Faronheit

Live Friday: 11-13-09

2009-11-13T06:14:00.001-06:00

Here we are, yet another Friday the 13th, and yet another day when everybody gets highly superstitious. Anything can happen on a day like today, right? Sure, you may think there's a high probability of things going wrong, but I'm here to tell you that the less you think about it, the less chance there is of that happening. One way to help take your mind off things is to take some solace in the Bible. You don't necessarily need to believe, because even some of the least spiritual people can find applicable life lessons within those passages. Take John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats as a perfect example. He's said many a time that he's not exactly the most spiritual person, but he thought to write an album about how the Bible has influenced his life anyways. That's what "The Life of the World to Come" is all about, and the end results make up one of the better Mountain Goats records in recent memory. Well, Darnielle and his two cohorts are out on tour now supporting the album, and last week they stopped by the Minnesota Public Radio studios for an interview and to play a couple songs. They did two tracks from the new album, and then the classic "No Children" off the "Tallahassee" record. Great stuff, and of course Darnielle is both an excellent storyteller and interviewee. The interview is certainly something to check out if you're at all interested. Enjoy, and keep a close eye out for any black cats!

The Mountain Goats, Live on MPR 11-7-09:
The Mountain Goats- Isaiah 45:23 [alt]
The Mountain Goats- No Children [alt]
The Mountain Goats- Ezekiel 7 and the Permanent Efficacy of Grace [alt]

Stream the entire interview/performance

Buy "The Life of the World to Come" from Amazon

The Mountain Goats Tour Dates:
November 13 - San Luis Obispo, CA - Downtown Brewing Co.
November 14 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
November 15 - Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theater
November 18 - Austin, TX - Antone's
November 19 - Dallas, TX - Granada Theater
November 20 - Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge
November 21 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
November 23 - Orlando, FL - The Social
November 24 - St. Augustine, FL - Cafe 11
November 27 - Washington D.C. - 9:30 Club
November 28 - Philadelphia, PA - Theater of Living Arts
November 29 - Boston, MA - Wilbur Theater
December 1 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
December 2 - Brooklyn, NY - The Bell House

Crowds of Light

2009-11-12T05:33:00.002-06:00

Don't ask me why there are so many pop and electro-pop releases as we reach the later part of Fall 2009. What with CFCF and Annie each putting out great records around the past few weeks, there are even more good beat-driven albums freshly out there I've neglected to mention. Case in point, last week saw the U.S. release of Vitalic's second album "Flashmob". If you've never heard of Vitalic, he's a French electronica artist whose real name is Pascal Arbez-Nicolas. He's been producing and making his own music since about 1996, but really didn't rise from the underground electronica scene until 2001 when he put out the "Poney" EP. The song "La Rock 01" made a serious impact all over the clubs that year, and it rose Vitalic's profile enough for Arbez to sign a record deal. The first Vitalic album, 2005's "OK Cowboy," was composed mostly of the many singles he'd released over the years, though for most people these songs were brand new as they hadn't really gotten such wide distribution before. A collection of underground greatest hits or not, "OK Cowboy" was remarkable when it was released, and remains good enough today so that Pitchfork just named it one of their favorite albums of the decade.

Given that Arbez had 8-9 years to develop enough material for his debut record, it should come as less of a surprise that he's taken another 4 years to put out a follow-up album. As a stop-gap of sorts, he chose to release a live album in 2007, which really didn't do much for anybody. What has really shaken things up in the Vitalic camp though have been the music videos. Both "My Friend Dario" and "Poney Part 1" were intensely great from the last record, and the first single on "Flashmob" is "Your Disco Song," which also has an incredible video associated with it. They're the sorts of music videos you load onto one DVD and sell as collectors items, because you'll want to preserve them for posterity purposes. They're some of the best videos released this decade, if you're asking my opinion.

Videos aside, let's talk purely the music of "Flashmob". At 12 tracks and around 45 minutes, this thing is a party from start to finish. It's extremely fun, all the songs are like little 4 minute slices of dance heaven, often building up rhythm and speed as they go along until they crest shortly before winding down. Essentially that's what makes for a great dance track, and that pretty much defines most every song on "Flashmob". If you hear this album spinning at a club, it's not something you'll want to turn off because you'll be dancing your ass off. Arbez keeps the same synth-heavy style and automated vocal technique of the last album, which may not feel as relevant given the electronica scene today, but at the very least sounds like a slightly modernized version of great dance songs from 5 years ago. Then again, who am I to say where the current tastes in electronica lie - though you could argue that lo-fi electro aka glo-fi or whatever the hell they're calling it, is the latest part of that trend. By contrast, "Flashmob" is a polished piece of electro chrome, not over-produced, but rather extremely shiny and tidy from a sonic point of view.

Vitalic owes a hell of a lot to Daft Punk. Arbez comes so close to ripping off that duo's signatures it's almost not funny. But he also keeps himself smartly original enough to earn proper praise for his work. Then there's also the chain paradox of Justice being influenced by Vitalic and Daft Punk as well, while also succeeding on their own. The grand point in all this I suppose is that all three of these artists are in some way related and have all put together amazing albums in their own rights. "Flashmob" continues the trend, and though it may not ultimately be as influential as "OK Cowboy" was, it is more a more cohesive and engaging record. It gets weird on occasion, silly on others, and downright beautiful as well. This is masterful and artistic electronica made by a guy who absolutely knows what he's doing. You'll be surprised at how easily you get lost in the melodies. If you're looking for another great dance album this year, Vitalic is once again providing the gold standard.

Vitalic- See the Sea (Red)
Vitalic- One Above One [alt]

Watch some great Vitalic music videos

Buy "Flashmob" from Amazon

Keep Going

2009-11-11T09:22:00.003-06:00

Raise your hand if you remember Annie. My hand is raised, but if yours is not, don't feel too bad about it. She's been having some troubles these past couple years, it's mostly been label-related, so with our short attention spans it can pretty easily seem like after her 2005 debut album "Anniemal" she disappeared without a trace. Well I'm here to tell you that Annie is back, and that next Tuesday her second record "Don't Stop" will arrive in U.S. stores (it came out in Europe and elsewhere over the past couple weeks). For the uninitiated, let me take a brief second to catch you up on the history of Annie up to the present.

In 1999, Annie first caught a whole lot of attention when she sampled Madonna's "Everybody" for her very first single "The Greatest Hit". People got excited about the song, and very quickly Annie found herself crowned as the next pop star. As it so happens though, the death of a close friend and musical companion put her in a less than creative mood. So she took a few years to record her full length debut "Anniemal," and the buzz around her died down by the time the album finally arrived in 2005. Of course "Anniemal" brought with it a fresh helping of buzz, backed in large part by the excellent single "Chewing Gum," a pop gem about using boys then throwing them away. Annie started charting around the world (but not really in the U.S.), and suddenly some big record labels were interested in signing her. She eventually settled on Island Records, and they were set to shoot Annie into superstardom with her follow-up album "Don't Stop". The album was set for release last fall, but thanks to what was cited as "internal problems" with the label (possibly caused by economic issues or possibly caused by disagreements over the sound of the record), Annie decided to leave Island and search for a new home to release "Don't Stop". Smalltown Supersound is the label that is now distributing the album around the world, but not before Annie had re-worked much of it and made some adjustments to the tracklisting.

When an album gets stuck in label turmoil like "Don't Stop" has, the first question people tend to ask is whether it wound up being worth the wait. With Annie, the answer is simple: yes. The girl who was poised for pop superstardom 10 years ago makes more than good on that promise for the second time this decade. In fact, it stands to reason that "Don't Stop" is even more incredible of an album than "Anniemal" was when it amazed people nearly 5 years ago. Clearly working with various producers like Richard X, Paul Epworth and pop production team Xenomania has done wonders for Annie, as all 12 tracks on the record are bubbly, fun and remarkably addictive. They're also once again impressive from a lyrical perspective, and matching that up with some hefty beats and keyboard work does more than wonders. You get a great (guitar only) team-up with Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos on "My Love Is Better," and single "Songs Remind Me of You" attacks with a ferocity I've not heard from a pop song in quite some time. But simply singling out a couple of tracks doesn't do the entirety of "Don't Stop" justice, so if intensely danceable pop music is your thing, you owe it to yourself to check this album out.

Since "Anniemal" came out in 2005, there have been a few "indie pop stars" that have risen to the forefront and presented us with some great records. Lily Allen is one of the more notables, and Little Boots made quite a big splash earlier this year with her debut album "Hands". A lot of people don't know that Annie's debut marked the start of the trend with her pop songs that didn't always play by the rules, and had she not faced a year-long delay for this new record, you'd probably be hearing a number of these songs on the radio and in TV commercials. But that's simultaneously one of my worries with Annie leaving Island Records - it may cost her yet again in terms of exposure. So many of the songs on "Don't Stop" deserve the love of a mass audience, but without some pushy promoter wearing an expensive suit strolling into your local Top 40 station and demanding that they play Annie (perhaps in exchange for some cash considerations ::cough::payola::cough::), I'm worried it just won't happen. Not to say that Smalltown Supersound can't do a decent job promoting this record, but they are an indie record label based out of Oslo, Norway - compared to Island they're very small potatoes. Really what we can hope for out of this album I suppose is that it turns into yet another situation like she had after "Anniemal" came out, where major labels are looking to sign her again, hopefully this time without any of the turmoil. We work with the hand we're ultimately dealt.

In a way, I'm kind of glad that Annie is still signed to an indie label, because that probably means she'll remain our little secret for that much longer. Yeah, she deserves all the success that will hopefully and eventually come her way, the issue we've got to worry about right now is whether popularity on a large scale would significantly alter her pop music with sharp edges. One would hope not, but the pressures of being a pop star have caused many a person to do foolish things, the least among them being making a "sonic adjustment" to try and bring in the widest audience possible. Perhaps that was the underlying trouble behind the whole Island Records split in the first place. Right now though, Annie isn't sacrificing anything for any sort of greater good, rather she's writing and piecing together songs that are truest to her own nature. That's about all you can ask from any artist, let alone somebody who should be selling out arenas that Britney Spears and Miley Cyrus play. So please, if you're so inclined, get yourself a copy of "Don't Stop". I don't talk about full-fledged pop music often (if ever), but rest assured that when I do, the reason why will be worth it. Annie has done a stupendous job yet again with her sophmore release, and though it may not be my favorite record of the year, it's most definitely my favorite pop album of 2009. Expect me to bring this up again come December and list-making time.

Annie- I Don't Like Your Band [alt]

Preorder "Don't Stop" from Amazon

Stupid Attention

2009-11-10T13:47:00.001-06:00

There are a number of things that I don't like about The Cribs. I realize how biased and unfair it sounds to start a review with those words, but if there's one thing I don't want to do, it's mince words. Plus, there's an ultimate purpose behind what I'm trying to say, so bear with me. For the record, I don't hate The Cribs, rather just moderately dislike them. Their last album, 2007's "Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever" felt like a blatant grab for attention and mainstream success. In other words, all I thought the entire time I was listening to the album was how it looked for the easiest hooks and avoided any sort of innovation or attempt at creative diversity. It was moderately bland in other words, and in the sort of formula that seemed to guarantee high albums sales and mass popularity. Well, the band seems to be getting the attention I was thinking they sought around the world, save for the United States. Why The Cribs didn't hit it huge with their last album in the States is a strange mystery to me. Perhaps it was a consequence of being signed to the small-ish record label Wichita Recordings, who probably don't quite have the PR sledgehammer a major label would wield to get radio airplay. Color that issue corrected with the band's new album, "Ignore the Ignorant," finally out this week in the U.S. after an early September release everywhere else. The Cribs are now signed to Warner Bros. Records, a major label, and though I have yet to hear the band get played on the radio here in Chicago, it's probably going to happen eventually. If signing to a major wasn't enough of a PR boost, the addition of former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr to the lineup certainly caught a lot of people's attention. Marr certainly brought a lot of people into the Modest Mouse fold when he played and toured with that band around their last album "We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank," and now he's jumped ship to become the fourth member of The Cribs and adding his extra guitar to the proceedings.

