“Trouble”
. . .
In perhaps a dying gasp, MySpace erupted in an RSS spasm, clogging my feed with thousands of posts. I’d delete it all, but some of the news is actually timely. So I am sorting through countless band MySpace updates from years ago and screwing up my internal clock big-time.
Thus I stumbled across this video for “Trouble” by Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions, from their album Through the Devil Softly. The record came out in 2009, but I didn’t hear of it until now. (Following Sandoval was evidently an intention hitherto unfulfilled.) I liked Sandoval’s (it’s weird to type that and not mean Pete – funny how some people can occupy names completely) first solo record, Bavarian Fruit Bread, but I heard it in a past life. Sandoval has hardly crossed my mind since.
“Trouble”’s video changes that. It has some of the most black metal-esque imagery I’ve seen in a while. One could easily swap in isolationist black metal for the audio – Amesoeurs, say, or Velvet Cacoon. Those endless hallways remind me of the video for Foscor’s “I Tornà de les Cendres” (commentary here). Blurry staircases recall the cover of Mazzy Star’s She Hangs Brightly; inverted colors evoke vintage horror films. Maybe this is the comedown after Negative Plane’s frenetic psychedelia.
. . .
Dammit Cosmo, every time I’m about to complain about the music you post being ‘not metal enough’ I take a listen and fall in love. Quit expanding my horizons, asshole.
Considering that I really enjoyed the Mazzy Star albums, I should listen to this album more.
She does have a voice that would work well in many different genres.
I *love* So Tonight That I Might See, but for me at least, no other album Hope Sandoval sings on has anything like the brilliant hooks on that near-perfect album.
Being not a big black-metal connoisseur, this video reminded me more of Cathedral’s early videos; thus more like a doom-metal-video for me.
When I think of black metal, all I see before my inner eyes is Immortal running around in the woods
very Mazzy Star sounding, and that’s a good thing.
Mazzy Star’s So Tonight that I Might See is one of my favorite non-metal albums. I wasn’t even aware that she had done anything outside of that band. Very cool.
“The Sinking Belle (Blue Sheep)” on Sunn O))) /Boris’s _Altar_ collaboration is the best Mazzy Star song Mazzy Star never wrote.
Speaking of collaborations, I’d be all for an unlikely team-up between Hope and Pete Sandoval. Ethereal, languid vocals over furious blastbeats? Yes, please.
I love Hope Sandoval, she took over occupying that name a long time ago for me.
pseudonymous
Man, you are always bring up some of my favorite music ever. The Melvins, The Hellacopters and now this. We are kindred spirits, brother!
I thought Altar was an all around spectacular album but that The Sinking Belle was surprisingly the best thing on it. That song rocketed to the upper echelons of my favorite songs ever list. I thirst for an entire album of Jesse Sykes breathy/dread vocals. The problem is, I listened to that one album of hers that Southern Lord put out and I wasn’t that impressed. Maybe I should look into this Hope Sandoval.
Just have to add to the love for “So Tonight That I Might See.” Somebody get her to work with Alcest, quick.
Did Colm O’Ciosoig from My Bloody Valentine play on this?
This is SOOOOOOOO funny. For years, I’ve been telling people that Pete Sandoval and Hope Sandoval are actually brothers and sisters and that they have a side project together that sounds vaguely like Dead Can Dance… You wouldn’t believe how many people bought that hook, line and sinker.
Back in my early teens, I fell in love with Hope Sandoval watching the Fade into You clip and the Jesus and Mary Chain’s Sometime Always clip… She was a sexy, sexy lady.
And to join the chorus, So Tonight That I Might See is a great album.
More love for Mazzy Star’s “Tonight…” Still have the cassette somewhere.
Mazzy Star was like Portishead before Portishead, or the missing link between them and Jesus and Mary chain.
BTW, Portishead’s Third album is very dark and heavy, highly recommended (bonus points for an amazing Silver Apples sample on We Carry On). I bet that guitar player in the band is a total metalhead.
@David
I really like the music on that last Portishead album, but Beth Gibbons’s voice bugs me for some reason. I think it’s kind of mewling (for lack of a better word). Hope Sandoval’s voice, on the other hand, is like wrapping yourself in a warm towel that you’ve just taken out of the dryer.
@Miskatonic
Had the exact same experience as you. Fell in love with “The Sinking Belle (Blue Sheep),” but the Sweet Hereafter didn’t do it for me. We must ideed be kindred spirits. If I ever see you at a Miskatonic University alumni function, I’ll make sure to buy you a beer.
Andy O – Just don’t call me late for dinner!
pseudonymous and Chris Dalton – A Hope and Pete Sandoval project would be amazing.
Cliff Evans – A Hope Sandoval and Alcest project would be amazing.
David – Geoff Barrow of Portishead is indeed a metalhead. His label Invada has put out Atavist and other heavy music.
Speaking of the not-metal love for “quirky” female vocalists…
Cranes, anyone?
This seems like a vainly shitty remake of Maya Deren’s Meshes of The Afternoon from 1943, which is infinitely more fucking rad, darker and “black metal” than this dull ass arty glamour shoot used as video. You can watch that masterpiece here http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/meshes-of-the-afternoon-maya-deren/3e6d257fc1148ca91b423e6d257fc1148ca91b42-644022994386?q=Meshes+of+the+afternoon&FORM=VIRE2
I should start my own blog, it is possible to expand ones musical horizons past metal and actually listen to good music at the same time.
Sigivald – I’ve heard of Cranes but never heard them. Looks like I should correct that!
ROERF – Do it! I encourage anyone unhappy with this blog to start their own. No use kvetching on someone else’s blog if your own can make you happier.
Try this for a sample from the Most Black Metal of all the Cranes albums.
Still sounds as good as it did 20 years ago, and the guitar is just amazing.
Sigivald – Wow, I totally get what you mean. That voice! It’s childlike and evil at the same time. Thanks for sharing!