CHARMING NOISE | JENNY HVAL

I had always been partial to male singing voices, a preference that perhaps developed when I became obsessed with boy bands in middle school (don't judge, it was the '90s). However, over the past few years I've gained a serious love for female vocals ranging from Patti Smith's low growl to St Vincent's angelic coos. Norwegian "sound-artist" Jenny Hval is among the tradition of eerily ethereal female vocalists like PJ Harvey, Joanna Newsom, and Julia Holter. While yelps and yodels aren't for everyone, I beg of you to give all of these artists a chance because once you get into them, you'll wonder where they've been all of your life. Check out this song from Hval's latest album Innocence is Kinky.

AUSTIN CITY LIMITS 2012

first aid kit / war on drugs / zola jesus / father john misty / rain & mud

Well I took a much longer break from the internet than I expected, but I'm not going to lie, it was totally worth it. I had an amazing time in Austin, both at the festival and just enjoying the beautiful city. This was my 6th year in a row attending Austin City Limits, and though it was a mellower time than prior years, it was still a blast. Though I have to say, I wish that they would ban any and all awful college students that are there just to drink/take ecstasy/be generally awful. How would they weed these kids out? I don't know. But if it would have helped me to actually be able to enjoy M83's set, I don't care what drastic measures the festival runners would have to take. 

Despite said unfortunate douche baggery, I still managed to have a great time, and saw a lot of great music. Highlights would  include First Aid Kit doing a badass (why yes, I did just use badass  to describe folk music) rendition of Simon & Garfunkel's "America," and the entirety of Father John Misty's set. There's always an act that I'm interested in seeing who subsequently blow me away and gets me addicted to listening to their albums; Father John Misty wins that title this year. I'll go into more overblown detail on that subject in a future post.

So, who's ready for next year?