams from weekly CD releases)
weekly CD and DVD release lists
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I’ve been in a strangely contemplative mood lately. All of a sudden it seems like everything is more important than it used to be. Or maybe it’s not. Either way, I find myself taking more time than usual trying to figure it out. The world seems to be speeding up while I do this which causes me to worry that the time spent thinking is wasted; I should be spending more time doing. This kind of thinking turns my mind into a neurotic eternal return where I end up spending all my time thinking about what I’m thinking only to reach the conclusion that I could figure it out if I just had more time to think about it.
I could be having a midlife crisis, but by almost any measure I’m way too young for that. Besides, I don’t have the money to impulsively go out and buy a fancy new sports car so I wouldn’t even be able to fulfill the stereotype. It’s also possible that I’m going crazy, but I don’t think that’s it either. I live across the street from a halfway house full of people who are legitimately crazy. They spend all day smoking cigarettes, staring at the grass and muttering frustrated rejoinders to the voices in their heads. I don’t even talk to myself and I spend all my time working, so I guess I haven’t yet lost my mind.
But what do you do when you find yourself stuck on the big, vaguely philosophical questions that have puzzled mankind since the dawn of self-reflection? Do I really expect to unearth the true nature of happiness? Can I ever come to accept the present without worrying about the future? Will I ever get to see the earth from outer space? I mean, it’s hard to focus on things like grocery shopping and painting the garage when you’re plagued by a nagging sensation that life in general holds much greater purpose.
I catch myself in the middle of these internal, semi-conscience soliloquies and I realize that I sound like a teenager who has just discovered that the world is bigger than he is. Which means the best thing to do is to handle this mental tempest the way I did when I was a teenager - by listening to some music. Fortunately, a CD arrived in the mail the other day that perfectly fits the bill.
Icarus Himself is a two piece from the lake filled land of Madison, WI. Their new EP Mexico comes out today on Science of Sound. It’s a ghostly sounding record, pockmarked with empty spaces. Stray drum machines and keyboards wonder through big washes of reverb-heavy guitar chords. I may be projecting, but it sounds like a band absentmindedly playing music while they think back on the defining moments of their lives. It could be the sound of heartbreak in a small town or a silent prayer for something as beautiful as it was in a memory. It could be the soundtrack to a dream or it could just be the sound of a thousand thoughts jammed into five songs.
As usual, I’m probably thinking about it too much. Rather than set my mind to racing again, I think I’ll just take solace in the wisdom of a bumper sticker I saw on the highway this afternoon: I don’t know and you don’t either.
MP3: ‘Digging Holes’
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