May 29, 2006

Hanne Hukkelberg + Devastations

Here are two songs that caught my ear yesterday and now I find myself listening again.



The first is "Little Girl" by Hanne Hukkelberg. Hukkelberg may seem to exist only so those who hear her can say things like, quirky, offbeat, offkilter, Offenbach (wait, how'd that get in here?), Rickenbacher (okay, now this is getting silly), hey... silly is another word listeners might attach to Hukkelberg. But to me this song shows a free spirit, one who expresses that spirit in her music. And, by the way, this music is so childlike that it's in perfect harmony with the song's subject... a little girl.

+ little girl

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The second song I've been playing often is by Australian trio, Devastations. Titled, "I've Walked This Road", it can be found on a compilation released on Aussie indie label, Spooky Records. This one is nothing like Hukkelberg's song, Tom Carlyon's guitar twangs and quavers above Hugo Cran's steady beat and both buttress the always melancholy voice of Conrad Standish. Starting with a guitar sound that evokes one of the great television series of the last twenty five years, Twin Peaks -- in fact this song would be perfect for a David Lynch soundtrack... slow, achy, and brittle -- it finishes with the instruments slashing and crashing as the road comes to an end.

+ i've walked this road

Devastations were recently signed to Brooklyn indie label, Brassland, and will see their latest effort, Coal, (a fantastic record!) in US stores in late summer/early fall. Keep your eyes open for it and watch for the upcoming interview, Tom Carlyon, the band's guitarist, did with *sixeyes.

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