Consequence of Sound

Watch: Animal Collective - “In the Flowers”

Chris Coplan — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:36:11 +0000

Fans of Animal Collective undoubtedly love the band’s ability to create gorgeous songs that can paint a picture. Unfortunately, the thing about their music, however, is that it’s hard to capture in images the true depth of many of the songs. But if one video for the band’s come close, it’s their newest (courtesy of Pitchfork) for “In The Flowers”.

The video is directed by Abigail Portner, sister of Dave “Avey Tare” Portner. And it’s only right she got the job as sister knows best how to put the band’s work into digestible bits of film. It features lots of old, grainy looking footage of life and play in New York before transitioning into tons of stop motion cartoons, tribal make-up, live dancers and more. The video works itself into a hectic pace right alongside the song and it’s ever-reaching arc upwards.

“In the Flowers” is up on the band’s official site, which you can access by clicking here. And if that isn’t enough new Animal Collective for you, we previously reported on their new EP. Expect that available for digital download on November 23rd and in stores on December 15th.

Beck’s Record Club draws Wilco, Feist and others for Skip Spence remake

Chris Coplan — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:25:10 +0000

The very idea of Beck’s Record Club, where he gathers famous guests and plows through a classic album in a single day, makes us swell with joy. So much so that we’re satisfied with the other efforts. But wait, Pitchfork is telling us of another collaboration? And this one involves Wilco, Feist, Jamie Lidell, AND ’60s icon Skip Spence? OK, now we’d like some more sonic deliciousness. Please.

The aforementioned artists have joined forces for a remake of Spence, formerly of the Moby Grape/Jefferson Airplane, and his 1969 classic Oar. The album stands as Spence’s greatest contribution to the psychedelic movement before he eventually succumbed to lung cancer in 1999, undoubtedly thanks to years of struggling with a drug problem. We’d say to stay off the stuff, but have you heard some of his work?!

On top of those luminaries, drummer James Gadson sat behind the kit and even Jeff Tweedy’s son Spencer got to help cut some of the tracks. The album’s leadoff track entitled “Little Hands” is up on Beck’s site now and you can hear it below. The previous works tackled by the club are The Velvet Underground & Nico with Radiohead maven Nigel Godrich and Songs of Leonard Cohen with MGMT and Devendra Banhart.

Stay tuned each week to the club site for more wondrous, wondrous installments.

On Sale: November 13, 2009

Will Hines — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:33:45 +0000

The following tickets are on sale beginning November 13, 2009:

101.9 WRXP Presents Matt Pinfields Holiday Extravaganza 2:

What: One night concert featuring David Gray, Pete Yorn, and Company in New York, NY

When: December 6, 2009

Tixs: $39.50

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

BB King:

What: Tour dates for North American tour

When: November 2009 - April 2010

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Girls:

What: Tour date for Dallas, TX

When: January 30th, 2010

Tixs: $14.00

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM CST

Jay-Z:

What: Tour dates for North American tour (presale)

When: February - March 2010

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 PM CST

Kid Cudi:

What: Tour dates for Canadian tour

When: November - December

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM PST

Lady Gaga:

What: Tour dates for North American tour

When: December - January

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Livenation.com and Ticketmaster.com from 10:00 AM EST

Raekwon:

What: Tour date for New York, NY

When: December 16th, 2009

Tixs: Price unavailable

Buy: Livenation.com at 12:00 p.m. EST

RJD2:

What: Tour date for North American tour

When: January - February

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

U2:

What: Tour date for Philadelphia, PA

When: July 12th, 2010

Tixs: $30.00 - $250.00

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Utada Hikaru:

What: Tour date for New York, NY

When: 8th February, 2010

Tixs: Price unavailable

Buy: Livenation.com at 12:00 PM EST

Yo La Tengo:

What: Tour date for St Louis, MO

When: 24th January, 2010

Tixs: $25.05

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 05:00 PM CST

Who’s playing the Super Bowl? The Who?

