record review: Beirut- March of the Zapotec/Holland (double EP)

to be released on February 16, 2009

if you aren't familiar with Beirut, buy Gulag Orkestrar IMMEDIATELY.
it is one of the greatest works of art of our time.

anyhow, unlike Sufjan Stevens, who initiated but later abandoned a themed musical project (he wanted to have an album for each of the 50 states but only succeeded in finishing two in that vein, Michigan and Illinois-both excellent albums, especially the latter), Beirut are actually following through with their musical journey through the globe.

Gulag Orkestar was Balkan.
The Flying Club Cup was French.
March of the Zapotec is very very folksy Mexican.

I think the Dutch might be a little confused (and/or offended) by their album though. Whereas Zach continues to use an accordion in March of the Zapotec (and a bit more conventionally, might I add), Holland is a lot more like a cool techno dance party in Germany than a trip through the Netherlands. Then again, I have no idea what Dutch culture constitutes, other than Van Gogh (who was more French anyways) and flat lands. Oh, and they were religiously tolerant, right? This EP is credited to "Realpeople", which is one of the names which Condon went by before assuimg "Beirut" permanently.I'm interpreting that as a break from "Beirut", as he is exploring new territory in a novel way. And maybe this is really an accurate portrayal of the low countries, and we Americans are just miserably uninformed.

The verdict?
If you're already a Beirut fan, go ahead, buy away. You'll be pleased by the new direction Zach is taking. On Holland he's like a more refined Kevin Barnes, lost in a dream world and not wanting to be found.

If you're unfamiliar with Beirut, try out their first two LPs first, and definitely give March of the Zapotec a listen. It's much more true to what Zach Condon's music really is. Holland is the family's black sheep, but the one who will inevitably get the most attention. I like it, but think that Zach should stick with what he knows. Soaring music which transcends, not just another band making dance music.

Beirut - On a Bayonet [mp3]
(from March of the Zapotec)
this song makes me want to take up smoking cigars, just so I can keep up with how incredibly cultured Condon is. trumpets galore, no vocals. a stunning masterpiece, perhaps the one least in the theme of Mexico, but my favourite of the bunch.

Beirut - The Concubine [mp3]
(from Holland)
if you ever wondered if electronica could be beautiful, look no further.

[[opening track "My Night With the Prostitute from Marseille" remains to be my favourite from Holland, mostly because Zach's vocals are a lot more faithful to old Beirut)
March of the Zapotec: 3.5/5
Holland: 3/5

on repeat: "Susan in a Hundred Words"

this track is breathtaking.

it makes me wonder how pure music would be if no bands ever got signed and musicians remained being what they started out as: artists. not caterers to mainstream bullshit.

The No'S - Susan in a Hundred Words [mp3, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!]

my first listen, it didn't strike me right away. after the second time through I was hooked. pay attention to the lyrics and the simple piano chord progression. Voxtrot better watch out, this is going to give "The Start of Something" a run for its money as the top played track in my library.

The No'S are Ryan Parks and Erika Pipkin and are currently based in Oakland.

visit them on MYSPACE

interview: Solarcade

this Las Vegas based band is composed of Paul Van (vox) and Tony Pomilla (guitars)

they have 2 full albums and a new EP coming out on Feb 24th.

influences range from Johnny Cash to Muse to U2, their latest single (RISE) would strike any Keane fan's fancy.

they aren't exactly my cup of tea, but Tony assured me they have a rockin' live show.

for fans of U2, Depeche Mode

Solarcade- How Do You Remember [mp3]

visit them on MYSPACE

if you like what you hear, read an exclusive interview with him below.

When did the band form?
I met my singer Paul way back in 2001 and we starting playing and writing and released a demo EP in 2003

Where? We met in Los Angeles. I moved there from Houston and Paul is from Johannesburg, South Africa.

Were you guys friends before? We had never met before. Paul came down to see me and hear some stuff I was doing with a bassist and drummer and we hit it off from there.

Are you friends now? It’s kinda like I look up to him like a big brother and the guy that plays drums with us I look at him like a little brother. The drummer Adam Holt and I used to play in our first band and our recent new bassist Adam Chamberlain is a dear friend from England. We just talk about Little Britain all day. It feels pretty brotherly...