So if you thought that I disliked The Cribs before, the even more intense and seemingly obvious grabs for attention only pushed me away farther. Yet I still do not play judge, jury and executioner before giving a record at least a couple listens from start to finish. So it may come as something of a surprise then when I say that I actually enjoyed "Ignore the Ignorant" from the get-go. That's not something I put lightly either, given my past history with the band as outlined above. It was just like a switch flipped in the two years since their last record, and all of a sudden they were a pretty good band. The immediate observer might point the finger squarely at Johnny Marr, saying that it must have been his joining the band that sparked a new-found creative streak. This is certainly a possibility, especially given that Marr shares songwriting credits with the Jarman brothers on every one of the album's tracks. How much he directly contributed to any single one of these songs is debatable, but given that he's credited it says a little something. For the record, I do think that Marr's work on "We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank" partly resulted in making it one of the poorer Modest Mouse albums to date, but I also like to think that Isaac Brock shares the blame on that one. But the paradoxes between how Modest Mouse and The Cribs turned out can certainly be considered interesting. Marr helped turn the sometimes extremely odd curiosities of Modest Mouse into something a bit more mainstream and bland for their last record. Now Marr has helped take the bland and somewhat formulaic pop rock of The Cribs and given it a stroke of strange. Granted, "Ignore the Ignorant" is not a highly experimental affair, but it isn't as blatant or forceful as the band's last album, which is a huge plus in my opinion.

If you're looking for some serious headrush 1-2-3 punch combos of addictive songs back to back to back, look no further than the opening three cuts on "Ignore the Ignorant". They're catchy as all hell, but with little twists and turns that sink in your ear and make them seem less obvious. In other words, if you're not a fan of big radio hits, there's an edge to these songs that make them very playable yet smarter than your average bear. These are the songs right before you get into the brash, 6 minute guitar jam of "City of Bugs," which is where you can get your best taste of Johnny Marr seriously tearing things up. You're then treated to "Hari Kari," a song that boasts some of the finest lyrics I've ever heard from the band. Again, this is surprising, and a welcome change from the frantic and unfocused pop jams of the band's earlier work. These songs are still every bit the mindless fun of the last album, but done with much more intelligence and pure skill this time around. No, it's not groundbreaking nor is it very experimental, but it's definitely boundary stretching for a band that seemed to keep themselves confined to a very tiny box that didn't seem to hold much in the first place.

To make a long story short, "Ignore the Ignorant" is essentially my album of Cribs conversion. This is the record that put my fears to rest and proved to me there was more behind this band than just a trio of pretty faces trying to write the biggest songs possible to attain worldwide success and fortune. Of course that may actually be their one singular goal, but even if it is they've done a fine job of convincing me otherwise on this new record. They've toned down their nuclear bomb-like explosive tendencies for a more appropriate and precise cruise missile, and they're better off for it. This isn't an album that will change your life, nor is it something you'll probably be considering when thinking about the best albums of 2009, but it is at the very least a solid 45 minutes of skillful fun. Up to this point, that's about all I can ask from The Cribs, and they've delivered. Now if we can just get some U.S. radio stations to start giving them some real airplay.

The Cribs- We Were Aborted

Buy "Ignore the Ignorant" from Amazon

Live Friday: 11-06-09

2009-11-06T01:46:00.000-06:00

When Pedro the Lion broke up a couple years ago, I figured it was more a function of just general disagreements between band members rather than something larger. See, it turns out that David Bazan felt like he couldn't continue the band anymore as he was experiencing a crisis of faith. He had also started drinking quite a bit, and given the very Christian nature of Pedro the Lion, it became necessary for him to take some time away from music in general. Bazan has since gotten his alcohol abuse under control, and now calling himself an agnostic, recorded an album under his own name that was titled "Curse Your Branches," which came out earlier this year. It's a pretty great album, though I didn't have an opportunity to review it when it came out.

So for this week's Live Friday, I'm featuring Bazan playing some songs off his new album with his backing band. He stopped by the WXPN studios while out playing a large number of house shows solo. Basically that means he was playing to tiny crowds in actual houses with just an acoustic guitar and no sound equipment. That's an interesting way of going about things, and more power to him for playing shows like that. But in addition to the great songs he does in this session, there's a lot of discussion in the interview about Bazan's faith issues and how that's affected his life and music. It's really interesting stuff, so if you've got some time to listen to it, click the streaming link below. Otherwise just download the songs, which are good as well.

David Bazan, Live on WXPN 10-16-09:
David Bazan- When We Fell [alt]
David Bazan- Curse Your Branches [alt]
David Bazan- Bless This Mess [alt]
David Bazan- In Stitches [alt]

Stream the entire interview/performance

Buy "Curse Your Branches" from Amazon

Hipster Lingo

2009-11-05T10:02:00.000-06:00

You wouldn't really know this because I don't really ever bring it up, but I'm quite a big fan of The Strokes. Both "Is This It" and "Room On Fire" got an exceptionally high number of plays from start to finish back in the day, and I still return to them on a regular basis when I need something a little fun and summery. Whether we want to admit it or not, The Strokes really did play a huge role in the revitalization of garage rock, and that so many of their songs still sound fresh nearly 10 years later is a testament to just how good they've been. Sure, "First Impressions of Earth" was an album marred with mistakes and problems (keeping in mind that it didn't completely suck), but I still had high hopes for a fourth Strokes record. Then there was talk of the band taking a break, and the guys sort of went off and did their own things, mostly taking on side projects like Little Joy or Nickel Eye. Albert Hammond Jr. has released two solo albums since the last Strokes record, and we'd heard nothing from Strokes singer Julian Casablancas. Something tells me he was the one who called for the Strokes hiatus, because as far as I'm aware, he's been doing nothing the past couple years except sitting on his ass and spending the cash that came in from his band's three albums. The thing is, if any member of The Strokes were to do a side project, I'd want it to be Casablancas. As the main singer and songwriter for The Strokes, he always seemed up for most anything, and I wondered how it would translate to a new band. Funny then how as soon as we started hearing word of a new Strokes album being worked on, word came down that there would be a Julian Casablancas solo album coming out in the fall. Well, "Phrazes for the Young" finally got it's shortly-delayed release this week, and it's actually about what I expected.

In an interview, Casablancas stated that his solo album was born out of ideas he had for new songs that his fellow bandmates in The Strokes didn't like enough to try and record. So I it took him a bit of time, presumably to stop sleeping around and possibly taper back some recreational drug use, but "Phrazes for the Young" got done, and now we can all find out why these songs didn't wind up on a Strokes album. Eight songs, each clocking in somewhere close to the 5 minute mark except for first single "11th Dimension," and a whole lot of synths are what really catch your attention about this reord. The jangly garage guitars of "Is This It" are wiped out for the most part, though sometimes you can still hear them in the background. On occasion there are horns, which is interesting to say the least. Electro beats skitter in here and there, sometimes matching up with the traditional drums and sometimes not. Casablancas' vocals are scrubbed clean, sounding a bit farther away from the grimy Strokes style, though it's a little surprising how all the various instrumental elements sometimes overwhelm the singing. Lyrically things are darker and more emotional than anything he's done previously, though the melodies don't always reflect that.

So those are the finer details as to what "Phrazes for the Young" embodies, but the real question is does it work? The short of it is absolutely, but the long of it is not so much. It makes me extremely happy to hear that Casablancas still knows how to write a hook, and the first half of the album is completely dominated by them. A couple of spacey notes into a fast-paced electric guitar strum kicks off opening song "Out of the Blue" just right, and you can't help but tap your feet and bob your head as Casablancas gets moody and rhymes "going to hell in a basket" with "pissing on my casket". Morbid, yes, but also more than addictive. "Left & Right in the Dark" keeps that trend going with another chorus that will stick in your head and the added bonus of some of the best lyrics that Casablancas has written in quite awhile. Then "11th Dimension" comes in as the first full synth pop song and succeeds when it comes to separating itself from any Strokes comparisons.

It's not until "Ludlow St." though that things really take a left turn. A slow violin and quietly worrisome synths bring some atmosphere before the acoustic guitar kicks in and gives the song a decidedly country feel. Mixed with piano, a splash of electro beats and some horns, this song goes way off the map from expectations, and is mostly made interesting because of it. That's followed up by "River of Brakelights," which is sparked by some low-range electric guitar plucking and programmed beats before building into a frenzy that's positively hypnotic. "Glass" marks the best of a couple ballads on the album, turning to gorgeous synths to hold the melody in place, and does a great job of summing up the general air of sadness across the record without getting too slow or plodding.

The problems with "Phrazes for the Young" is best summed up in the album's closing track "Tourist". The song itself isn't bad, though it does drag slightly, but its main issues are with the production. There is simply way too much going on at once. Within the first 20 seconds of the song, you get synths, bass, electric guitar, drums, and a plucked acoustic guitar. Then the programmed beats come in with Casablancas' voice when things are already too busy to begin with. The Spanish horns arrive with 90 seconds left, along with a splash of piano, and by that point I'm just hoping that there's not some orchestral swells complete with violins before it all ends. Mercifully, the track ends there, and it's no worse for the wear if you're not looking for these things. In fact, that's the not-always-apparent problem with the entire record. The songs may be catchy and energetic and fun, but there's far too much going on with almost all of them. Granted, you could look at it as a benefit, what with each new listen revealing new layers and instruments you may not have noticed before, but for the simplistic pop songs these tracks should be, things are needlessly complicated. It's almost like Casablancas threw everything against a wall and instead of only taking what stuck, he took everything whether it worked or not. I can't help but think that with a little more self-control, what's a pretty good album could have been an incredibly great one.

Of all the Strokes members' side projects, I might very well argue that Julian Casablancas wins that match, though Fab Moretti's Little Joy is excellent too. So color me a high admirer of "Phrazes for the Young," mostly because of the strong sense of melody and great hooks. Casablancas' downer lyrics are both good and bad depending on the song, as are the high number of instruments shoved into every corner that can possibly sustain them. I'm also a little turned off by the sterile nature of the record, which doesn't trade on Casablancas' gritty charm enough. It's a little too "clean" when it'd be nice to have a few needle marks and blood along the way. Still, if you ignore the history of The Strokes and pretend like this is just an album from some guy, you'll be charmed. I know that I am. Either that, or I'm just really glad to hear Casablancas behind a microphone again. Word has it that The Strokes may never finish another album, thanks in large part to in-fighting on decisions as to what songs are good enough to release. If we never get another Strokes record I'll be pretty upset, but "Phrazes for the Young" serves as some small comfort that Casablancas can still make some decent songs on his own should he be required to. Take that for what it's worth.

Julian Casablancas- Ludlow St. [alt]

Buy "Phrazes for the Young" from Amazon

Land Mass

2009-11-04T23:24:00.000-06:00

Electronica is a genre of music that I never feel too comfortable talking about. Keep in mind that I'm not talking about electro-pop, which is the more easily digestible cousin of electronica, where you get songs in shorter intervals and often with vocals attached. What I'm talking about are the longer beat-driven tracks that are almost entirely instrumental. You know the kind, from a Paul Oakenfold to an Aphex Twin, this is stuff mainly designed for the clubs or just rave-up house parties. There's a wide variety of subgenres involved as well, from IDM to House to Techno to Ambient and so forth, and I can't tell you the first thing about distinguishing between them. I listen to LCD Soundsystem and Cut Copy and Junior Boys and plenty of other electro-pop artists, so I'd like to think that I know a little something about the art of manufacturing a beat, but clearly I tend to prefer tracks you can either sing along to or ones that have distinguishable choruses that can stick in your head with or without vocals. So it's with much trepidation that I talk for a moment about the debut album from CFCF aka Mike Silver. The record is titled "Continent," and it's a little outside my comfort zone. Buzz is what's brought me to CFCF's doorstep, so I figure I might as well give an uninformed perspective on this album for those like me who wouldn't normally consider giving it a single listen.

Let's start with some basic bio information. Mike Silver has been making music in one form or another since he was about 12 years old. Over the past several years he has honed his skills and whipped up a large number of "unofficial" remixes to songs by artists like HEALTH, Justice, Crystal Castles and Sally Shapiro. He put some of those remixes up for free download and they caught the attention of a lot of people. He eventually started selling the remixes as both individual tracks and as part of a package, which only got him more attention and acclaim. Last year, Silver released his first 7" single of original material, which was limited to 500 copies. Around this time was when the serious blog buzz started, and so he signed to Paper Bag Records, through which he released the "Panesian Nights" EP earlier this year, along with the single "The Explorers" which featured Sally Shapiro. Now we reach the present, and "Continent," which is available digitally now and physically on November 17th.

