according to the band's MYSPACE page, Matt Vasquez is going to embark on a short solo career by playing "a mix of delta songs/new songs/and cover songs"
7/18 - Detroit Bar / Costa Mesa, CA 7/21 - Spaceland / Los Angeles, CA 8/19 - The Casbah / San Diego, CA
dedicated to my main man Julian, who made his internet debut today as a solo artist.
here's a quote from yesteryear:
"It's just that feeling that you have that gives you the joy and understanding that you don't have in reality. And it's not like a shortcut to reality, it's more like an expansion on the understanding of what's going on. So I think it's interesting on many different levels. And for me, as soon as I started to understand how music worked I couldn't get enough, and I was stuck. That's what I had to do or just, you know, kill myself because I didn't want to be a dentist or anything else."
The very first track on the album, "60 Feet Tall" will tell you all you need to know about what has to be the year's greatest supergroup release. Listening to the guitar work alone reminded me of watching a live DVD that came with my purchase of Led Zeppelin's Mothership. The album is loud, abrasive, and best of all, sexy in a filthy way that makes one think it ought to be censored by Mormons.
I first heard the album when the band streamed it online a few days ago, and I will admit that it didn't strike me as I thought it would. I really enjoyed the band's singles up until that point, and didn't think that the album as a whole delivered like it should. After all, it's another one of Jack White's projects, and nobody can deny that man's super-human talent. One day, future generations will curse him for being so prolific that they can't keep a tab on all his music. But anyhow, upon listening to the album a second time, I realized that I must not have been paying attention the first time.
The Kills' leading lady Alison Mosshart, who sings most of the songs, has taken up White's signature style, so one cannot complain that Jack himself isn't carrying that load. Lucky for us, he's too busy manning the drums, his very first instrument. Guitarist Dean Ferita (from QOTSA) and Raconteurs' bass man Jack Lawrence deliver spectacularly as well. Horehound is deliberately messy, embracing fuzziness and rejecting any sort of order or cohesion. And miraculously, the band pulls it off.
The strongest track on the album is standout single "Hang You From the Heavens", but the entire album is ace. "Rocking Horse" borrows a little something from Black Lips' "Oh Katrina", and the following track ("New Pony") is actually a Bob Dylan number (from his album Street Legal, which I coincidentally was spinning yesterday), but the remaining songs are strikingly fresh.
Once upon a time, people played The Misfits to scare their younger siblings. These days, Horehound will do the trick. The album was released today, so go out and pick it up.
3.75/5
stream the entire album below:
BONUS: 6 golden tickets are hidden within copies of the album in the US only. Find one and you will win an expense paid trip to Nashville, TN to tour Third Man Records.
the album, Phrazes for the Young, is eight songs long and will be released via Cult/RCA. It was produced by Jason Lader and Mike Mogis. luckily for us, Jules had been working on the album during the Strokes' hiatus, so this will most probably not affect the impending release of the fourth Strokes record.
Julian is planning to tour later in the year to support the album.
the Texas trio's third LP--Fits-- is set for a release in October in the US. the band recorded and produced the album themselves. the band (like Cage the Elephant, and The Strokes and Kings of Leon before them) are doing much better in Europe, where the album was released last month. I, for one, apologize for my fellow Americans' shite taste in music.
tracklisting below:
'Radio Milk How Can You Stand It' 'All Consolation' 'Say What You Want' 'El Hard Attack Dcwyw' 'I Start To Run ' 'Sex Prayer' 'Mirrored And Reverse' 'Paint Yourself' 'I'd Have It Just The Way We Were' 'Everybody Somebody' 'Regina Holding Hands' 'Syncn'
Saturday’s concert was, hands down, one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to (and I go to a ton of shows).The evening was simply magical.
Ra Ra Riot opened with a short but solid set drawing from their debut The Rhumb Line. Although they faltered at first, they gained confidence with each song, culminating with a spectacular rendition of "Oh, La" that was ringing in my head all night.
They were clearly comfortable, and their interaction on stage showcased deep bonds of friendship. Although their intimate, string driven songs would be better delivered at a small venue, the Greek Theatre's vast size did not hinder their enthusiasm, nor their strong deliveries.