Alex Young — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:45:28 +0000

If you believe Sports Illustrated (via TFB), organizers behind next year’s Super Bowl halftime festivies have already chosen their followup to The Boss? So, who is it? But The Who of course! (Puns aplenty on this one!)

According to SI’s source, the two surviving original Who members, Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend, have been tapped to serve as the halftime entertainment for Super Bowl XLIV, which will take place in Miami on February 7th. The NFL has yet to confirm the news.

In recent months, the band has hinted at a possible world tour in support of a possible new album, both of which could happen as early as 2010. What’s more, there are also rumors that The Who will soon be getting the Rock Band treatment. If news of the Super Bowl performance proves true, Daltrey and Townshend could take a lead from last year’s performer, Bruce Springsteen, and his Working on a Dream release in 2009, and use the event as a launch for these aforementioned plans.

Either way, we’re guessing this isn’t the last we’ve heard from The Who.

EAR FARM rounds up Tom Tom Club, Sean Bones, tUnE-yArDs, and more for charity album!

Alex Young — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:00:09 +0000

The next latest and greatest benefit will come from the hands of our good friends EAR FARM, who recently teamed up Let ‘Em In Studio to create a holiday album. It’s appropriately titled Do you EAR what I EAR?, features the likes of Tom Tom Club, Sean Bones, tUnE-yArDs, Julie Doiron, Sharon Van Etten, and more, and will benefit the Association to Benefit Children, an outstanding New York-based service dedicated to permanently break the cycles of abuse, neglect, sickness and homelessness among disadvantaged children and their families.

Here’s the complete description, as given by EAR FARM:

Do you EAR what I EAR? is the final result of nearly four months of inspired collaboration and efforts among an incredibly talented and generous group of bands and musicians, the comprehensive recording and mixing services of Nadim Issa and Let ‘Em In Studios, and the mastering expertise of the Lodge. EAR FARM coordinated and curated the compilation, inviting a spectrum of genres and sounds into the project and working with both dear friends and musicians we’ve long admired.

The compilation will be available beginning December 1st with a suggested minimum donation of $5.00. All proceeds will go to directly to the Association to Benefit Children.

Bad Lieutenant also cancels U.S. tour!

Alex Young — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:32:34 +0000

For the second time in as many weeks, a U.K. band has been forced to cancel an upcoming U.S. tour over paperwork issues. Bad Lieutenant, the recently formed collective featuring Joy Division/New Order members Bernard Sumners and Phil Cunningham and Jake Evans, has scrapped its four-date trip to Chicago and New York, which included an opening slot for the Pixies, because of “more stringent immigration laws and changing visa parameters resulted in an inability to process the necessary paperwork.”

“We were all so very excited about coming to the States to play our new music for our American fans,” said Bad Lieutenant’s Bernard Sumner, “and are extremely disappointed that on this occasion, we won’t have the opportunity to do so. We plan to reschedule the Chicago and New York shows along with some additional U.S. dates in Spring 2010.”

Those new tour dates will be announced soon. In the meantime, your only upcoming chances to catch the band will be in December when they embark on a U.K. tour with the Pet Shop Boys.

Bad Lieutenant 2009 Tour Dates:
11/18 - Chicago, IL @ Park West
11/19 - Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom ^
11/21 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall
11/23 - New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom ^
12/17 - Glasgow, UK @ SECC *
12/18 - Birmingham, UK @ NIA *
12/20 - Manchester, UK @ MEN *
12/21 - London, UK @ O2 Arena *

^ = w/ Pixies
* = w/ Pet Shop Boys

Cinema Sounds: Dave Chappelle’s Block Party Soundtrack

Gillian Rosheuvel — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:15:31 +0000

In his 2004 concert documentary, Dave Chappelle’s Block Party, the comedian played several roles. As concert impresario, he assembled a who’s who of backpacker hip-hop and neo-soul: The Roots, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Kanye West, Common, Jill Scott, Bilal, Erykah Badu. As matchmaker, he reunited the erstwhile Fugees, one of the 90’s best bands. And as all around merry maker, he put together a quasi-impromptu block party one September day, a fete that included people from the surrounding neighborhoods of Clinton Hill and Bedford Stuyvesant, and from his native Ohio.