Without a doubt, "Continent" is an album you can dance to. Maybe not all the time, but a good portion of the time. There's also not a whole lot that's going to whip you into some ecstasy-induced frenzied rave-up, but the BPM's are good for some solid booty shaking and head bobbing. Actually one of the things that makes CFCF's debut unique is the constantly shifting sonic alliances between tracks and sometimes on the same track. You'll get a little jazz influence here and a little disco influence there, with some funk, rave and house all around as well. It's helpful and fun that you don't exactly know where it's going to head next, because it prevents "Continent" from ever sounding boring or stale. In fact, a large amount of the album's influence rests in the 80's and 90's electronica scene, which if you've ever listened to tracks from Autechre, Squarepusher or Aphex Twin, then you should have some sort of idea what I'm talking about. For the less knowledgable, take comfort that there's plenty of synths, some sweet piano-based melodies, a bit of booming bass, and a lot of feel-good tunes. Yes, this is the sort of electronica that gives you the warm fuzzies, releasing some endorphins and in some cases helping you to relax. Should I also mention that there are some dynamite hooks and the occasional vocal contribution? Yeah, you only get about 2-3 songs worth of vocals, but in this case you take what you can get.

If I have any real gripe with "Continent," it's that it's too long. You get a dozen tracks, but the large majority of them are between 5 and 8 minutes in length. Granted, those long excursions are never boring or feel uninspired, and in the context of the album as a whole they work quite well, but I can't help but think that a few of the songs would actually gain more power and be even more incredible separated from the pack. You get a monumental journey like "Half Dreaming" and some of the focus feels lost sandwiched between the also-great "Monolith" and "Letters Home". Slipping some of the more exceptional songs on this album into other contexts, be they soundtracks or mix tapes or even attempting a personal remix, and you'll catch some of the finer details you probably missed amid so many other goings-on across "Continent". So really, that's the one challenge this album faces, and in the world of electronica where it's not uncommon to release a number of individual singles before compiling them for a full length, CFCF could have benefited more from putting out some of these tracks separately first.

That's not going to stop me from recommending the "Continent" to you though. The way the various different styles all blend together into a cohesive and exciting whole makes for one of the better pieces of long form beat-driven music I've heard so far this year. Mike Silver clearly proves he's a master of the mixing arts, and his deft touch signals that he's set to be an electro-tastemaker for many more years to come. Again, I don't normally listen to this sort of electronica, and I may not be the best person to be asking for an opinion about it, but "Continent" does hit me the right way. It's also a great album to use outside of parties for things like workouts and other energetic activities. If this sort of stuff peaks your interest, get yourself a copy of the album. Of course feel free to sample below if you just don't know.

CFCF- Monolith

Buy "Continent" from Amazon MP3

Youthful Indiscretions

2009-11-03T23:07:00.000-06:00

Things just haven't been the same in the Weezer camp since the 90's. We've all just been waiting for them to get back to the "Blue Album" and "Pinkerton" days, right? That's sort of been the mantra for those of us so strongly influenced by the band's earliest records. At the time I thought, and I hope many others did too, that as we grew up and evolved, Weezer would too. They went on hiatus at the end of the decade, and their legend only grew. The dark but intensely poignant and personal lyrics that populated "Pinkerton" were a guide through my turbulent teenage years, and when the band came back in 2001 with "The Green Album," I was hoping for more of the same. Yes, Weezer was back, and thankfully so was their sense of melody. Just a taste of songs like "Hash Pipe" and "Island in the Sun" heralded the band's return to the pop forum, but at the same time something felt a little off. Chalk that album's success up to everybody being really excited to have Rivers & Co. back in the game, and you may notice it's just a little bit weak. The speedy follow-up "Maladroit" didn't help matters in the least, though times wouldn't hit the band really hard until "Make Believe" landed in our unfortunate laps. I'm seriously pushing for "Beverly Hills" to be named one of the worst songs created in the past decade. Before "Make Believe," Weezer's problems were more fundamental and superficial, and Rivers' lyrics weren't completely in the crapper yet. It was the aforementioned "Beverly Hills," along with second single "We Are All On Drugs" that really exposed the deep-seeded problems the band was having, and there's a reason why so many people continue to hate that record to this day. "The Red Album" fared better, but only slightly. The decision to allow each of the band members to write and sing a song apiece was a huge mistake. Rivers also continued to have lyrical issues ("marrying a beyatch, having seven kiads"), and the viral web stars music video for "Pork and Beans" has already become a bit dated. Which brings us up to "Raditude".

Let the record show that "Raditude"'s opening track and first single "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" is the best single song that Weezer has written since probably their 90's heyday. Granted, it still sounds like a Jonas Bros. song from an alternate universe, but damn is it catchy, and the lyrics are oddly compelling. One of the best things about classic 90's Weezer was that Rivers made specific references to things plenty of people could relate to ("I asked her to go to the Green Day concert/She said she'd never heard of them/How cool is that?/So I went to your room and read your diary"). So when he mentions the movie "Titanic" and a Slayer t-shirt and going to Best Buy, we understand because we know or have done these things. Yet they're also not too general like some of the platitudes that Rivers has offered on the last couple Weezer albums. "Everyone likes to dance to a happy song/With a catchy chorus and beat so they can sing along" is one such example of some uninspired wordplay. So when "I Want You To" was released for radio and download purposes a couple months back, it stood as a great sign that "Raditude" would be largely in the same vein, which meant there was the potential for long-time fans of the band to finally get that old school-styled record we've all been hoping for.

First and foremost, on a majority of the songs across "Raditude", Rivers Cuomo has gotten much of his writing chops back. That is to say, many of these tracks are filled with very specified and geeked out details that were so effective in Weezer's early work. There are a few giant lyrical missteps however, and those are the songs that sound the strangest and most like they don't belong on this album at all, let alone attributed to Weezer. To start, I realize that "Can't Stop Partying" is a song written and done in the most ironic sense possible, but the whole Lil' Wayne cameo and dragging club beat get into a weird area that I just don't understand. You move from guitar pop to this frankly boring and one-note track that falls prey to the very issues it's looking to expose. It's the sort of song you can put out as a b-side or on an EP of experiments, but to shove it near the middle of your high energy and fun record just makes no sense. In fact, "Can't Stop Partying" made its first appearance on Cuomo's second album of home demos "Alone II". The somber, acoustic demo version of the song is much better and more memorable than the studio tricked out version.

The second most confusing track on "Raditude" is "Love Is the Answer," which attempts to exert some Middle Eastern influence on top of a softer guitar track. Some sitar and a woman singing in Hindi are what push the more experimental side of the song, and while those things themselves are out of place, it's the extremely bland and uninspired lyrics that truly ruin this one. The chorus of "Love is the answer/Makes no difference what you've heard/Love is the answer/You have got to trust in the world" is some seriously low-grade Beatles-baiting shit, and the band didn't even go to India and visit with the Maharishi. How or why Weezer thought this would even start to be a good idea is beyond me. Instead it turns out to be a failed attempt to broaden some horizons, and it's something that nearly ruins the rest of the record.

Let me take a brief moment here to discuss the ongoing difficulties that Rivers Cuomo seems to be having with growing up. The guy spent much of "The Red Album" in something of a conflicted mid-life crisis mode, and now it just feels like he's writing songs to pander to a new generation of converts. If I were a teenager looking for some music that helps define me, most of the songs on "Raditude" might fit the bill. Of course I'd be naive and awkward and have terrible taste, but that's pretty much what my life was like 10 years ago anyways. So explain to me this: How exactly is Cuomo more qualified to write or relate to today's teens than I am? When you hear a song like "I'm Your Daddy," does it seem just a little creepy that it was written and is being sung by a man in his 40's, or are you only paying attention to the hook and lyrics? For the teenage target audience here, Cuomo really could be their fathers. That song is followed up by "The Girl Got Hot," a song that is both a relatable situation yet also seems a little strange to once again have Rivers behaving like a horny teenager. Pulling back on the throttle just a bit though, I will say that if you completely ignore the context of where these songs are coming from or who wrote them, fun and catchy are the two words that immediately enter my mind. They're essentially well-written songs from both a lyrical and instrumental standpoint, and the only thing holding them back is my own mind and the knowledge of the fully grown men behind the pen and paper. Well, that and the fact that I know Weezer is capable of so much more.

There are many people out there who will have little problem throwing praise on "Raditude" and calling it Weezer's best album in years. I can understand where they're coming from. Aside from two or three missteps, most every song on the album has some redeeming or enjoyable quality to it. Cuomo's words are sharper and more descriptive than ever, the songs tend to be effortlessly catchy, and Weezer isn't the sort of band you look to for critical acclaim anyways. Hell, even "Pinkerton" was slammed by critics upon its initial release. "Raditude" will never achieve that same cult classic status, but rest assured that plenty of people will buy it and love it (I'm looking at you, teens and tweens and fans of bands like Coldplay and Snow Patrol). Having stuck by Weezer for such a long time and having listened to multiple albums filled with plenty of crappy songs, I'll say most definitely that this new album goes higher than their career-long batting average. It is, for all practical purposes, an improvement over their last 3-4 records, and that alone should get you sitting up and paying attention to it. Of course there's no consoling some people, and plenty will cite "Raditude" as another plague of songs that don't equal what Weezer did in the 90's. Personally, I'm finally starting to realize that not only is this a band beyond saving, but it's also one that doesn't want to be saved. There's a good reason why Weezer went on hiatus after "Pinkerton," and I'll argue that it was less because of school stuff and more because Rivers Cuomo was so depressed he didn't care/want to write music anymore. The intensely personal and emotional nature of "Pinkerton" was born out of pain, and when given the choice between more of that or working to heal old wounds, Cuomo chose the latter. He started meditating and took an oath of celibacy for a time, all in trying to find that happy place once again. Ironically enough, at this point in time Weezer's career is best defined by the classic song "The Good Life". Here's a lyrical sidebar for you:

I don't wanna be an old man anymore
It's been a year or two since I was out on the floor
Shakin' booty makin' sweet love all the night
It's time I got back to the good life
It's time I got back, it's time I got back
And I don't even know how I got off the track
I wanna go back, yeah

With "Raditude," Weezer has gone back. It may not be the days of "The Blue Album" again, but they've taken their "old man" sentiments seriously. They all may be pushing 40 and have families now, but there's little doubt that they're once again living the good life. Sure, they're the big kids playing in the sandbox now, but really they're just looking to have some fun with people no matter what their age. If their music wasn't selling then it'd be one thing, but fans are still putting down their hard-earned money in the hopes they'll catch some of the infectuous joy these grown men have to offer. So when all's said and done, who am I to judge the Weezer model? I have to settle on the idea that they're no longer the band I once loved, and that they'll more than likely never make another album of any real significance to me again. That also doesn't mean some 15-year-old isn't sitting in his room right now rocking out to "Tripping Down the Freeway" and thinking it's an incredible song. There was a time when I didn't know any better either. "Raditude" reminds me of that. There's no way I can give this record a recommendation to any reasonable music fan, but I will say that there are worse and less fun ways to spend your cash. Perhaps you'd be wise to go digital and only pick up the singles from this album. After all, whenever they finally decide to do so, the best Weezer album ever will ultimately be their greatest hits singles compilation.

Buy "Raditude: Deluxe Edition" from Amazon

Folk Classic

2009-11-02T23:46:00.000-06:00

If I've said it once, I'll say it again - Rock Plaza Central is a pretty awesome band. Their last two albums, "Are We Not Horses?" and "At the Moment of Our Most Needing" are both nothing short of excellent, and if you've not yet heard them, well I just don't know what you're waiting for. Back in September, RPC's principal songwriter/novelist Chris Eaton was kind enough to do a lengthy interview with me while the band was out on a short fall tour. Well, Rock Plaza Central is on a bit of a break right now, as Eaton's taking more time to focus on his writing and is also preparing for the birth of his first child. There's also talk that he's spending a little time writing more music for the next RPC album. Anyways, between all that, he was kind enough to shoot me an email late last week and to pass along a song the band recorded back in mid-September. The long and short of it is that they did a cover of Bob Dylan's great song "I Want You", and for one reason or another their label decided they weren't going to put it out. I don't know if that can be counted as a good or a bad decision, but either way this works out in favor of the band's fans.

Speaking directly of Rock Plaza Central's version of "I Want You", I'll comment that it's a bit longer and a bit slower than the original Dylan version. Part of that has to do with the desire to put something of a different spin on the track. After all, Dylan's version is a pretty fast-paced folk pop tune. Taking things in a slower and more measured direction, with some violin thrown in for extra flavor, what Rock Plaza Central does here is emphasize the depth and emotion behind the words. One of the great things about Bob Dylan is that he's able to write purely poetic and heartfelt lyrics while turning the songs into digestible pieces of folk glory. With some of his most pop-oriented songs however, it's easy to forego what's being said and just allowing for a focus on the addictive melody. With their take on the song, Rock Plaza Central may not have retained the speedy delivery or the plucky piano, but they have put some serious heft behind the song, allowing for a re-interpretation of a track you may not have paid as much attention to before. I'm not calling it better or worse than the original, just different, and done with different motivations. Have yourself a listen, and I hope you enjoy it.

