Tuesday 29th December 2009

I WAS BORN A UNICORN

I’ve got a thing for unicorns (I don’t even want to think about the Freudian implications, thanks). Which caught me by surprise, because I hate horses. It’s their smug fucking faces. Like cats. Horses and cats are untrustable creatures that would work in expensive clothes shops if they were human and make you feel guilty if you couldn’t afford to buy anything.

But unicorns are imperious. They’re on some next level mythical vibe, with a sword on their head looking like they’ve been carved entirely from diamonds and porcelain. Which pretty much makes them untouchable. You can’t fuck with that. But they don’t make a big deal out of it. Not too much. They’re like Benico Del Toro: “yeah yeah, I’m good, but it aint nothing”. Horses aint got nothing on unicorns.

No one makes a big deal out of The Unicorns either. Or Islands. Or Clues. But the world really should. Kanye should be hijacking all these end of decade lists :”Pitchfork, I’ma let you finish, but…” Because running through those bands, through those same few dudes who are either too dysfunctional or too chilled to rule the world like they should, is a weird off kilter broken pop impulse that’s forged some of the best music of the last ten years. That first Unicorns record is a timeless masterpiece so far ahead of the curve people can’t even copy it yet.

As some genius on Youtube wrote: “theres nothing negative to say about chill music like this”. Yep.

The Unicorns – “Jellybones”
Islands – “Rough Gem”
Clues – “Cave Mouth”