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Song of the day – 437: Prinzhorn Dance School (+ 5 wonderful obscure old school ‘awkward pop’ videos)

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Prinzhorn-Dance-School

In my book, The Fall lite isn’t an insult.

It could see how it could be, easy. It could imply that this music is watered-down, made deliberately to make consumption easier. It could imply that all the pathos and anger and stirring beats have been removed and all that is left is the surface fluff, the gloss. What fluff? What gloss? Prinzhorn Dance School have a wonderful lightness of touch that reminds me more of early Fall lite bands (NOT an insult) like those wonderful misanthropes The Passage or even the strange rhythmical music of more obscure souls like The Cosmopolitans and The Leopards. It’s wiry, early 80s but doesn’t feel retro. Love the silences between the vocals. Sure, we’re talking Gla*o Babies. Sure, we’re thinking early Mekons and Gang Of Four (before the first album) although of course if we went back and listened to early Mekons and Gang Of Four (before the first album) we would also have to change place and context and we can’t do that cos we’re in Brisbane right now, 2012 and it’s sweltering. And this music makes me happy, you understand. Prinzhorn Dance School’s whole new album Clay Class is beautiful easy listening for me, but that is not any sort of a put-down. Guitars shudder and jar. Vocals tickle and cauterize. Folk sound aware. You could argue that it sounds a little polite and mannered compared to some of the above but I think you’d be wrong to. I know this music makes me happy, relaxes, makes me think that sometimes it’s OK to be smart and understanding of the groove, and minimal.

Yes. Damn straight.

Here’s a short history lesson for you. I like all equally but different.

I mean, it’s very Pylon. And that really makes me happy.

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