I know some bands despise each other. Wasn't it Noel Gallagher who said that his marriage to Liam was a disaster but they stick it out for the "kids" (the band)? I am probably one of the few musicians that loves and respects when Liam talks crap on other bands. Most of the time it needs to be said. I was a bit offended when he didn’t like one of my favorite bands but he is entitled to his opinion.

Do you guys hang out when you're not making music? Oh Yeah. We get along great. We have been doing this for years so some girlfriends have come and gone, the good ones stayed and we have actually like hanging out and having a good time together. We all love just talking about movies and trying to predict the new Tarantino dialogue of Inglorious Basterds thats coming out

At what moment did music become an all-defining aspect of your life?
Pretty much as a kid watching Mtv when it was ACTUALLY music. As a young kid I got turned on to the whole Seattle scene and I just knew I couldn’t be more interested in anything else.

What inspired you to go from a listener to a creator? I guess just playing guitar until I was satisfied in learning how to play along with albums and that exposed me into creating my own compositions. It is a very fun time when I can show my singer things I have written and he really hears a melody to put to it. That is why we do it. It’s why your favorite band [insert here] was doing it too!

Top lyric of all time?
“I'll swallow poison, until I grow immune/I will scream my lungs out till it fills this room” -Eddie Vedder, Pearl Jam's "Indifference"
The guy just writes masterful and illustrative words that seem like a cinematic scene in a Martin Scorsese film.

Your band has a very varied sound, dabbling in many different genres. Is this deliberate? I think our 3 releases each as a full piece have specific sounds. Your sound can drastically change when you work with different producers and we are ok with that. Some bands stick to one genre because they may only know how to write or sing in a particular fashion and some like to forge into new musical territory. Wow, there was this one indie band that did that and it worked for them, I think they were called....The Beatles

If you could describe Solarcade in one word, what would it be?
Enduring

What was the first rock concert you ever went to? Metallica
The best? Depeche Mode
The worst? Aerosmith

Would you rather make good music and not be heard by many people or make really shitty music and sell millions of records?
Solarcade would rather be an indie band and make music that is deemed great by their fans than sell millions of records because some producer "glossed it over into bubblegum pre-fabricated pop icon" bullshit.

Do you have any pre-show rituals?</span> Recently by force and not choice fans giving me Grey Goose shots but my only ritual is making sure my guitars are in tune...

Do drugs or alcohol help with the song writing? No pretty much we don’t touch the stuff. It may help with some other artist but that rule never applies to all
What about when performing? For me 2 shots can make you a little more loosey goosey but either way it’s a fun time!

What is your stance on groupies? Never had groupies but we have some hardcore Solarcade fans.

What is your favourite song? I run a lot and marathon train so I love heavy stuff but there are some gut wrenching love ballads that can be just as potent. Me personally, songs that make me pick up the pace are "You Can Do Better Than Me"-Death Cab For Cutie, "I Feel You"-Depeche Mode, "Moneymaker"-Rilo Kiley

Which song of Solarcade's do you think is the best. Not necessarily the one that's gotten the best reception, but, from a musician's standpoint, the one truest to the band. My singer and I both really think that our 2nd single follow up "Oceans to Oceans" sums up the band nicely. It as a cool message and interpretation which is to me Eddie Vedder like.

Who writes the songs? Paul and I work out chords and melodies and then work out riffs over those chords and then drop the chords. I rarely strum guitar and I play in 3 different tunings. I hate standard E tuning. So predictable and boring.

Do you guys collaborate or perhaps each write songs separately? Paul lives in Las Vegas and we wrote the whole album thru Mp3s and emails until we would then get together to flesh out the song. Another band I really like called The Kills did the same thing when they were living in New York and London. I can practice and write my parts instead of the pressure of my bandmates waiting....

What has been the best combined effort between you and Paul? Making Solarcade a reality and successful band. When you are standing in a circle of friends Brandon Flowers and Martin Gore and between them 90 million records have been sold and they compliment you on your live show and songwriting you know you are doing something meaningful in your life.

People say the music industry is dying. What are you doing to keep it alive? It is not dying. I know because I’m in it. It is evolving. Darwinism at its best!!! You must learn to adapt to the new technologies and adjust or watch the parade go by. You can be a performer or a spectator. Either way there are people lined up to do both.....

watch Andrew Bird on the Late Show tomorrow night (TUESDAY)

Andrew will be playing the Late Show with David Letterman at 11:30pm ET/PT on CBS.