Rock Plaza Central- I Want You (Bob Dylan cover) [alt]

Buy a very limited edition copy of "Are We Not Horses?" on vinyl

Show Recap: Monsters of Folk [Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, 10/30/09]

2009-10-31T05:57:00.002-05:00

If you read my review of the Monsters of Folk album a few weeks back, then you'll know a couple things. First, that I really respect all the members of this band, from Oberst to Ward to James to Mogis. From Bright Eyes to My Morning Jacket and just plain M. Ward, everybody's an exceptional talent, and that's why Monsters of Folk is technically a supergroup. Now you would also gather from my review of their self-titled debut that while I thought the songs were pretty good and it was an admirable effort, there were too many tracks and a couple of geniune duds could have been removed. So when presented with the opportunity to see Monsters of Folk perform on their first official tour, I was both hopeful and a bit apprehensive. On the one hand, seeing these four guys together on stage playing the songs from the album would be an entertaining prospect unto itself. Part of me was a little worried though about how good it could really be with the material they had to work with. Still, I didn't have much better to do on the day before Halloween, and they were playing the beautiful Auditorium Theatre, which is like a treat unto itself. Besides, there was very little chance that the show would suck.

My fears were mostly put to rest a few days ago when I started reading reports of Monsters of Folk playing nearly 3 hour sets with material from across all the members' careers. Knowing that I'd get to hear some "classic" material served as a comfort as I headed into the Auditorium Theatre, and sat down just as the curtain was starting to rise. Right out the gate, the guys hit hard with the single "Say Please". It was over and done with in under 3 minutes, reminding me that sometimes it's cool when a band just gets their big song out of the way immediately so the focus shifts elsewhere. It's also kind of funny, because the place was only half filled at the time as the early-ish 7:30pm start time caused plenty of latecomers. A woman a couple seats over from me showed up a few songs in during an Oberst and Mogis-only moment and asked when the full band would be coming out. I told her that they had already been out. She then asked whether they played "Say Please," to which I told her yes. Then, as if she didn't get it, she asked if they might play it again, with the full band this time instead of just Oberst. So yeah, I'm sure there were plenty of other people wanting to hear "Say Please" that missed out because they were late. To suggest though that that was anywhere close to the best moment of the entire night would be short-changing so much more.

After a couple quick M.O.F. songs as I mentioned, Ward, James and drummer-for-hire Will Johnson exited the stage so Mogis and Oberst could play a few Bright Eyes tunes. That was a good time, though it sucked the early energy right out of the set with the quiet acoustic versions of the songs. I'm glad Oberst did "We Are Nowhere and It's Now," though I think it would have benefited more from a full band rendition rather than the sparse one he wound up giving instead. And that was the one thing I really learned from the band's set - Conor Oberst playing Bright Eyes songs by himself or with just Mike Mogis can be emotionally effective, but also serve to point out weak songwriting, especially when facing off against the music his Monsters of Folk counterparts have written. So indeed, Oberst's moment in the spotlight didn't shine as brightly as the other guys in the band.

With a few Monsters of Folk cuts in between, both Jim James and M. Ward would have their turns to play some of their material as well. Both fared much better than Oberst did, though I do have to wonder if that had anything to do with the set's general ebb and flow, moving from high energy to quieter stuff, and getting used to it the more the set went on. Jim James was nothing short of delightful during his specific portion, often enlisting either Ward or Oberst to assist him with an extra guitar or vocal harmony here and there. But James typically does great no matter how he's performing a song, adding an extra piece of guitar flair here or an extra vocal moan there. A rendition of My Morning Jacket's "Golden" was one of the bigger highlights, though honestly I was a little disappointed with some of James' personal song choices. That is to say it might have been nice to have heard more of my favorite MMJ songs, but what he ultimately settled on was nice enough, and beggars can't be choosers.

A little over halfway through the main set, I suddenly found myself utterly surprised at what was happening. M. Ward was stealing the show. He came out to do a couple solo tracks, "One Hundred Million Years" and "Chinese Translation," and I sat there mouth agape as he finger picked and rhythm guitar-ed his way through the songs with extremely impressive precision. Seriously, I can't recall the last time I saw an acoustic guitar manipulated so fluidly and beautifully. Those two songs, for me, were pretty much the highlights of the night. And the thing about it is, compared to James, Oberst and even Mogis with his instruments, I was expecting Ward's performance to be the weakest among this strong collection of musicians. Suddenly I like M. Ward a whole lot more than I did before this show (for the record, I didn't dislike him before the show, rather just moderately liked him).

So long as I'm mentioning individual contributions at this Monsters of Folk show, let me not forget Mike Mogis. He didn't have any songs to perform on his own, but as the silent member of the band, he did an extraordinary job. The guy pretty much switched instruments on most every song, dealing with electric guitars, acoustic guitars, pedal steel guitars, keyboards, tambourines, triangles, mandolins and probably a bunch of other stuff I don't even know about. There's a reason why he's officially part of this group of four, and he more than proved his worth during the show.

Getting back to the full group performances, which took up the vast majority of the entire 2 hour and 50 minute show, one of the biggest benefits of having people constantly moving on and off stage was that things never stayed in the same place for too long. You were kept on your toes, not really knowing what to expect next, be it a Monsters of Folk song or something from one of the guys' other projects. Parsing out the M.O.F. album tracks over the course of the entire show eliminated the tediousness of listening to them all in a row on the album version, thereby making even the more difficult to like songs work in some capacity. And the Bright Eyes, My Morning Jacket and M. Ward material wasn't just restricted to solo shots either. For example the Bright Eyes material improved greatly when Oberst, James and Ward each took a verse of "At the Bottom of Everything". In fact, "Another Travelin' Song" and "Hit the Switch" were excellent as well. The full band version of My Morning Jacket's "Smokin' From Shootin'" took on a life of its own as well way beyond what you got on the "Evil Urges" album. Jim James positively slayed with an electric guitar in hand, and suddenly the crowd could no longer stay in their seats. It was a party from the end of the set through the encore, and I can't think of a more fitting way to end the show. The band ultimately shut things down with "My Master's Voice," the final song on the Monsters of Folk record. The curtain closed and the crowd went wild before it rose one last time so the guys could all stand together and take a bow.

I have to say, for a show that lasted nearly 3 hours with 30+ songs and featured no opening band or intermission, time sure flew by. That's what happens when you're having fun. And in fact I had more than fun at this show, I had a blast. Sure, there were a couple small rough patches here and there, but even those came out shinier when you think about them as a small part of a large whole. The technical skill displayed by all these guys was more intense and better than I could have expected, but I suppose that's why you can call Monsters of Folk a supergroup. There was a point during Jim James's solo stuff when he talked for a moment about the Auditorium Theatre. "One of the great things about this tour is that we're getting to play in a lot of theatres I have never been in before. This is my first time in the Auditorium Theatre, and it's just gorgeous. Earlier today before anybody was here I went all the way up to the back of the balcony and sat down, just staring out at this majestic ceiling with the halos of lights overhead. There's something almost spiritual about it, you know? Like this is God's theatre, and staring into those beautiful lights might just be what it looks like when you die and enter Heaven." If ever there was a musical parallel to the visual glory of the theatre, I'd like to think that the Monsters of Folk set came close to doing it justice. This may not be one of the best shows I've ever seen, but in this calendar year, it's quickly taken a spot among my favorites. Go see them if they're coming to a city near you!

Monsters of Folk- Say Please
Monsters of Folk- Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.) [alt]

Buy "Monsters of Folk" from Amazon

Monsters of Folk U.S. Tour Dates:
October 31 - Louisville, KY - Palace Theatre
November 2 - Toronto - Massey Hall
November 3 - Boston, MA - Orpheum Theatre
November 6 - New York City, NY - United Palace
November 8 - New York City, NY - Beacon Theatre
November 9 - Philadelphia, PA - Academy of Music
November 10 - Richmond, VA - Landmark Theater
November 11 - Atlanta, GA - The Tabernacle
November 13 - Austin, TX - Stubb's

Live Friday: 10-30-09

2009-10-30T08:54:00.003-05:00

One look outside at the weather today in Chicago and you pretty much decide on one word: miserable. Granted, we're not Colorado, which has gotten a few feet of snow this week, and thankfully our temperatures are in the upper 50's and low 60's, but the rain! It's pouring outside, and it's supposed to stay that way for most of the day. The weather makes it a great time to break out this session that Rain Machine did a couple weeks back at Minnesota Public Radio. If you haven't heard of Rain Machine, it's the second side project of Kyp Malone, who is most familiar to you for his role in TV on the Radio, but also is one half of the band Iran. Now that TVOTR is on hiatus for the next year or so, Malone has some extra time on his hands and wanted to put out some songs that addressed issues that were important to him. That's really the whole purpose behind Rain Machine, and he's put a touring lineup together to play those songs should you want to see them done live. Otherwise, there's always the self-titled Rain Machine album to catch your ear. It's pretty good if you've yet to hear it. The band's performance on MPR is pretty good as well. One of the more interesting things to hear is set closer "Smiling Black Faces," which gets extended by a minute from the album version, and features a part where Malone decides to rant against the FCC because he is being forced to censor a certain "seven letter word" for the session. You don't hear that stuff everyday. In terms of interview content, Malone talks a bit about managing his various bands and why Rain Machine means so much to him. Stream that below if it intrigues you. Otherwise, just stick to downloading the songs. And have a great Halloween weekend! Do some drinking, dress up in a crazy costume, and above all else, try to stay dry.

Rain Machine, Live on MPR 10-16-09:
Rain Machine- Leave the Lights On [alt]
Rain Machine- Give Blood [alt]
Rain Machine- Smiling Black Faces [alt]

Stream the entire interview/performance

Buy "Rain Machine" from Amazon

Show Recap: múm + Sin Fang Bous [Logan Square Auditorium, Chicago, 10/28/09]

2009-10-29T07:14:00.004-05:00

Iceland is a curious place, that's for sure. They're not a country with a huge population, yet we seem to have a fair number of noteworthy artists coming from there, be it a Bjork or a Sigur Ros. The best part is that there's very little you might call "traditional" about these artists - they don't seem particularly concerned with adapting to musical trends or even creating music that's less than innovative. I've not yet heard a plain-sounding artist that has come from Iceland. I'm mostly convinced that it has almost everything to do with living in a country of such beauty and culture. To put it simply though, if you introduce me to an artist from Iceland, I've already made the assumption that their music is nothing short of interesting and good.
This is how I was introduced to Sin Fang Bous, the latest musical project put together by Sindri Már Sigfússon, whose one-man band Seabear got attention of its own a couple years back. Sigfússon allowed Seabear to grow by adding a few members before finally putting that band on hold (they'll be back in 2010) to pursue other projects. He decided to get back to the simplicity of being a lone wolf, recording under the name Sin Fang Bous for the debut album "Clangour". That album, which I heard for the first time a few months ago, is a highly interesting take on acoustic-based pop music, with added elements of vocal overdubs, electro beats, flutes, psychedelic haze and other little oddities. The album may not be one of the absolute best things I've heard so far this year, but it's definitely a record that I strongly admire and advise you to pick up should it catch your ear. That being said, Sigfússon decided to join his friends múm on the road for a U.S. tour this fall to play some shows before returning to Seabear for a new album and spring tour (of note, there will also be a new Sin Fang Bous album in 2010). That tour stopped by Chicago's own Logan Square Auditorium on Wednesday night, and I was privileged to be in the crowd for it.

I arrived at Logan Square Auditorium early enough to catch an early set from Hildur Guðnadóttir, who is the cellist for múm and has a solo career of her own. She creates darkly cinematic instrumental landscapes in a live setting primarily by looping her cello for the various parts. She also had a little bit of help on bass guitar for a few songs towards the end of her set. It was definitely good, and something I'd expect to come out of Iceland. They'd be right at home amid the glaciers and palatial landscapes of that country, though would probably be most effective in the darkness. It was a great post-rock sort of way to start the night out, leading into the more upbeat and poppier songs that Sin Fang Bous brought to the table.