Helmed by video auteur Michel Gondry, Block Party was released shortly after Chappelle’s much publicized decision to abandon his $50 million Comedy Central contract for Chappelle’s Show. This timing meant that the film was one of the few glimpses Chappelle’s public would get of his quirky comedy at that time.

Most of the film’s fun derives from watching Chappelle organize the concert. He knocks on doors in the Brooklyn neighborhood where the concert will be held. He travels to Dayton to recruit the middle-aged white ladies who work at the corner store he frequents. He surprises the marching band at Central State University with a bus ride to the show (the band later accompanies West on a blistering version of “Jesus Walks”.)

But as fun as it is to watch Chappelle bring the show together, the actual performances sometimes get lost in the mix. That’s where this soundtrack comes in. It recalls the spirit of the film, while allowing listeners to experience the full breadth of the performances. Listening to the film’s accompanying live versions brings to mind scenes from the film, like Scott singing along backstage while Def and Kweli perform on stage.

The album opens with a hilarious concert planning conference call between some of the proposed participants. A hip-hop geek can thrill to hear Scott, Kweli, et al. greet one another on the phone like old high school chums. Dead Prez’ “Hip Hop” gets things going smartly before Def and Kweli launch into “Definition” from their critically acclaimed Black Star album. Separately, Def works his quicksilver flow on “Umi Says”, while Kweli’s stinging version of “The Blast” is enhanced even more by the presence of Badu.

Later, Scott brings it on a stirring performance of her single “Golden”. Common, Badu and Bilal reunite briefly for “The Light”. And not surprisingly, The Roots hold it all down with the kinetic “Boom”, featuring Big Daddy Kane & Kool G Rap.

Perhaps the best performance is The Roots’ rendition of their Grammy-winning hit “You Got Me.” Both Scott and Badu sing the hook that Scott wrote and Badu made famous.

Given the significance of The Fugees’ reunion in the film, the omission of their performance is jarring, as is the absence of West’s “Jesus Walks”. But even with these omissions, this soundtrack is still a stellar snapshot of a terrific film and one heck of a time capsule for hip-hop fans.

Check Out:

Dave Chapelles Block Party

RJD2 maps out “colossal” tour in support of all his new release

Alex Young — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:00:10 +0000

Seeing everything else RJD2 has planned for the weeks ahead, it’s only appropriate that the Pennsylvania based musician has announced plans what is being billed as a “colossal” tour.

Beginning on January 9th, RJD2, complete with full band, will embark on the North American adventure beginning January 9th in Washington, D.C. A road trip for the next two month follows, with more dates yet-to-be-announced. Tickets go on sale beginning tomorrow, November 13th, via Ticketmaster.com.

In other news, the latest item up for grabs in RJD2’s weekly “Monday Madness” is a free download of a previously unreleased track titled “The Perfect Occasion”. Grab it here.

RJD2 2010 Tour Dates:
01/09 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
01/10 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
01/11 - Charlotte, NC @ Visualite Theater
01/12 - Savannah, GA @ Live Wire
01/13 - Orlando, FL @ The Social
01/14 - Tampa, FL @ Crowbar
01/15 - Tallahassee, FL @ Club Downunder
01/16 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Heavan Room)
01/17 - Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree
01/18 - Chattanooga, TN @ Rhythm and Brews
01/19 - Knoxville, TN @ Valarium
01/20 - Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel
01/21 - Charlottesville, VA @ Jefferson Theatre
01/22 - Morgantown, WV @ 123 Pleasant Street
02/05 - Columbus, OH @ Sully’s Music Diner
02/06 - Newport, KY @ Southgate House
02/07 - Louisville, KY @ Headliners Music Hall
02/08 - Nashville, TN @ Exit In
02/09 - Memphis, TN @ Hi-Tone Cafe
02/10 - Oxford, MS @ The Lyric Oxford
02/11 - New Orleans, LA @ Tipitinas
02/12 - Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon
02/13 - Austin, TX @ Emos
02/14 - Denton, TX @ Hailey’s
02/18 - Columbia, MO @ The Blue Note
02/19 - Grinnell, IA @ Grinnell College - Harris Center
02/20 - Urbana, IL @ Canopy Club