Andrew Bird came on stage next and the crowd quickly broke into song wishing him a happy birthday (we did this again midway through his set). Bringing along his signature spinning gramophone and stuffed monkey, Mr. Bird awed the audience with his highly improvisational, technically magnificent songs.
My theory that this man possesses magical powers was cemented as it started raining during "Anonanimal", a beautiful rainbow emerging in the sky. The strongest song of the set was the closer, "Fake Palindromes". I was nearly in tears when he left the stage, and although I had only heard about an hour of music, I was satisfied. Death Cab was the frosting on the cake.
Death Cab for Cutie, or Taxi De La Muerta Para Mamasita (as a pair of Columbian boys translated for me) were simply stellar. I've been a fan of the band for four years now, but I had never seen them in concert. That was a big, big mistake on my part. Their live performance is much needed nourishment for the soul in an age where Rolling Stone gives the Jonas Brothers not one but two covers.
Their twenty song set list (which I jotted down as the night progressed) was superbly crafted; it reminded me a bit of what Rob from High Fidelity says about mix tapes (about turning it down a notch and then back up). Best of all, they relayed the songs equally. By this I mean they didn't seem any less enthused about playing their singles than their lesser known songs. I really hate it when bands make it seem like it's a burden to play their hits. Ben Gibbard did the opposite, and the result was amazing.
Best of all, the concert made me want to go home and play their records over and over again. The best concerts are the ones that remind you why you love the band in the first place, strengthening your resolve to shun the radio and revel in the glory that is quality music.
Set List:
Marching Bands of Manhattan Your Heart is an Empty Room The New Year We Laugh Indoors Crooked Teeth No Sunlight My Mirror Speaks President of What? Summer Skin Grapevine Fires I Will Possess Your Heart I Will Follow You Into the Dark Little Bribes Cath A Movie Script Ending Soul Meets Body
What Sarah Said Long Division The Sound of Settling Transatlanticism
Ra Ra Riot: 3.5/5
Andrew Bird: 4.9/5 (my only complaint is that his set should have been longer)
as you may or may not know, I am infatuated with the catchy dance-rock from LA based band io echo. their cover of the Beatles song "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" is one of my favourite things, ever. I had a chance to ask the band a few questions, and they had a great sense of humour, so read on below.
A few days ago, I saw a commercial featuring “Doorway”. When and how did that come about? It’s interesting how a lot of indie bands get mainstream recognition via phone commercials. How do you feel about it?
Leopold: The director of the commercial became a fan of the band when he saw us live. He developed this whole idea for the commercial based around us and pitched it to Sprint. Licensing is so important for indie bands, especially in the age of file sharing.
The commercial also made me realize that your given name is Joanna. It clicked that io is like “jo”. Is “io” your stage name or have you adopted it in other aspects of your life as well?
Joanna: My mother wanted to name me after a Bob Dylan song, "Johanna." Conveniently, my father wanted to name me after his mother, "ioanna" which is Greek for Joanna. They settled on ioanna, which is the name on my certificate. That's where the io comes from. My friends call me "io" or "jo." Sprint chose the American spelling of my name.
The Cure or The Smiths?
Joanna: Joy Division.
The last time we spoke, you were working on a full length album. How is that coming along? What does it sound like and when can we expect a release?
Leopold: We are currently working on a bunch of new ideas and will record them over the summer, so I suspect you will hear it before the year is out. It sounds like God’s Vagina.
You are based in LA. How do you like the music scene there? Would you rather be anywhere else?
Joanna: The music scene here is very nurturing. I think it's a great place to live if you are a musician. NYC, my hometown DC, London-- yes I identify with these places more. But the Los Angeles community is really positive and supportive and I think it's an extremely exciting place to be right now.
io echo resonates a lot with horror punk. The Misfits, Siouxsie and the Banshees—did you listen to these bands growing up?
Joanna: We love Siouxie but we did not necessarily listen to her growing up. Growing up I listened to a lot of dead British and German classical composers and also bands like The Cramps, Aphex Twin, Jonathan Fire*eater, (the kids from Jonathan Fire*eater went to my brother school, St. Albans and I looked up to them so much, even before they were Jonathan Fire*eater, when they were The Ignobles), Enigma, and a lot of DC punk and old school hip hop. But with The Cramps and Jonathan Fire*eater I think there is a lineage which you can trace back from those bands to Siouxsie, Bauhaus, and even further back to the Birthday Party and Suicide, perhaps even Silver Apples. I look at it kind of like a family tree.