So either Sindri Már Sigfússon has already added members to Sin Fang Bous, or he's just got some extra musicians helping him out to recreate the sounds of "Clangour" while on stage. I did see a couple members of múm play with him on some or all of the songs, along with a couple of other guys to create a 4-5 piece band. Through the use of 3 different microphones (for vocal effects) and a couple different instruments, Sigfússon did an excellent job recreating the sound of his album, but it was often done with a bit of a twist. A few of the songs took on lives of their own, breaking from their album versions to give an extra little instrumental tweak here and there or just to break from a 4/4 time signature to switch up the tempo. There were times when some of the songs took on a Jekyll and Hyde personality, speeding up and slowing down between verses and the chorus. It was a pretty cool way of doing things, even though sometimes I halfway thought there were mistakes being made because something didn't sound quite right. Turns out it was all part of the plan, as I quickly picked up on after giving "Clangour" another close listen after the show. In terms of stage banter, I don't typically expect foreigners that don't speak English as a first language to be incredibly talkative when they play in the U.S., but Sigfússon did an admirable job introducing the songs and kindly explaining that this was his first time visiting Chicago. I hope he had as good of a time here as the crowd seemed to have while he was playing. So the Sin Fang Bous set was great, and above all else I hope some people were inspired enough to look into their music further.

Sin Fang Bous- Catch the Light
Sin Fang Bous- Sunken Ship [alt]

Buy "Clangour" from Amazon

Headlining the night of course was múm, and I can say that the crowd was very excited about that. Speaking of the crowd, there were a good couple hundred people at this show, filling up Logan Square a little over halfway. From listening to some conversations going on around me between sets, I can say that a fair number of those people weren't American, but of course spoke English with heavy accents. Not that the ethnic diversity of the crowd mattered, it's just that I typically don't see that many foreign-born people in one place. But it was a couple of Americans that partially ruined my múm experience by being pushy, taking too many photos, and attempting to dance in some of the most awkward ways possible. Simply put, I was a little annoyed at these people, but I suppose they had themselves a great time at the expense of few others aside from me. But about múm's set. It was nothing short of excellent. Not only was it technically proficient, with Sigurlaug Gísladóttir and Hildur Guðnadóttir doubling over vocals with Gunnar Tynes along with plenty of melodica, cello and trumpet, but it was a whole lot of fun as well. Of course múm naturally lends itself to such fun, as their albums have a real sense of childlike wonder and innocence to them. The material they pulled from during their set was largely off their last two albums, which isn't entirely a good thing. Their latest record, "Sing Along to Songs You Don't Know," is a bit shaky compared to the rest of their discography, though really things haven't been the same since Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir left the band a few years ago. Still, I like to think that with all the talent still left in the band, they can do most anything convincingly, and that includes putting on a great performance of songs that are considered by many to be some of their weakest to date.

If I had one wish for this set, it was that it be set in a venue that had seats. When you get a band like múm, equal parts lighthearted pop and soothing quiet melodies, there are certain songs you just want to relax for and let them take you away on a river of beauty. There was a certain point about midway through the band's set that I just wanted to lay down and take a nap right there on the floor, and it would have helped if I had a chair to sit in. That's not to call it boring, but rather soothing, like an aural massage where you just want to pass out on the table while the music does its magic on your ears. Eventually though I came out of my haze, somewhere around an energized version of "Dancing Behind My Eyelids" and the recorder/kazoo fun that happened immediately afterwards, and that's when things really got good. To end their set, múm played the song "Sing Along" and held up poster boards with some of the lyrics on them. It was amazingly cute, much like the song itself, and I don't know how anybody could resist smiling from ear to ear during it. The encore was great as well, sending the crowd into more of a frenzy than they were already in, which is really how you want to end things - with people wanting more.

múm- Illuminated
múm- They Made the Frogs Smoke 'Til They Exploded

Buy "Sing Along to Songs You Don't Know" from Amazon

Delightful is the word I'd use to describe the night overall, and a couple bands from Iceland are responsible for it. Seriously, the country has a wealth of amazing artists, with Sin Fang Bous and múm being just two of them. The music they have to offer isn't always mindblowing, but their live shows are nothing short of excellent. If you've got the chance to see this tour before they leave North America, you'd be wise to do so.

Restrained Jubilation

2009-10-28T08:11:00.002-05:00

Before the low budget musical "Once" ever hit theatres in 2007, the self-titled debut album by The Swell Season was already available in stores. Yes, "The Swell Season" came out in 2006, and not a whole lot of people noticed. This was essentially Glen Hansard taking on a side project from his day job in The Frames, the band he'd been in with his mates for over 15 years. I was very much aware of The Frames by 2006 and had heard a few of their many albums by that time, but even I didn't hear of The Swell Season until 2007 when everything changed. As I've already alluded to, the tiny musical that could known as "Once" came out, and people flocked to see it. The film wound up being one of the best reviewed movies of that year, and it more than made back its meager budget. Most notably though, it took the two people playing the lead roles in the film, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, essentially musicians and non-actors, and catapulted them into the spotlight. The "Once" soundtrack, featuring Swell Season songs and a number of reworked Frames songs, sold tons of copies and the song "Falling Slowly" won an Oscar for Best Song. People were certainly paying plenty of attention to Hansard and Irglova as a result of all these things, though I'm still not sure how many were aware that they had made music as the Swell Season before this whole movie business came about. Add to the mix that Hansard and Irglova wound up in a relationship with one another that gave people the happy ending the film didn't quite have, and all this seems like music made out of pure love.

Well time passes and things change. In the past couple years since "Once," the Swell Season have done a boatload of touring, and eventually found the time to record their second official album, titled "Strict Joy". There's a few changes this time around, and not all of them have to do with the sound of the album. To start, Hansard and Irglova ended their romantic relationship, but not their working relationship. They're still the two people in this band together against all odds, but whereas the last record may have been influenced by the rosy side of relationships or the general yearning for another, this album addresses the theme of heartbreak - something not uncommon in some of the old Frames albums, as well as a whole lot of records across history. And like many breakup albums, "Strict Joy" is a unequivocated success, providing the creative spark needed to advance both the story and creativity of these two great artists.

There are two main elements outside of personal issues that contribute to the Swell Season's display of strength on "Strict Joy." The first is having a solid theme for the entire record. Given that the "Once" soundtrack was largely a mish-mash of songs pulled from various Hansard-related projects, the thing holding those songs together was really the film's storyline, which had a number of different moods and themes, depending on the situation. There's no movie this time around, and given the emotional trauma Hansard and Irglova experienced with their breakup, it served as a perfect thing to write about across a dozen tracks. Secondly, The Swell Season now has a number of additional backing musicians as part of its lineup, and they contribute a whole lot to giving this album a much fuller and richer sound overall. Yes, Hansard and Irglova remain front and center with the guitar and piano respectively along with their vocal contributions, but all the singer-songwriter shtick that dominated before is now replaced with careful arrangements and delicately beautiful songs. It's somewhat unexpected, and while it takes away a bit of the intimacy and rawness of the early Swell Season material, for what they're doing now, it feels like much more of a collaborative and thought out effort.

If you're scared that this new full band approach is going to ruin the sound of the Swell Season you've come to know and love, I say fear not. They still take on that softer, adult-oriented folk that's somewhat reminiscent of Van Morrison. Your parents won't be disappointed if they've been sucked into this band, and if you like them too, so much the better. One of the bigger pieces of familiarity you'll find here are the couple songs where Marketa Irglova takes lead vocals. "Fantasy Man" and "I Have Loved You Wrong" are somber piano ballads, but significantly helping matters this time is Irglova's voice, which seems to have improved in both pitch and tone. She actually sounds confident rather than tentative like she did on the last album. You can call it one of the most pleasant surprises of the record, and it only makes the whole thing stronger yet again.

So stronger and fuller and richer are words best used to describe "Strict Joy" as an album, and the Swell Season are certainly better for it. The songwriting also remains exceptionally strong, and the meditations on heartbreak and getting over a relationship are both intimate as well as meaningful. Perhaps there's also some comfort in knowing that despite what these songs were written about, Hansard and Irglova are still fond enough of one another to remain friends and in a band together. After all, he could have just gone right back to The Frames and called it a day. Instead, we get this lovely yet sad record about love and loss. Yes, this sound and these themes have been covered before, but rarely have they been done so well and with such talented musicians. If innovation and revolutionary musical styles are your thing, you'll probably be turned off by this album, but for those of us that now and then enjoy some complacency with some well-written songs that don't try anything too fancy, the Swell Season does just fine.

The Swell Season- In These Arms [alt]
The Swell Season- Paper Cup [alt]

Buy "Strict Joy" from Amazon

Show Recap: Neon Indian + The Smith Westerns [Lincoln Hall, Chicago, 10/27/09]

2009-10-28T04:43:00.006-05:00

First thing's first: If you've not yet heard, there's a brand new concert venue in Chicago. It's called Lincoln Hall and it's a 500 capacity place put together by the owners of Schubas. Lincoln Hall opened a little over a week and a half ago, and in that brief period of time they've had such notable acts as Mike Doughty, Ted Leo and Ben Gibbard with Jay Farrar all play there. On Tuesday night it was time for Chicago's own The Smith Westerns along with Neon Indian to help break the venue in further. I'll get to their individual sets in just a minute, but I'd like to remark about how classy and cool Lincoln Hall really is, with a great beer selection and food menu, not to mention the nice stage setup and sound system that's nothing short of excellent. It may not have the intimacy and history (though that building has housed many great things) that Schubas does, but as a new place to see a slightly larger indie show, I'd just like to say that I'm impressed and wish it the best of luck in the coming months and hopefully years.

For a Tuesday night show, I was a little surprised to see that there were four artists on the bill that night. I did miss the first two, one of which was the great Prairie Cartel, but arrived just in time to see The Smith Westerns take the stage. The band is made up of a rag-tag bunch of 18 and 19 year olds who for the most part look like they've just emerged from puberty. Yet that hasn't stopped them from garnering a surprisingly large amount of buzz around the music scene, with their punky, lo-fi self-titled debut album getting high praise from important publications. This was The Smith Westerns' first show back in Chicago after their long weekend at CMJ in New York, during which they reportedly caused all kinds of mischief that included working extra hard to do some underage drinking. They were apparently kicked out of at least one venue for doing so, though most reports at some of the more popular showcases said they were on good behavior. I can assure you that they were also on good behavior during their Lincoln Hall show, where they decided to tear through the tracks on their album almost as fast as they could. The pace was very frantic, and the sound mix sonically clearer than how it sounds on record. Whether that was by design or just because the venue's sound system was too excellent to allow for a muddy mix, this was the cleanest I've ever heard the band sound. I wouldn't call that a bad thing, but it did make these ramshackle kids seem more prim and proper, which to be quite frank isn't exactly the best look on them. The songs were actually the best part of the band's performance. Call it a lack of experience, but though the energy may have been high, they spent much of their set standing in the same place and doing workmanlike renditions of their album tracks. The stage banter was also a little iffy, like this intro, "This song is called 'Dreams'. It's about dreams." Yep, pure Shakespeare. But again, it's not like these boys are fully weather-tested performers just yet. For being at the place they're currently at in their careers, The Smith Westerns are actually doing just fine. As they spend more time on the road and write/record new material, expect their sound and live show to improve dramatically. At least that's what I'd hope for. Until then, I suppose they deserve a break or at least a hefty dose of slack. I did enjoy the set thoroughly, and that's about all I was looking for in the first place.

The Smith Westerns- Be My Girl

Buy "Smith Westerns" from Amazon

Headlining the night was the freshly hypeworthy Neon Indian, otherwise known as Alan Palomo and his band of merry misfits. Neon Indian's debut album "Psychic Chasms" can be considered part of the very recent explosion of bedroom dance pop currently being labeled a number of different things which nobody can seem to settle on. I suppose the most frequent term I hear used is "glo-fi," which signals, you know, a mixture of the frequent dance club tool glowsticks combined with a lo-fi aesthetic. And while this fascination with this sort of music will surely be fleeting and reach backlash capacity by the end of the year, the Neon Indian album is actually very good on its own and I'm hopeful that they'll survive the ever-impending rebellion. Now prior to this set, I was under the impression that given Palomo's collaboration with visual artist Alicia Scardetta, that meant the Neon Indian live show would be both a visual and aural spectacle. This turned out to not be the case, as the stage setup was simplistic in design with a mere black backdrop and traditional lighting (though some overhead colored lights did swirl around the room a few times during the set). The lack of a visual element placed the emphasis back on the music itself, which given how good it is, was perfectly okay.

