Phonogram and Pelican

In the prologue to Phonogram #1, Kieron Gillen writes, “Automythology . . . is reaching for the iconic in our lives – both good and bad – and transubstantiating it into the immortal.” He goes on to explain that what makes he and his friends so special (and, in turn, all of us) so special is nothing more than a pop song turns us into “gods on the dance floor,” or in my case, in the bedroom mirror.

With Phonogram, Gillen has captured our shared religions. While our myspace profiles proclaim us both as atheists, we worship at the throne of the perfectly placed note, the careful turn of phrase, and the art of a great mix.

Main character and narrator David Kohl is a misogynist bastard, but he’s so sincere, witty, and informative about it that I’m forced to love him off the bat. I’m forced to love the comic for reasons already mentioned, plus there’s a Huggy Bear reference and McKelvie’s (Long Hot Summer) restrained brilliance. Appearing on the letters page doesn’t hurt either.

Lynx!!1
My original Phonogram post
Phonogram official site
Kieron’s blog
David Kohl’s myspace page
Image comics

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Post-metal-sludge-instrumental act Pelican are going back on tour in September and their first date is right in the heart of America, St. Louis. The quartet (which is primarily composed of former members of Tusk) play music on the Oxes-side of Mogwai. They’re subtlety-devastating tunes can be found on their most recent release The Fire in our Throats Beckons the Thaw, the classic Australasia, and their eponymous EP. If you’re in the U.S., here’s where you can catch ‘em:

9/18/06 in Saint Louis, MO @ the Creepy Crawl
9/20/06 in Denton, TX @ Hailey's
9/21/06 in Oklahoma City, OK @ The Conservatory
9/23/06 in Tempe, AZ @ The Sets
9/25/06 in Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction
9/26/06 in Hollywood, CA @ the Knitting Factory
9/27/06 in San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
9/29/06 in Portland, OR @ The Satyricon
9/30/06 in Seattle, WA @ Neumo's

LeeeenxXX
Pelican’s homepage
Pelican on insound
Pelican on amazon

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This week’s minimix

Summer at Shatter Creek “Your Ever Changing Moods”
Huggy Bear “Her Jazz”
Pelican “Australasia”
Magnolia Electric Co. “Leave the City”
Liars “It Fit When I Was a Kid”

*notes
“Your Ever Changing Moods” was one of those songs that got lost in the bulge of my iTunes library. The way it’s set up, single tracks are easy to ignore among full albums and Elliott Smith bootlegs. The Huggy Bear track is reposted in honor of Phonogram #1. “Australasia” is the title track and closer from the band’s first full length.
I’ve been thinking about Jason Molina a lot lately. His new album, Let Me Go, Let Me Go, Let Me Go, releases Aug.22, and Fading Trails by his band Magnolia Electric Co. will be out Sept.12, both on Secretly Canadian.
I finally got around to watching the videos for Drum’s Not Dead, and band-member Julian Gross’s video for “It Fit When I Was a Kid” from Drum’s Not Bread is by far the best.

As always, I don’t wish to promote piracy. If you enjoy any of these tracks, please invest a little cash in the artist. Buy an album or download, or go to a show.