A few updates: The xx, Nick Cave & Warren Ellis, Beyonce’s sister

Alex Young — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:30:43 +0000

A few pieces of news we previously told you about have a few new additional details. So, it seems appropriate to package them all together in one big update:

Late last month, The xx announced that guitarist Baria Qureshi had temporarily left the band. Yesterday, we received confirmation from the band’s label that Qureshi’s absence has become a permanent one, meaning that the English quartet behind xx is now an English trio, who are currently supporting the album with a slew of upcoming tour dates. Qureshi’s decision will result in no cancellations.

Back in September, Australian masterminds Nick Cave and Warren Ellis released a two-disc compilation album entitled White Lunar. The effort consisted of selections from several of the duo’s penned soundtracks, including ones from their musical contribution for the forthcoming film, The Road. As it now turns out, Cave and Ellis have announced plans to release The Road’s entire soundtrack on January 12th via Mute Records.

“The movie is about the loss of things, the absence of things, the lack of things. The lack of the wife/mother is present in every frame of the film. The delicate edifice of the film holds the ache of her absence, tenderly and by the tips of the fingers,” explained Cave in an issued statement. “The music was composed as a direct response to the film. A light, haunting, simple score with a sense of absence and loss at its heart.”

Finally, we are happy to report that Beyonce, or at least a member of Beyonce’s immediate family still very much loves indie music. Fresh off her sister’s appearance at a Grizzly Bear concert, Solange Knowles has unveiled a cover of the Dirty Projector’s track “Stillness Is the Move”. According to Pitchfork, there’s currently no official release planned for the cover — Solange just really liked the song. No word either on whether she’ll be attending the Projector’s forthcoming high-profile New York concert.

Check Out:
“Stillness Is the Move” (Dirty Projectors)

Album Review: Gov’t Mule - By A Thread

Maria Murriel — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:45:49 +0000

Let me tell you, Jorgen Carlsson’s got a heavy bass. By A Thread is Carlsson’s debut as bassist with Gov’t Mule, and together they bring about a sweet cohesion. Non-Allman Brother Warren Haynes leads his side-project band into and through a record of 11 tracks that are full of soulful, bluesy jam-band riffs, and a strange sincerity exuded by few.

Clearly, this record’s gonna hold some southern rock. Exhibit A: “Railroad Boy”, which is a mixture of rolling country rock and movie western showdown tune. On a more psychedelic note, “Monday Mourning Meltdown” allows for a visualization of the reason Gov’t Mule takes over basically every summer music festival around the country. Echoing guitars, resonating keyboards, and a jaded, raspy moan are more than enough to paint a swirl of spirals in the mind’s eye.

Haynes is an old school player, but he has tremendous skill in applying his guitar prowess and style to new releases in a fresh way. By A Thread’s musical wingspan covers moody tracks like the aforementioned “Monday Mourning Meltdown” to the more summery “Frozen Fear”, and touches on some pretty out there ‘60s era rock n roll in “Inside Outside Woman Blues #3”. At times throughout this record, I am overwhelmed by the might of Waynes’ guitar, and the hard-pressing, dragging sound of the band as a whole.

Gov’t Mule is in fact, a very talented band with a good sound. While they might be considered underrated by some, they make just the kind of music that will stand the tests of time due to its tried-and-true style and quality of musicianship. Of course, this does not imply that they will be topping charts or hogging the limelight of the mainstream. Nevertheless, they continue to be one of the better rock jam bands around, and hopefully will continue to trudge on.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Check Out:

Buy:
By A Thread