{"id":5143,"date":"2015-04-06T23:59:10","date_gmt":"2015-04-06T23:59:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.culturedallroundman.com\/?p=5143"},"modified":"2015-12-10T05:15:29","modified_gmt":"2015-12-10T08:15:29","slug":"culturedarms-songs-of-the-month-march-2015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/culturedarm.com\/staging\/5793\/culturedarms-songs-of-the-month-march-2015\/","title":{"rendered":"Culturedarm’s Songs of the Month (March 2015)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"GrimesRealiti\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In truth, I didn’t listen to a lot of Joni Mitchell through the month of March. But – especially in the context of a piece concerning a number of related artists\u00a0– it is worth wishing her well here, in light of her ongoing hospital stay. And over the past week I have given a few listens to both\u00a0Blue<\/em> and Mingus<\/em>.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

Nicole Dollanganger – ‘Rampage’<\/strong><\/p>\n

I only began listening to the music of Nicole Dollanganger towards the end of February, after Grimes highlighted her via Instagram. Dollanganger has released six collections of songs to date – four albums and two EPs – with another couple of works in progress, including a new album and a second series of ‘Embarrassing Love Songs’. Typically recorded in her bedroom or bathroom, her compositions are archly observed but with a graceful wistfulness that undercuts the humour of some of the lyrics; rooted in a sense of place which evokes her Ontario hometown – but more than simply recalling through sharp and suggestive detail, Dollanganger resuscitates moments so that they move about her in the present. ‘Rampage’ was the song that first stood out for me from Observatory Mansions<\/em>.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=TKeaZwfEC6Q<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

Grimes – ‘REALiTi’<\/strong><\/p>\n

Grimes released ‘REALiTi’ on 9 March: her first fully-fledged song to have appeared since last August’s ‘Go’, and serving to satiate fans awaiting the follow up to Visions<\/em>. Depicting it as a never-completed track recorded in early 2013 for a now-largely-scrapped fourth album, the video shows Grimes at various locations during her tour that year across Asia. Whatever its backstory, and whatever its future prospects – Grimes has indicated she might now consider placing the song on her upcoming album, such has been its reception – ‘REALiTi’ is a wonderful piece which readily fills the space extending from\u00a0Visions<\/em>\u00a0to the Grimes of the last couple of years. While its sound palette fits somewhere between the ethereal opening to ‘Symphonia IX (My Wait Is U)’ and the\u00a0dance tracks on Visions<\/em>, the lyrics on ‘REALiTi’ are less oblique and the tone is more earthy.\u00a0The chiming synths and cascading claps which begin the song make it one of her most instantly appealing and atmospheric.<\/p>\n