Your music is grounded in dance-pop. Some people seem to think that dance music lacks substance. What role do you think dance music should play? What purpose would you like your music to serve?
Leopold: The people who think dance music lacks substance do not understand the purpose of dance music. Our music is not strictly dance, but all the songs are groove based. Whether it be a slow ballad or a frantic song, the groove, the way the rhythm section is locking, that is what makes you nod your head and is attractive to us. There is no specific purpose I would like it to serve. I made it, I poured my heart into it, I gave it to you. Do with it what you will.
Your cover of The Beatles’ “I Want You (She’s so Heavy)” is chilling and phenomenal. What drove you to play it for the first time? Is Abbey Road your favourite Beatles record?
Joanna: Thank you. Someone contacted us and asked us to play a Beatles tribute show. It was probably our third show as a band, but I had just seen the Horrors play at the same venue the week before so we wanted to play there too. After we played, the owner of the club came up to us and expressed that our version of Heavy moved him and that we had to put it in our set on a permanent basis. So we did. My favourite Beatles' record? Abbey road and The White Album are my favourite Beatles albums.
How did you meet Leo and when did you decide to form a band?
Joanna: We met at a seance. I raised him from the dead and he just followed me home. I was thinking about starting a band at the time, so I told him he might as well make himself useful if he was going to be hanging around, so he said that Jimi Hendrix had showed him the basics of guitar one night when they were chilling in hell, and that was that.
What’s the best thing about being on tour?
Leopold: Exploring the communities and subcultures of every place you go. It's fun to get lost in a new city and see where you end up.
What was the first song you wrote and how did you feel after finishing it?
Joanna: "Catapedaphobia." I felt shy about it. It was fairly recently, actually. I haven't been writing for very long.
What do you like to do when you’re not making music?
yeah, so technically it isn't morning anymore but I couldn't sleep last night and woke up really late today. the Death Cab concert was phenomenal. I'll post about that very soon.
I love that Julian always sings "I'm too fucking tired" when they do the song live. I know it's a rudimentary difference, but to me, it delivers so much more than the lyrics on the album.
The Dodos make great music because their music isn't complicated. It doesn't try to achieve some higher purpose, or be obscure for the sake of remaining esoteric. It sounds good. The proof of this is that I've exposed loads of different people to this band, and they've all enjoyed the band's solid sophomore album,Visiter (I have their debut in vinyl format, which is more difficult to share than a cd).
They layer jingly instruments and reverberating harmonies to create a sound that is not quite psychedelic, and not quite folksy, but a fantastic thing in between.
Recently, I was pleasantly surprised to hear their song "Fools" on a beer commercial. A few more pleasant surprises like that and I might become an alcoholic...
Originally a duo of Meric Long and Logan Kroeber, the SF band has evolved to include Joe Haener on extra percussion. Their latest effort, Time To Die, is set for a September release, but it just leaked yesterday and I have been listening to it endlessly. More boldly inclusive of pop-hooks, the album reflects a kind of maturity that only can be achieved through trial and error, and experimentation with many different kinds of instruments.
I really love the this song, so give it a listen and meander into musical territory that indubitably derives from people well acquainted with the strange and fabulous things which the city of San Francisco offers.
this is simply gorgeous:
When it comes down to it, I love The Dodos because I don't have to THINK about liking them. Meric has a beautiful voice, and their albums are both enjoyable as background music or closely scrutinized through extra big headphones.
visit the band on MYSPACE and get listening [I remember when their site used to be myspace.com/mericlong....]
click HERE to give it a listen I haven't absorbed it yet; I'm still on the first song, but I thought I'd post the link to let more people listen to it as soon as possible. I'll post a proper review soon.