Much like The Smith Westerns, Neon Indian was coming off a large number of shows at CMJ in New York over the weekend. Unlike The Smith Westerns, they were able to avoid being labeled troublemakers. But with nary a break in sight, Neon Indian didn't stop to take any rest after CMJ. I'm not entirely convinced that was a good idea, especially coming straight off playing multiple shows each day, but who am I to judge? It just seemed to me that Alan Palomo seemed a little tired during the set. Not that it detracted from the dance party happening in the crowd. Granted, it wasn't a frenzied, massive dance party, but given the moderate-sized crowd and somewhat low BPM on a number of the band's songs, the crowd energy was about what you'd expect on Tuesday night. The band powered through their set, essentially playing "Psychic Chasms" in its entirety, and it was a good sign when everything shut down and everyone started chanting for one more song. I don't think they had any more songs they could play, which is why there was no encore, but the point is that we all wanted one anyways. It was fun and we were all enjoying ourselves. It marked a lovely way to cap off the evening, and Neon Indian wound up doing themselves some justice after all. Now I do want to give special credit to special guest Leanne Macomber from Fight Bite on keyboards, who was cute as a button getting her dance on and clapping along with the music on stage. Alan Palomo may be the front and center of this project, but she was the one to watch for that performance. I'm convinced she singlehandedly brought the set where it needed to be, which is why I wanted to take a moment to mention it.

Neon Indian- Deadbeat Summer
Neon Indian- Terminally Chill

Buy "Psychic Chasms" from Amazon

So on the whole it was a pretty good night, especially for a Tuesday. The crowd was very receptive to both the bands I saw, and there was plenty of fun to be had if you were looking for it. That, combined with a great new venue really added something extra to the proceedings. But should you have the opportunity, by all means check out either The Smith Westerns or Neon Indian in a live setting. The Smith Westerns seem to be taking a break for the moment, either to record or just to plan out their next tour, but you can still see Neon Indian in a city near you should that sound like a good idea. Have a look at the dates below.

Neon Indian Fall Tour Dates:
10-28 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
10-29 Bloomington, IN - The Bishop
10-30 Madison, WI - University of Wisconsin
10-31 Dallas, TX - Granada Theater
11-07 Austin, TX - Fun Fun Fun Festival
11-08 Lubbock, TX - Bash Riprock's
11-10 Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge
11-11 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court
11-12 Boise, ID - Neurolux
11-13 Guadalajara, Mexico - Lemon Beat
11-14 Mexico City, Mexico - Pasaje América
11-15 Seattle, WA - Nectar Lounge
11-16 Vancouver, British Columbia - Shine Nightclub
11-17 Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios
11-19 San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Stop
11-20 Los Angeles, CA - Echoplex
11-21 Tuscon, AZ - Club Congress
11-22 Phoenix, AZ - Rhythm Room

Beatification

2009-10-26T05:55:00.001-05:00

Maybe this will sting slightly less if I start by establishing that I consider myself an avid Tegan and Sara fan. Their last two albums, "So Jealous" and "The Con" were both excellent, for wildly different reasons actually. "So Jealous" was a loud, spunky collection of great indie pop songs that wore its heart on its sleeve. That was actually the album that turned me from somebody that thought Tegan and Sara were "just okay" into somebody who said, "these girls are genuinely talented, and their album is filled with pop gems." What "The Con" did was to further establish their reputations as twin sisters who could not only write a catchy tune, but hit straight to the emotional core of a number of subjects, but mostly love and relationships. "The Con" was a darker and more serious album, but it was also much more layered and had much more depth than Tegan and Sara had ever shown previously, only furthering my admiration for them. It also served to really give each of the girls their own identities separate from one another, with Sara being the better lyricist and Tegan crafting better pop songs. Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla stepped in behind the boards as producer for the girls as well, and his contributions to the album were greatly felt and largely helped establish the more serious tone. If you're asking me, "The Con" wound up being Tegan and Sara's best album to date, which is why you could call me very excited about their new album coming out on Tuesday, titled "Sainthood".

Hoping to capture lightning in a bottle for a second time, Chris Walla is once again producing this album, but the results are a bit different from "The Con". All the layers and complication that Tegan and Sara took on last time? It's mostly gone, scaled back in favor of quicker and dirtier songs that tend to have a distinct punk rock edge. It does feel like a sharp step backwards, but you still get the same dynamic established on the last album, with Sara once again writing some dynamite lyrics and Tegan pushing for more of a pop direction. So "Sainthood" is definitely better than their somewhat rocky first couple of records, but it also feels weaker than the Tegan and Sara we've come to know.

One of my biggest concerms is with what seems like a lack of a true blue single on this album. I don't mean that there aren't some songs that could do well for the girls, but I don't hear a thing on "Sainthood" that compares in terms of catchiness with tracks like "Back In Your Head" or "The Con" or even "Speak Slow". I hear a number of these new songs and say, "yeah, that was nice and halfway decent," but having listened through this album a good half dozen times now, I honestly can't recall one chorus off the top of my head. Sorry, but I consider that to be a little bit of a problem. Something's amiss, and I just can't go on pretending like high energy and emotionally powerful lyrics automatically make this as great as their last two albums.

That said, I do appreciate the more straightforward and direct approach Tegan and Sara are going for on "Sainthood". Keeping things fast-paced and light amid the sometimes turbulent lyrics allows you to feel much of the emotional impact without having to put yourself in a dark corner wanting to cry. It'll certainly make for better live shows as well, giving people something to really tap their toes or jump around to. I also appreciate some of the more interesting and odd musical choices they make on occasion here, where a song like opener "Arrow," with its guitar squelches and computer beats can throw you a little off balance if you're unprepared for it. It'd be even better if they'd consider doing something like that a little more often, though that might take things in a distinctly weirder and more uncommercial direction compared to everything they've done previously.

Finally, I want to make mention of a couple things I really miss on "Sainthood". First of all, it seems that the girls have stopped doubling over their vocal tracks for the most part, and also doing far fewer harmonies than they did on their last two albums. This makes the songs feel plainer and more straightforward, as is much of the record anyways with the plaintive electric guitar jams with electro-assistance. Which also reminds me - what happened to their liberal use of acoustic guitars? They seem to have ditched them on most songs, along with the piano, in favor of synths and electric guitars. Not that there's a whole lot wrong with synths and electric guitars, I suppose it's just that they've used acoustics for so long (and in fair balance with electrics on "So Jealous") I kind of miss them a bit.

Now you might have read through all these paragraphs and thought that I'm being overly harsh on Tegan and Sara. That "Sainthood" is actually pretty much on par with their careers so far. Ultimately when you think about it, there's kind of a distinct difference in the sound of "So Jealous" and "The Con", so yet another switch-up in sound actually makes some sense here. What I've ultimately determined is that "Sainthood" is closest to a precisely calculated blend of their last two albums, perhaps with a little bit of a harder rock edge. So why then, does this new album feel weaker than their last two efforts? I've mentioned a number of issues in this review, but am not entirely positive that they're all part of the problem. I suppose trying to put it as simply as possible, I continue to love the lyrics, but think the instrumentals have gotten a little plain and a bit too mainstream. This leads to less memorable melodies, which is really what bothers me. Maybe after a couple dozen listens through the album something will start to stick in my head, but at the moment I'm really struggling to accept these songs into the fold. I wish Tegan and Sara nothing but the best and all the success in the world, but am not really sure I can fully throw my support behind "Sainthood". The album is currently streaming at Myspace for at least a day or two more, so I'll merely advise you to listen to it there and make your own decision on it. Oh, and feel free to defend/criticize the album in the comments section, I'm definitely interested to hear your impressions!

Tegan and Sara- On Directing [alt]
Tegan and Sara- The Ocean [alt]

Stream the entire album at Myspace

Buy "Sainthood" from Amazon

Live Friday: 10-23-09

2009-10-23T04:58:00.005-05:00

A few months back, I posted a live session from Camera Obscura. They did a radio session in Minneapolis and played a couple songs from their latest and excellent album "My Maudlin Career," along with a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Tougher Than the Rest". It was a pretty great session on the whole, and apparently a lot of you also thought so, because I got a number of emails about it, some thanking me and some asking me to re-upload the songs after they became no longer available after about a month or so. To be clear about my policies on this here site, I guarantee that mp3s will be available for 7 days after they're posted. Beyond that period of time, I guarantee nothing, and unless there are extra special circumstances, I won't re-up anything (but I may send you the files in an email if you ask nicely and I've got a spare few minutes on my hands). So because the Camera Obscura session was one of the more exceptional sessions of the past year, I've decided to post a different live session the band did back in August for WXPN. They cover most of the same bases from the session a few months back, but throw in the song "James" for good (if not great) measure. The Springsteen cover also makes a return appearance, and Tracyanne Campbell's voice sounds effortlessly sweet as usual. The songs are once again excellent, though I do feel the need to say that the live version of "Honey In the Sun" doesn't quite reach the album version's greatness. Still, the songs are fantastic. Additionally, should you want to listen to the interview, there's talk about both the love and heartbreak that went into writing these songs, as well as a discussion about the pluses and minuses of what Scotland has to offer. If that sort of stuff intrigues you, by all means have a listen below. Have a great weekend!

Camera Obscura, Live on WXPN 8-20-09:
Camera Obscura- Honey In the Sun [alt]
Camera Obscura- James [alt]
Camera Obscura- Tougher Than the Rest (Bruce Springsteen cover) [alt]
Camera Obscura- French Navy [alt]

Stream the entire interview/session

Buy "My Maudlin Career" from Amazon

Reliance On Others

2009-10-22T05:00:00.001-05:00

One of my more favorite recent mix-ups has been with the large number of people who have gotten confused between Kings of Leon and Kings of Convenience. No legitimate Kings of Convenience fans have mixed the two groups up, but given Kings of Leon's rise to popularity in the past year, most of their new fans have clearly not been paying close attention. There have been stories of Kings of Leon fans showing up at Kings of Convenience shows, tickets in hand, only to be surprised when they don't hear "Sex on Fire" but are instead treated to some gorgeous acoustic pop songs. I'd call these mistakes "happy accidents" because they're getting treated to a great show and are being introduced to a band they might have never heard of otherwise, but it seems that Kings of Leon fans are less than pleased with how this confusing scenario typically goes down. Technically it's their fault though, for not paying closer attention to their "new favorite band". I can only hope that some of these Kings of Leon fans also get confused at the record store when looking to buy a CD and accidentally pick up the new one from Kings of Convenience instead. Again, I'd call a mistake like that a "happy accident".

"Declaration of Dependence" is the first Kings of Convenience album in 5 years, which is somewhat surprising given how many fans of the band that I know are somewhat obsessed with them. Of course Erlend Øye has been keeping busy with The Whitest Boy Alive and Eirik Glambek Bøe was working some other job, but given KoC's period of inactivity, many thought that the duo had broken up. Thankfully, playing a show here and there in 2007 helped to shut those rumors down, though it did take them a couple years to record this new album, apparently.

For those of you familiar with the band's back catalogue, most notably their first two albums "Quiet is the New Loud" and "Riot on an Empty Street," I'm sure you're more than familiar with the Norwegian duo's hushed acoustic pop, which tends to be nothing short of lovely. While a fair portion of that past material had some energy and effortlessly catchy choruses to stand behind it, "Declaration of Dependence" is actually a much more subdued and relaxed affair compared to those records. That's not to say it's worse than the older stuff, just a bit quieter. This is definitely something for the bedroom pop or coffee shop crowd, in particular because the album is even more effective with a hot beverage in your system. Virtually all of the songs are just Øye and Bøe on acoustic guitars, mixing their melodies with vocal harmonies that are sweet as honey. Occasionally a track will feature some violin or piano, and much of the time that's just icing on the cake.

To say that I'm happy to have Kings of Convenience back and making new material would be an understatement. I'm thrilled actually, and "Declaration of Dependence" is yet another great notch in this duo's belt. This may not be their strongest or best album, but it's remarkably close, and a delight to listen to. Sure, it's not an everyday sort of record, but on a quiet Sunday morning as you read a newspaper on the couch, make this your soundtrack and enjoy. Let's hope we don't have to wait another five years for these guys to get back into the studio.

Kings of Convenience- Boat Behind (via Insound)

Buy "Declaration of Dependence" from Amazon

Trilogy

2009-10-21T23:52:00.001-05:00

I will readily admit that I have never paid very much attention to the band Espers, and haven't heard that much of their material before now either. It's actually not meant as an offense to them, because from what I understand their first two albums were pretty good. I heard their second record, "II" only a couple times and liked it well enough, but never thought to review it back in 2006 because I think there were a bunch of other albums coming out right around that same time. Now in 2009, we're essentially in that same position, with probably a dozen halfway decent records being released this week. But it just so happens that in picking what to review I wanted to go with something more unfamiliar and unexpected. Also, there are so many bands out there making music these days, and I digest so much of it on a daily basis, that on occasion an artist slips through the cracks. I wanted to correct that with Espers, which is why I'm taking the time now to actually spend some time with their third record, aptly titled "III" which is out this week.

