Townswoman ladymisskirroyale wrote me before heading off to a busy day at work with the following report:
Ok, I know you were broken up about Gerry Rafferty, but today’s news about the death of Trish Keenan, lead singer of Broadcast, really bums me out. Broadcast has been one of my favorite bands for a long time. They started out as Stereolab wannabees (but without the overtly political lyrics of Laeticia Sadier) and were also highly influenced by The United States of America. (Mr. Royale and I tried to get into The United States of America but had minimal luck; albeit, we sampled only one album. The only similarities that they had were the vocals, maybe a bit. We sold it back.) But Broadcast really started to go in some interesting sonic directions, and I would say that their being labeled “space rock” by others was too reductionistic. Trish Keenen’s vocals were at times chilly (a la Karen Carpenter), but she was singing about very personal things and from a singular perspective. Listen to her sadness on “Illumination” on The Future Crayon. One of my favorite tracks is “Tender Buttons,” off of the Tender Buttons album.
I don’t know a thing about Broadcast except that one of their records is on my Amazon Wishlist because I read a description that sounded intriguing. Maybe I’ll have to buy that now.
The song ladymiss suggested in her e-mail to me, the one I posted the video to, is pretty cool. I bet you’d like it, too, geo. I remember hearing one of their albums a few years ago and not being able to feel anything but annoyed at the publicist-driven comparisons to The United States of America, for years a certain $1 bin staple, like the teenage kid at an orphanage, that The Kidz, with all copies of cutout Tubeway Army lps gobbled up, suddenly promoted as the Great Overlooked Band of the ’60s. Maybe you like that band, geo, but I not only found their music blah, I was even more annoyed that I was suckered into listening to it. On the bright side, since reading ladymiss’ note this afternoon, I listened to a few more of those Broadcast songs, and they’re not bad at all!
Keenan died of complications from pneumonia. Scary.
2003’s “Ha Ha Sound” is a good place to start. Sort of mid-period Broadcast (sort of, as some of their later releases were actually re-releases of early EPs and such) with a nice spectrum of sounds. I particularly like the way Trish Keenen’s voice skims over the top of the weird electronica (it oftens sounds like distorted bells or some such instruments that make bell soundsn) but is anchored by Neil Bullock’s military style, tom and snare heavy drums. There are nice little pop pieces, there is free-form jazz, there are electronic bleets that are tempered by “real” instruments, there are sped-up tape loops, some Can rhythms.
Mod, thanks for helping with the early morning posting…I have to admit that I was rather teary about Trish’s death. Broadcast is one band that I had always wanted to see live and never did so.
Any Hall members see them?
Swine flu, that is absolutely frightening.
I did see them in Lawrence KS. They started with an absolutely pounding version of “Long Was The Year.” The whole show was trance-like. And really loud.
Music writer Matthew Perpetua has made a Broadcast mix you can download from his Tumblr blog: jttp://perpetua.tumblr.com
I’m listening to it now. It’s really good. Relaxing and experimental at the same time. Really sorry I waited so long to check them out now.
Ladymisskirroyale, are you familiar at all with Electrelane?
Yup, heard them open for the Pixies a couple of years ago. Would you recommend them? I recall enjoying them live.
By the way, today Pitchfork has a nice overview of Trish and Broadcast. I would agree with most of what was written.
http://pitchfork.com/features/articles/7917-appreciation-broadcasts-trish-keenan/
http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/45079/listen-to-trish-keenans-mind-bending-motorway-mix/
Listen to Trish Keenan’s Mind Bending Motorway Mix
By DJ Pangburn Monday, January 17, 2011
This past Friday, Broadcast’s Trish Keenan passed away from complications of pneumonia. Before she died, she sent a mixtape to a friend. Have a listen.
I’ve been listening – some interesting stuff, none of which I recognize, except for the one cover. But thanks for letting me know! It’s worth a listen…
Here’s a tracklist:
http://thedecibeltolls.com/trishs-mind-bending-motorway-mix-and-live-archive/
There is some very cool stuff in this mix, I’m digging it.
Track 11 of this mix – the Theme From The Valley Of The Dolls by Natty Bumpo, has a voice on the high harmony that sounds so much like Graham Nash to me. I presume it’s not him, but it keeps catching my ear.
Note similarity between the Vampires of Dartmoore track and Stereolab’s “Metronomic Underground.”