Grand Lake had recently replaced drummer Ryan Parks with John Pomeroy, and I am sad to report that Erika Pipkin, who was a charging force behind the keys, is no longer a part of the Oakland band. nevertheless, I am confident that we can expect great things from the trio, who are currently working on new material
shows: Friday, July 10 @ Metamusic, Santa Cruz w/ The Libra and The Inscape Saturday, July 11 @ Rooz, Oakland, (Mission Creek Music Festival - as Headliner) Thursday, July 16 @ Sophia's Thai Kitchen, Davis w/ Geographer (KDVS Cool As Folk Presents) Wednesday, July 22 @ The Stork Club, Oakland, w/ Seasick, and Dirt Dress (Los Angeles) Bobby California (Rad Cloud) DJ's
the fantastic Scottish band have teamed up with The Twilight Sad for another American venture. unfortunately for me, when they come to SF, I'll only have been twenty for a month, which means I'm still 11 months shy of being admitted to the Independent. damndamndamn.
07.17 – Hoboken, N.J. at Maxwells 07.18 – Brooklyn, N.Y. at Siren Festival 07.19 – Chicago, IL at Bottom Lounge w/ Headlights 07.19 – Chicago, IL at Pitchfork Festival 07.21 – Detroit, Mich. at Magic Stick 07.22 – Toronto, Ontario at Horseshoe Tavern 07.23 – Montreal, Quebec at Petit Campus 07.24 – Providence, R.I. at Jerky’s 07.25 – Northampton, Mass. at Iron Horse Music Hall 09.13 – Morrison, CO at Monolith Festival 09.14 – Salt Lake City, UT at Urban Lounge 09.15 – Boise, ID at Neurolux 09.16 – Seattle, WA at Neumo’s 09.17 – Portland, OR at Musicfest NW at Dante’s 09.18 – San Francisco, CA at The Independent 09.20 – Los Angeles, CA at Knitting Factory 09.22 – Tucson, AZ at Plush 09.24 – Austin, TX at The Mohawk 09.26 – Birmingham, AL at Bottletree 09.27 – Atlanta, GA at The Masquerade 09.28 – Tallahassee, FL at Club Downunder 09.29 – Orlando, FL at The Social
with ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr as a part of their permanent lineup, The Cribs can only get better.
this song is louder and more powerful than a lot of their old work, and I'm quite excited about their forthcoming fourth studio album, entitled Ignore the Ignorant and set for a release on September 7th
they're in Switzerland, and lead singer Adam Levine says the new record will sound like the Maroon 5 which we have grown to love (which I'm assuming is the fantastic funk sound they honed on their second album).
“It’s us, just newer, better, fitter, happier, stronger. It’s going to be good.” read more on RS
apparently, he recently did a cover of Sinatra's “The Way You Look Tonight.” I've gotta get my hands on that.
Maroon 5 - Woman [mp3] from the soundtrack to Spiderman 2, and one of my favourite songs ever.
one of my readers has directed me to mp3s of a concert that took place at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in Asheville North Carolina in May of 2006.
I've noticed that the band has a tendency of beginning with "Ize of the World" in their 2006 concerts, which makes me incredibly happy (it makes me hopeful that the band loves the song as much as I do...then again, that probably isn't humanly possible). that song is one of the most underrated pieces of genius of the 21st century.
they even cover "Walk on the Wildside", which they have time and time again dishonestly promised never to repeat again, much to my amusement.
the concert sound quality is simply fantastic, so go ahead and download the first half below, and get listening. you can grab the rest tomorrow.
our favourite boys from Sheffield have been playing the tune for a while at gigs but the proper studio version has finally surfaced! Arctic Monkeys - Crying Lightning [mp3] shivers. so damn good. I love what the band has progressed to.
Humbug drops on August 25th, and you can bet that the album will emanate this dark maturity that the Monkeys have been displaying as of late.
it always comes as a shock to me when bands that start out as friends part ways. Ryan Ross (who played guitar and wrote the songs) and Jon Walker (who played bass, he was a few years older than the rest of the band) have left the band to pursue other musical endeavours.
as you may or may not know, their original bassist, Brent Wilson, was replaced by Jon after their first album was released.
this new bout of dissipation will definitely take a toll on the band's sound, which had evolved on their sophomore LP into Beatles-esque maturity.