To make sure I knew where Espers was coming from on "III," I felt it appropriate to go back and give "II" another listen for the first time in a couple years. That actually turned out to be one wild trip down the dark psychedelia lane as I sought to digest the record's lengthy interwoven guitar, vocal and odd instrumental attack. I vaguely recall listening to "II" back in 2006, and there was a reason why I didn't give it more than a couple spins. Not to say that album was bad, but given the breadth of my sonic palette at the time, it's not something I would have been very interested in back then. Today, however, is something of a different story. I like what I'm hearing from this band, and am a little upset I didn't catch onto this sooner. But let's consider "III" my attempt to reconcile that, because I'm extremely impressed with this album, and for good reason I think.

The first thing I noticed about "III" was that it's definitely cheerier and more upbeat instrumentally than "II" was. But while the songs sound brighter, the lyrics aren't exactly sunshine and rainbows. In fact, they're mostly down in the dumps and upsetting, but in a highly poetic and beautiful sort of way. The way these elements blend together, the lighter nature of the instruments and the darker side of the lyrics, says a whole lot about what Espers does in general across this entire album, effortlessly mixing the two in some unholy hybrid that's challenging and gorgeous at the same time. It's been three years, and in that time they've clearly gotten better. One of the things that really helps in this case is the band's scaling back of their lengthy psychedelic trips. "II" featured 3 songs that were 8+ minutes long, and none of the 7 tracks clocked in at under 5 minutes. On "III" half the songs are all under the 5 minute mark, and only one track out of 10 makes it past 6 minutes, and even then it's just barely. I love a good and spacey rock song now and then, but balancing out with something shorter only helps the cause I'd argue. Which is why "III" also features some of Espers' poppiest and most accessible songs to date.Yeah, there's still a number of trippy and complicated numbers, but they don't feel overlong or dragged out thanks to the breezier stuff mixed in with it.

Take the album's first track, "I Can't See Clear" as an interesting example of how expectations are thrown for a loop right from the start. Kicking in with some simple and jovial acoustic strumming, Meg Baird's lovely voice comes in and you think you're getting this peppy folk song. But things quickly get shaken up by a distorted electric guitar that meanders its way into the mix and decides to string along for awhile. Suddenly this nice perfect pop song has been pushed a little beyond its means, like a storm cloud on an otherwise sunny day. It's a catchy tune with a bit of a dark side, mostly thanks to the lyrics, and it ends right when it should. That leading into "The Road of Golden Dust," which is a significantly more sober and psychedelic journey down a drug-addled rabbit hole, features some seriously menacing cello and harsher guitars beneath a spacey backbeat. Baird and Greg Weeks trade off and intertwine their vocals and truly turn the song into something hypnotic. And those two tracks are great testament to what the rest of the songs on the album are like. I do want to give special mention to album closer "Trollslända" though, which is amazingly gorgeous and is easily the best Espers song I've ever heard. Keep your ear close for the mindblowing cello solo in that track, which is in itself miraculous.

Having not heard Espers' debut album or their covers EP, I may not be fully qualified to say this, but I think that "III" is the band at their absolute best. It sounds to me like they've grown by leaps and bounds since their last album 3 years ago, and I hope more people will give them recognition for it. Apparently I'm not the only one who's overlooked or not given this band enough attention in the past, and I hope "III" will change all that. If this album is giving off any sort of message, it's that this is one band that deserves your attention. They very much earn it this time around, and I hope you'll see fit to give them a try.

Espers- Caroline
Espers- I Can't See Clear [alt]

Buy "III" from Amazon

Relaxing the Jaw

2009-10-20T23:36:00.000-05:00

The band Bear In Heaven have gotten a fair amount of press recently, all surrounding their new album "Beast Rest Forth Mouth," which arrived in stores today. Well, I'm expecting the hype storm to only grow as more and more people begin to catch on to this record. Bear In Heaven are the sort of band that eccentric music lovers can't wait to latch onto, mostly because it feels like they're trying to do something different but within the relative constraints of a pop song structure. In other words, they're odd enough to be appreciated, but thanks to some relatively friendly hooks and decent musicianship, they're able to hold the attention of some listeners whose sonic palette may not be so "refined".

Part of what makes this sound so attractive has to do with Bear In Heaven's somewhat unique blend of electro-pop and psychedelia. The guitars often swirl and make apt use of the space between the heavy synths and propulsive drumming. The vocals tend to be on the echoey side, which only adds to the trippy vibe of many of the songs. What I find most interesting about "Beast Rest Forth Mouth" though is how the songs cycle from the more blatant and fun rave-ups to the intensely dark, almost nightmareish stomps. One second they're close to a marriage between Of Montreal and Animal Collective, and the next they're sounding like estranged cousins of The Knife. And despite what could be interpreted as Jekyll and Hyde tendencies, somehow all these sound collages mesh together quite nicely to form what's ultimately a great record.

My personal problem with "Beast Rest Forth Mouth" is less with the record as a whole and more with the ever-evolving culture of hype recently. Most assuredly, Bear In Heaven are going to wind up with a lot of new fans as a result of this album. The question is whether or not that will be because they earn or deserve that attention, or because this album just "sounds" like it should be great? That is to say, this record has plenty of hallmarks of recent highly praised albums, so does that automatically give Bear In Heaven an easier way to a good review, or will they get raves because it "seems like the right thing to do"? To be clear, I'm not in any way suggesting that "Beast Rest Forth Mouth" is a poor album, or at least poorer than I may have described in the paragraphs above. It's very good and worth your time and money. But when you start hearing people raving and calling this album immediately among the best released this year, I hope you'll take a step backwards and not blindly accept what's being sold to you.

To bring this whole thing back around, I like "Beast Rest Forth Mouth" a whole lot, but wouldn't go so far as to say I LOVE it. The drumming reminds me a lot of Can, which is a very positive thing, and the synths tend to be top notch as well. My main concern is with the overall number of hooks, which seem to be absent from a large portion of the album. Granted, I'm not expecting every song to be memorable and stick in my head, and these songs are different enough where they don't necessarily require an addictive chorus, but I do think a couple more catchy tracks would do this album wonders. Don't let that stop you from checking this record out though, because at the very least it's an interesting listen with multiple layers on most tracks that reveal new things to you over multiple listens. There are some very talented guys in Bear In Heaven, and while "Beast Rest Forth Mouth" may not be amazingly mindblowing, something tells me they've got very bright futures ahead of themselves. Keep an eye on this band, they may be doing some truly big things over the next few years.

Bear In Heaven- Wholehearted Mess
Bear In Heaven- Lovesick Teenagers

Buy "Beast Rest Forth Mouth" from Amazon

Representative Symbols

2009-10-19T23:40:00.000-05:00

Raise your hand if you remember the time awhile back when Deerhunter's Bradford Cox accidentally left his Mediafire folder open for public viewing and downloading. The guy left a wealth of musical material, much of it unreleased and a fair portion of it also still in demo form, available to take at your own discretion, though not because he wanted people to have it. No, some discerning fans found it and downloaded away, prompting all that music to flood out over the internet and for Cox to write a long missive about private property and his general anger over the situation. I can honestly say that I didn't look for or attempt to download a single shred of that material, no matter how much I might have liked to. But contained within those available files were the full length albums of the then-unreleased Deerhunter records "Microcastle" and it's eventual bonus-record "Weird Era Cont", along with the demo cuts for his next solo record "Logos" under the moniker of Atlas Sound. "Microcastle" and "Weird Era Cont" came out packaged together last year, but "Logos" is just making it's way into stores and our hearts this week. It'd be interesting to compare the demos to the finalized versions of these songs, but again, I haven't heard those demos so I can't play judge and jury. I also have no interest in stealing material from Bradford Cox, especially when it gets out through an unfortunate accident.

I'll readily admit that I was incredibly wary to accept Bradford Cox as some "brilliant mind," which seemed to me a bit premature given that those things were being said after the release of Deerhunter's second album "Cryptograms" in 2007. It was wildly experimental and psychedelic beyond belief, and while I found much enjoyment out of that record, it wasn't until last year's "Microcastle" that I really think that both Cox and the rest of Deerhunter came into their own and truly evolved to a level of songwriting that could be deemed worthy of all the high praise being heaped on them the year before. Something happened in that period of time, and I'm not sure exactly what it was, but Cox suddenly became a songwriting machine. In the past 3 years Deerhunter has released 3 albums and 2 EPs, and Cox's Atlas Sound has now released 2 albums. All these things aren't even including the free non-album tracks Cox has posted on his blog in that time, which probably amounts to another 2 albums worth of material. So when you put out that much music in such a short amount of time, you're bound to develop a lot faster than most other artists. And I suppose that is the mark of true brilliance, like the 15-year-old kid who's somehow so smart that he's already in college Bradford Cox has accomplished more in 3 years than many artists complete in 6 to 8 years.

For the record, I liked last year's Atlas Sound debut album "Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel," but ultimately came to regard it as more of a messing around side project rather than a legitimate attempt towards creative development. It was almost like the songs on that album were tracks that the rest of the guys in Deerhunter didn't like enough to try and record them as a band. Again, the songs weren't bad, and in some ways I think that after they heard the finished versions of them, Cox's Deerhunter bandmates might have wished the full band had recorded them after all, but what's done is done. There's also the notion that Cox just wanted to get the songs out of his head and do a little experimenting with different sounds in the process, so that's really the point of Atlas Sound. In many ways, that's also what he does on "Logos," taking on some different genres of music outside of the neo-psychedelic pop that Deerhunter has become known for. Which is why you get a mixture of atmospheric psychedelia, experimental folk-pop, electro freak outs and a host of other strange trips on this album. You could call this album an exploration of bi-polar tendencies, but honestly I think that's a label you'd affix to it if you weren't paying close attention to what was going on. Don't ask me how he does it, but for all of the wide-ranging stylistic shifts on this album, everything sounds remarkably cohesive and all part of one drug-induced haze.

So, much like Deerhunter's evolution from "Cryptograms" to "Microcastle," Atlas Sound's evolution from "Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel" to "Logos" is both remarkable and captivating. I'm not entirely sure how much Bradford Cox's friends helped him out on this one, especially when you get incredible songs with Animal Collective's Noah Lennox (aka Panda Bear) and Stereolab's Laetitia Sadier, but once again the man has managed to one-up himself. This is yet another psych-pop experimental masterpiece inspired by the pop music of the 50's and 60's, and it makes for one of the best things I've heard so far this year. In other words, expect to see "Logos" show up again when I'm evaluating my favorites from 2009. Somehow with each of his new releases, Bradford Cox keeps winning me over more and more each time. I'm not sure how much longer this creative explosion and exposition can continue, but rest assured the next time either Deerhunter or Atlas Sound puts something out, I'll be handing over my undivided attention.

Atlas Sound- Walkabout (ft. Noah Lennox)
Atlas Sound- Washington School [alt]

Buy "Logos" from Amazon

Live Friday: 10-16-09

2009-10-16T14:30:00.000-05:00

If you caught my review of the new Sea Wolf album "White Water, White Bloom" a couple weeks ago, then you'd know that I thought quite highly of the sophmore effort. I believe I called it a "much fuller, smarter and more beautiful album than the last one." So if you've not yet been convinced to check this record out, maybe this Live Friday will sway you in that direction. Alex Church and his band stopped by the Minnesota Public Radio studios at the end of last month to do an interview and play a few songs. If anything, I'd hope the quality of these live tracks will convince you to go see Sea Wolf perform them at a venue near you. The interview mainly talks about how Church was inspired to write the songs he played during the session, but he also discusses his general creative process along with some of his favorite literature. Overall pretty good stuff, so please download or stream these songs should you be so inclined.

Sea Wolf, Live on MPR 9-30-09:
Sea Wolf- Wicked Blood [alt]
Sea Wolf- Turn the Dirt Over [alt]
Sea Wolf- Orion and Dog [alt]

Stream the entire interview/session

Buy "White Water, White Bloom" from Amazon

Happy-Go-Lucky

2009-10-15T23:04:00.000-05:00

The first two things that come to my mind when you say the words Bad Lieutenant are both film related. The 1992 Harvey Keitel movie about a drug and gambling addicted cop who tries to pull his life together while investigating the rape of a nun. After that movie, I think about the "unofficial" sequel that's due out later this year, starring Nicolas Cage and directed by the always-great Werner Herzog. That's something to actually get excited about, if early buzz is any indicator. But the third (and probably final) thing that comes to mind when you say Bad Lieutenant is the band. This is the group that emerged out of the ashes of New Order, who broke up after Peter Hook said in an interview he was no longer in the band but failed to inform anybody else about it. So the remaining members of New Order carry on, with guitarist Bernard Sumner, Phil Cunningham and Stephen Morris on board (though reportedly Morris is not an official member of the band). They brought in vocalist Jake Evans and bassist Tom Chapman and chose to name themselves after the aforementioned Harvey Keitel film.

