guillemets are quotation marks( << >>); a guillemot is an auk. the spelling of the one is often mistaken for the other.
as far as quotation marks go, "trains to brazil" borrows from "jets to brazil," and it seems to be a tribute to a type of girl who wouldn't have been out of place in breakfast at tiffany's. it's also a bit of a rarity in british indie right now, sounding as it does like mid-period aztec camera. it's a brash, brassy, bouncy thing that i found today is a nice piece of music to get out of bed to.
as far as birds, the auk flies, but it doesn't fly well (guillemots fly a little better). or, rather, it flies w/ great difficulty. there are some hints of strain, particular in the singer's voice, as he moves from section to section, but once the song takes flight--ah, it is quite a thing to hear.
so, in conclusion, i don't know which it is--bird or punctuation. but guillemots are a fascinating young band, and "trains to brazil" is a wonderful way to start a cold winter morning.
2 comments:
that's a great, glorious song. as you said i can imagine it as a perfect song to kick me out of bed. it makes me think of the apartments without the melancholy of those aussies. any clue where the guillemots are from? their webite is either too unfinished or i am too obtuse to find out. btw i really enjoy your writing and song selections, fred.
alexander,
guillemots is composed of a briton, a canadian, a brazilian, and a scot. they are based, i believe, in england.
while at work, i thought of hearing this song again, and it made the day easier to get through. now, that's something. along w/ the pipettes, guillemots is a new band i v. much anticipate hearing new material from.
and thank you for the kind words. as you say on 'close your eyes,' knowing one person is reading your blog really is quite enough to get by on.
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