Dance music and indie

I have failed, in the past, to "get" indie electronic, or "House" music. I never really found listening to Daft Punk enjoyable, and had the same experience trying to like Ratatat before their concert Saturday at WashU. Without human warmth or lyrics, all I could pick up in the beats and unresolved movements was the occasional shift in mood. Not bad, but hardly fascinating or enlightening.

The Ratatat concert was sort of a revelation (before I go on - wear real ear plugs to these things). Anyway, the way they handle themselves life is great - working the crowd, shifting the volume - creating, at least in some limited way, a sort of musical ecstacy/nirvana. Then again, I don't find the argument for nirvana (not that it is something one can argue for) compelling or really satisfying, but at least in the moment, Ratatat was pretty compelling.

After that I went back to my albums again and found - still didn't really enjoy them much. But was listening to Daft Punk again - and Alive 2007 does some wonders with revealing how you can work a crowd. Recommended if you're into this sort of thing...

Review: Fleet Foxes : I dismissed this one at first and have tried (manfully) since then to like it. And now I (sorta) do. There's a lot of floating melodies and nature talk which is really useful mostly as mood music. But in the midst of some self-indulgent harmonies and hippy-shit there are a couple great tunes about human frailty ("White Winter Hymnal," "He Doesn't Know Why") and the nature settings sometimes enliven the human relations described within. American classic? No - Americana nook music, mostly, but great for its nook and not bad for this American. 17/20.

In other surprising developments, I wouldn't be surprised if Conor Oberst overtakes Distortion as my fav. indie album of the year - although Stephen Merritt's still has a fighting chance.