Though they technically formed in 2007, Bad Lieutenant are just now coming out with their debut album, "Never Cry Another Tear". The sound is decidedly different from New Order, and Sumner & Co. designed it that way. After all, if they were going to stay true to the path that New Order had set for themselves, they probably would have kept the name. That, plus anything they'd release under the New Order name would automatically have to live up to the lofty standards that band set for themselves. So Bad Lieutenant is an entirely different animal, and the band members work hard to avoid connecting this band to any past projects they might have worked on. So you don't wind up with songs that are particularly beat-heavy or danceable here, but you do get a whole helping of breezy guitar pop that's unassuming and easy on the ears. As such, the name New Order rarely comes to mind when listening to Bad Lieutenant, and even when it does, you feel a little fickle trying to compare the two groups given that "Never Cry Another Tear" is so simplistic and unambitious. If that sounds like a backhanded compliment of sorts, you're dead on.

Bad Lieutenant is more about inoffensive fun than anything else, and that's absolutely the way you should treat "Never Cry Another Tear". Should you start expecting anything other than that, you'll probably wind up disappointed. Surprisingly, that's about all I have to say about this album. Have a listen to a song or two and decide for yourself if this seems like it'd be worth your time and/or money. I do have an appreciation for this record, but I'm thinking part of that has to do with my continued love and devotion to the New Order cause. I'd like for this band to succeed because I'd like to see Sumner and Cunningham continue to make music. Yeah, this isn't panning out to what I'd hoped it would be, but in my mind these guys deserve all the slack I can give. Who knows exactly how much life these guys have left in them or how long they'll keep going, but I'm also hopeful that Bad Lieutenant will pick up that slack with their next album. The last thing I want is to have my final memories of the guys behind Joy Division and New Order be tainted because they wanted to "take it easy" for their last decade or two. I'd almost rather they put out nothing at all.

Bad Lieutenant- Dynamo [alt]

Buy "Never Cry Another Tear" exclusively from Amazon

Mental Gaps

2009-10-14T23:04:00.002-05:00

In an interview a few years back with a musician that I highly respect (but who shall remain nameless), I asked him what he thought the next evolution of music might sound like. Clarifying that a little more, I basically asked what the next piece original music might emerge from. Without hesitation, this guy said, "There is no such thing as original music anymore. Everything that we're hearing, and everything we will hear for the foreseeable future, will be a retread of what's come before. The reason new music sounds new or fresh when it reaches our ears is often because the generational gap allows for people to be fooled into thinking something hasn't been done before. Either that, or it's the same as before, just dressed up in shiny new clothing or presented in a slightly different way than before."

Pessimistic? Yes. True? Maybe. Either way though, I still get pretty jazzed about hearing a song that's really brilliantly put together. A good hook, a great beat, a beautiful bit of orchestration, and I can completely ignore a thought of where I might have heard something similar to it before. After all, everybody's inspired by something, even the most fickle of musicians, and we'd all be idiots not to try and pay some sort of homage to those people and things. So original or not, great music is great music.

Which brings me to Neon Indian and the debut album "Psychic Chasms". Alan Palomo is the man behind the name, having spent previous musical incarnations under the monikers of Ghosthustler and VEGA. Why the reason for yet another name change? From what I understand, a large part of the Neon Indian project stems from Palomo's collaboration with visual artist Alicia Scardetta, which seems to say less about the music itself and more that they're working on a multiple media front rather than just your typical sonic bombardment. That, and Neon Indian gives a slightly different take on the beat-heavy music that Palomo has previously made under other names.

What Neon Indian does is something you could very well file underneath the umbrella of glo-fi, or whatever the hell they're calling the latest incarnation of indie electronica. Basically it takes the lo-fi bedroom pop sounds and marries them with modern electro beats. The result sounds something close to poorly produced dance music, but the beats and hooks are so strong they typically can't be ignored. Yes, it's another one of those hype-fueled subgenres that has emerged in the wake of the lo-fi/no-fi explosion from early this year. Chances are this new dance-driven edge will have come and gone by early 2010 anyways. But that's not really the point. There are some distinctive and great artists that emerge from these momentary flights of fancy, and they're the ones worth following and paying attention to even when the hype has subsided and the backlash is in full effect.

Neon Indian very much has the chops to survive this impending storm, and "Psychic Chasms" is really all the evidence you need to get hooked into Alan Palomo's world. Pulling largely from 80's dance music, Neon Indian adds in all sorts of video game sound effects, guitar distortion and canned drum beats to keep things fresh and unique. It's not the dance music of your parents' years, nor is it the dance music from any of our times exactly. It's something darker and a little more sinister, with an odd twist or two, that successfully mines from our troubled teenage memories. Loves won and lost, hazy days, drug trips and the loss of innocence, these are the places in the mind that "Psychic Chasms" pulls from. It's cool and danceable and depressing and fun. You could almost call it a bi-polar record, but I think that your own personal interpretation is based upon your state of mind at the time you put it on. It is, in many ways, what you want it to be when you want it to be so. And that's also what makes a great album, which is what "Psychic Chasms" is.

So yes, you can't call "Psychic Chasms" a piece of truly original music. To be fair, it never seemed like it was intended to be. Instead, Palomo puts an interesting twist on a variety of scattered pieces. Above all else it works, which is about all you can ask for when trying to come up with something you can call your own. First as Ghosthustler and VEGA and now as Neon Indian. Palomo proves he's got some serious talent inside that young brain of his, and after this record I can now honestly say that I'm very much looking forward to whatever he chooses to do next. By all means buy a copy of "Psychic Chasms" if you can, it's one of the best danceable albums I've heard so far this year.

Neon Indian- Deadbeat Summer
Neon Indian- Terminally Chill

Buy "Psychic Chasms" from Insound

Neon Indian Fall Tour:
10-15 Miami, FL - RokBar
10-16 Tallahassee, FL - Club Down Under
10-17 Jacksonville, FL - TSI
10-18 Atlanta, GA - The Earl
10-19 Washington, DC - Rock N Roll Hotel
10-20 Philadelphia, PA - The Barbery
10-24 Brooklyn, NY - ROOT Studio
10-25 Hartford, CT - HPSU Theatre
10-27 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
10-28 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
10-29 Bloomington, IN - The Bishop
10-30 Madison, WI - University of Wisconsin
10-31 Dallas, TX - Granada Theater
11-07 Austin, TX - Fun Fun Fun Festival
11-08 Lubbock, TX - Bash Riprock's
11-10 Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge
11-11 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court
11-12 Boise, ID - Neurolux
11-13 Guadalajara, Mexico - Lemon Beat
11-14 Mexico City, Mexico - Pasaje América
11-15 Seattle, WA - Nectar Lounge
11-16 Vancouver, British Columbia - Shine Nightclub
11-17 Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios
11-19 San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Stop
11-20 Los Angeles, CA - Echoplex
11-21 Tuscon, AZ - Club Congress
11-22 Phoenix, AZ - Rhythm Room

Conception Division

2009-10-13T23:13:00.000-05:00

Since the end of the 90's, The Flaming Lips have not needed an excuse to do what they want. They earned the respect of many a critic, thankfully making the really strange music that they had always wanted to. Whether it was the desire to broaden themselves or earn a larger fan base, 1999's "The Soft Bulletin" marked a shift in the band's sound towards something much more direct and easy on the ears. Granted, this is "direct and easy on the ears" compared to what they were doing before, which was extremely weird. So basically, they pared back the oddities somewhat in favor of better marketability, which is what songs like "Race for the Prize," "Do You Realize?" and "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song" accomplished for them. It brought the band a newfound relevancy, and their eccentric stage show filled with confetti canons and people dressed as plushies only furthered the cause. Some people started to remark around the release of 2006's "At War with the Mystics" that the Lips had become something of a cliche unto themselves, that a band once known for the completely unconventional had become victims of their own convention. It may have been a delightful and much respected convention, but what upset some was how easy to predict the band had become.

Well, all it takes is one sly move by the band to shake things up again and get people talking. Their new album "Embryonic" is exactly what does that for them, a 70 minute "double" album that's stranger than The Flaming Lips have been in over 10 years. Many have already called it a potential marker to usher in another new era of the band, in which they'll continue to confound expectations and expand the minds of their fans. Plenty have also heaped praise on the band for "Embryonic," though much of it seems to stem from the fact that they're not sincerely aiming for commercial success anymore. While it does get me a little giddy that recent fans of the band might be more than freaked out by this complete change of pace, that's not the reason why I'm impressed with the new album. The reason why I like it so much is because it attempts to do something original, not just original for the Lips, but original compared to much of the music that's out there today. And when you do something so strange and oddball, you're pretty much walking down one of two paths - total brilliance or total failure. Granted, it's not so black and white, but it's a risky move that really does skate the line between stupid and clever.

Some of the songs are very short and feel closer to sketches than completely thought out ideas. Others are epic psychedelic fuzz-outs that break free from any real constraints you might try and impose on them. Then you get a song like "I Can Be A Frog," which largely incorporates animal noises as provided by Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Where one comes up with ideas like these tends to be lost on me, but I'm more than willing to take the ride if the Flaming Lips are behind the wheel. If they are anything, they are consumate professionals, a group of guys who've been making music since the mid-80's and have more than earned the right to take their sound back there should they feel so inclined. Thankfully they're leaning towards the sound of "In a Priest Driven Ambulance" rather than something like their debut, "Hear It Is," which wasn't so much as poor album as it was a confusing one. It's a smart, and decidedly calculated move by a group of gentlemen very much aware of and in control of their own destinies.

"Embryonic" marks the first time in a long time that I'm finding myself invigorated by something The Flaming Lips have done. Almost as if they've decided that continuing to build a fan base is no longer necessary or they really just don't give a fuck anymore, the band is back to being as weird as they want to be. Yes, plenty of people will be turned off, though if the band's live show continues to be the love fest it currently is then that fallout will probably be smaller. Who knows how long this is going to last, but if this were the last album the band were to release, they'd be going out in excellent form. If odd squeals and errant noises amid half-formed songs and lengthy freak outs sounds like something you might be into, "Embryonic" will be right up your alley. For everybody else, maybe my best advice is to just sit back and remember that first time you heard "Do You Realize?" and it moved you. Or something like that.

The Flaming Lips- Silver Trembling Hands
The Flaming Lips- The Impulse [alt]

Stream the entire album at NPR

Buy "Embryonic" from Amazon

Live Friday: 10-9-09

2009-10-09T10:30:00.002-05:00

As I prepare to spend the weekend trying to battle a head cold, this week's Live Friday should provide me a little bit of solace as the temperatures outside also go into the toilet. In an interview and live session that was recorded shortly before Ben Gibbard stole Zooey Deschanel away from me by marrying her, the band talks a bit about their most recent album and EP, and plays a few tracks from them. The songs in this session are primarily focused on "The Open Door" EP, which primarily featured songs that for one reason or another didn't make their last album "Narrow Stairs". Death Cab gives what I would call a semi-acoustic performance, because the bass and drums are plugged in and there are no electric guitars. The songs still in many ways sound like they're being performed by the full band, and they don't really lose much, if any, punch because of the acoustic handling. It's all very well fine and good. In the interview, Ben Gibbard and Chris Walla mostly talk about how many of these songs evolved over time and what they were inspired by. There's only a brief mention of Gibbard's (at the time) impending nuptuals, really just to showcase the irony of the song "A Diamond and A Tether" ("that song was written at a different time in my life," Gibbard says). So if you're a fan of the band, or just want to hear some slightly different interpretations of Death Cab songs you might already have, then by all means download this session. I wouldn't call it a must-have, but then again they can't all be.

Death Cab for Cutie, Live on WXPN 10-2-09:
Death Cab for Cutie- Little Bribes [alt]
Death Cab for Cutie- My Mirror Speaks [alt]
Death Cab for Cutie- Grapevine Fires [alt]
Death Cab for Cutie- A Diamond and A Tether [alt]
Death Cab for Cutie- Title and Registration [alt]

Stream the entire interview/performance

Buy "The Open Door" EP from Amazon