I remember the good old days, when people thought I was making the band name up when I told them about Panic (back then, their name had an exclamation mark in it)...ah, yes, burning loads of copies of that first album in 2005...hot damn I haven't listened to that in ages.
the debut album, Horehound, drops on the 14th, here's a list of places you can go to celebrate:
July 6: Comet Tavern in Seattle, WA @ 7pm July 8: Les Boom at Numbers in Houston, TX @ 10pm July 9: Thursdays at Thom Bar in New York, NY @ 10pm July 10: Obscura at The Ruby Room in Phoenix, AZ @ 9pm July 10: Lipgloss at La Rumba in Denver, CO @ 9pm July 11: Clampdown at The Ravari Room in Columbus, OH @ 9pm July 11: London Calling at The Stable Loft in St. Louis, MO @ 9pm July 11: Shake at Rogue Bar in Phoenix, AZ @ 9pm July 11: Eclipse in Jacksonville, FL @ 10pm July 11: Crashin' In at Stanton Public in New York, NY @ 10pm July 12: Burn at The Castle in Tampa, FL @ 9pm July 14: Sonic at Beauty Bar in Los Angeles, CA @ 10pm July 14: Lipstick! at Old Ironsides in Sacramento, CA @ 9pm July 14: Propaganda in West Palm Beach, FL @ 9pm July 14: Trainwreck at Angels & Kings in New York, NY @ 10pm July 15: Transmission at Clubhouse Jager in Minneapolis, MN @ 10pm July 16: Popscene at 330 Ritch Street in San Francisco, CA @ 10pm July 18: Bang! at The Ruby in Los Angeles, CA @ 10pm July 18: Tiswas at Donhills in New York, NY @ 10pm July 27: Panic at Darkroom in Chicago, IL @ 9pm
it slipped my mind to do this post yesterday, sorry guys.
Ben Sollee is a Kentucky based songwriter who plays cello and weaves beautiful songs with subjects ranging from the desperation for honesty in politics to personal accounts of love for his family. He is incredibly talented and gained much recognition last summer, mostly due to his spectacular cover of Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come”. Ben’s live shows are interesting and highly improvisational, and he keeps things fresh by reinventing his songs each time he takes the stage. His debut album Learning to Bend is a delight from start to finish, one of my all time favourites.
The soft-spoken Ben recently embarked on a 330 mile bike ride from Lexington to Bonnarroo (toting his cello around with him), playing small towns while trying to raise awareness for the charitable organization OXFAM America.
The sonic boom of this Kentucky band is evident from the stellar opening track and lead single "In One Ear". Lead singer Matt Shultz sets the tone of the album: "They say we aint got the style/class/tunes that's gonna put us on the map" and in a way, he's right.
The songs don't focus on your average rock n roll fascinations (girls, booze, drugs); instead, the band sings about modern day Manifest Destiny ("Lotus") and the hardships of living in a society ruled by the dollar king ("Aint No Rest for the Wicked").
The style is purely avante guard because it rejects modern trends in music and embraces the good ol' fashioned roots of ROCK. Cage the Elephant draws equally from early Red Hot Chili Peppers' funk, White Stripes swagger, Beck's straightforward rhythms and pure guitar bliss that would make their hero Henderix proud. "Back Stabbing Betty" is deliciously Southern but their songs are in the universal language of rock n roll. Come to think of it, the guys sound like an American Arctic Monkeys. And that's a recipe for success if I ever heard one.
The edgy album soars precisely because it strays so far from modern popular music (both mainstream and indie). It's time that rock music turned political again. We all could use a good dose of cultural criticism from music and, just shy of 38 minutes, Cage the Elephant delivers, hard.
So rest assured, Matt, your band is doin' just fine. It might take a little while for Americans to catch on, but in good time, crowds will flood to catch Cage the Elephant's wild live shows and Shultz's signature spastic tendencies.
4/5
the album was released in Europe in June of 2008 and was rereleased in the US on May 19th of this year. you can pick up a copy at any record store or on AMAZON
this concert took place at London University on November 29th, 2005--just prior to the release of First Impressions of Earth. The Strokes took the opportunity to debut the new songs to the enthusiastic audience. The sound quality is GREAT but the guys look a bit pissed off in the videos
this is freaking INCREDIBLE. the video includes three songs: "Music When The Lights Go Out", "Psycho Killer" (Talking Heads), and "Don't Look Back Into The Sun".
our favourite French boys have brought their incredibly catchy new single to late night television, and the performance is stunning. I thought Jimmy's quip about the "large cd" was a bit stale, not to mention that it's Letterman's thing, but other than that the video is great!
I posted about Leonard Mynx's beautifully melancholy folk album Vesper back in April. his new album is being mastered right now, and will be released soon. he promises that it isn't as sad as Vesper, so it'll be nice to hear him sing in a less dreary manner. I've had a chance to ask him a few questions, so read on below for more info on the Portland-based singer
How autobiographical is vesper? I'm assuming some of these things are figments of your imagination, else you have had a very colourful life so far.
Vesper is no[t] strictly autobiographical in the sense that I did not live every story. But it is autobiographical from an emotional standpoint. I feel like I know all the characters very closely and sometimes it really hurt me to hurt them, but that was their story, it had to happen. It is still painful to perform some of the songs. I have never performed "Robert" live.
When did you start writing music? Why?
I always wrote as a child. I don't know why. I loved stories and I felt like I had some that needed to be told. I was an avid short story composer for a while. Naturally, I suppose, it developed into music in my mid-late teens. Songs were so concise. A short story has to be well structured, but a song must have ever word in place to convey the proper mood. Maybe it was fast food culture that forced me to trim down my stories into songs. Also, I was moved by music my whole life. I never went to bed without the radio on. I needed to hear music everywhere. I guess the two, stories and music, were just ready for each other by that age.
Do you write songs in some sort of secluded place, like in a cabin in the woods, or do you simply write them as you go along, using napkins and such when thoughts come to you?
Songs are strange in that they don't wait for you. I don't control the songs nor own them. They come when they want and if you decide to ignore them for a while, you will miss them. They are in command. I have to write whenever and wherever the songs decide to come. It can be a burden. It sounds cliche but it is true. Anybody who says that they are in charge of the songs either doesn't write good songs or is a liar. Songs come from a different place and different songs definitely come out of different settings, such as a secluded place or in a bustling city.
What was your favourite album when you were in high school?
There are too many to answer. It depended on mood. It depended if it was a Wednesday or snowing or if leaves were rustling or if more trains went by that day. The atmosphere sets the mood and then you find the album to match it. Or vice versa.
If you could collaborate with any artist, dead or alive, who would you choose?
Prokofiev.
Drugs and alcohol: good or bad for music making?
A blessing and a curse. Drugs are like songs. They can end up in control if you aren't careful. By the time you notice you are lost, you might have a long road ahead of you to try and get back to where you were. And you can never fully go back. I do believe in altering perceptions. I think it can be an amazing experience. The myth about that is that drugs are the only way to do that. That's not true. There are infinite ways to change perception. Drugs just are easy, but like with most easy things in life, they may not be the best way or worth it.
If you could have one superhero power, what would it be and why?
The power to make people forget. Being able to forget is what keeps us going. If we remembered everything, everyday, we would be trapped. Even still, we remember too much useless information. We cling to the wrong sorts of experiences. We get bogged down. War and hate and pain and fear, are all from memories. If we could just forget, we would move beyond all that nonsense. Humanity will never grow until we learn to forget the things that don't matter anymore. Memories are like ghosts. They haunt us, in bad ways, sometimes.
I generally can’t stand female vocalists. There are a few exceptions. Regina Spektor is always an exception. Regina Spektor’s five album discography is brilliant, and her latest release, Far, beautifully fluctuates between playful songs and gloomy, serious ones. Sometimes the songs themselves combine surprisingly solemn lyrics with happier melodies.
“Machine” is a deliciously creepy number that evokes Smashing Pumpkins. “I am downloaded daily, I am part of a composite,” Regina sings. The ominous chord progression sounds like it should be background music in a haunted house.
Another favourite, “Two Birds”, is reminiscent of Regina’s older work, and her vocals soar brilliantly as she sings about, you guessed it, a pair of birds.
I remember reading (in the latest issue of SPIN) that the songs found on Far were actually produced by four different producers. This doesn’t affect the cohesion of the album at all: Far flows better than most records produced by one person. This just serves to show how talented Regina is and how groundbreaking her work actually is: she manages to retain her individuality and unique song-writing in each of her endeavours.
Far is surprisingly mature, and it moves away from the super catchy quality of her previous album, Begin to Hope. Instead, it is a collection of thirteen excellent tracks that get better with each listen, much more layered and varied than anything she’s ever released. While the first half of the album is a lot more striking and powerful than the latter half, the entire album is extremely solid.