Andrew Bird - Waiting for Contentment [mp3]
from 1999 album "Oh! the Grandeur". helloooo good 50's music.

new Death Cab for Cutie tour dates

supporting artists include three of my favourites:
Cold War Kids,
Ra Ra Riot,
& Matt Costa

(but it varies from show to show)

4/7 Philadelphia, PA/Upper Darby, PA @ Tower Theatre
4/8 Washington, DC @ DAR Constitution Hall
4/10 Louisville, KY @ Louisville Place
4/11 Memphis, TN @ Orpheum Theatre
4/12 Tulsa, OK @ Brady Theatre
4/13 Omaha, NE @ Holland Theatre
4/15 St Paul, MN @ Roy Wilkins Auditorium
4/18/09 East Lansing, MI @ Breslin Events Center
4/25 Boise, ID @ Morrison Center
5/4 Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
5/5 Birmingham, AL @ BJCC Concert Hall
5/6 Atlanta, GA @ Fox Theatre

buy your tickets HERE

Death Cab for Cutie - Love Song (Cure cover) [mp3, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!]
don't let my crass exterior fool you, I am a total sucker for this song. The Cure, Joy Division, The Smiths, gotta love that self indulgent depressing music. not that shit that they call emo/screamo these days. I don't consider that music.

also, watch this performance. it's pretty incredible:

Silver Jews = no more

what a sad day for music. I never even got to see these guys live.

lead singer David Bergman said, "I always said we would stop before we got bad. If I continue to record I might accidentally write the answer song to 'Shiny Happy People'."

read more at NME

here are some mp3s from the good old days, before the band it quits. well, at least we have 6 albums to keep us company. but nothing will ever really replace that wonderfully scratchy voice of yours, David.

Silver Jews - Strange Victory, Strange Defeat [mp3]

Silver Jews - Suffering Jukebox [mp3]

we'll miss you guys!

Sunday Morning Covers

of Montreal - Superman (R.E.M cover) [mp3]

Division Day - Ghosts (Japan cover) [mp3, highly recommended!]
whoa.

Counting Crows - Friday, I'm In Love (The Cure cover) [mp3]

KT Tunstall - I Want You Back (Jackson 5 cover) [mp3]
I miss what KT Tunstall used to be. her second album was horrid.

Vampire Weekend - Everywhere (Fleetwood Mac cover) [mp3]

Bon Iver - Your Love (The Outfield cover) [mp3]

David Bowie - White Light White Heat (Velvet Underground Cover) [mp3]

BONUS:

The Strokes - Walk on the Wild Side (Lou Reed cover) [mp3]

new Sufjan Stevens song!

holy goodness gracious.
this is the coolest thing I've heard in ages. oh so mesmerizing.

it looks like Sufjan Stevens has taken a page out of Thom Yorke's book.

this is EPIC. and that isn't just because of its length of ten minutes.

Sufjan Stevens - You Are the Blood [mp3]

a lot better than ANYTHING on Merriweather Post Pavilion, that's for sure.

interview: Grand Lake

lead singer Caleb Nichols was the first to send me his band's music, and the only good one so far. Since then, I've had an influx of crap into my inbox, so I'm very happy to post about a band worth listening to. They are a very new band, formed in October of last year. Caleb used to play bass in Port O' Brien, but we all know how much musicians hate to be SOLELY defined by their past, so I'll say this much, it's a good thing he left.

The band is based in Oakland, so for now, they are playing local shows (Feb 6 @ The Uptown [Oakland]; Mar 28 @ The Hemlock [SF])
but, my dear readers, keep your eyes and ears open, they'll soon invade your hometowns as well. If they don't, I'll be disappointed for your sakes.

sounds like: early Death Cab for Cutie; those awesome opening acts that are more heartfelt than the band you came to see.

They're still finalizing their EP, but here are some awesome mp3s for you guys to enjoy in the mean time

Grand Lake - Concrete Blonde on Blonde [mp3]

Grand Lake - Nevermint [mp3, highly recommended!]
this one is like what Nirvana would have been if they were an indie band of the 00's rather than a grunge band of the 90's.

Grand Lake - The Stars Are Not Projectors [mp3]

Grand Lake - Twin Peak [mp3]

visit them on MYSPACE

Caleb was nice enough to answer some of my prying questions, so here's some insight for you all

How did the band form?

Jameson and I were in another band many moons ago called 'the bloody heads' ... so we already new each other.
We had a new project in mind after I left Port O'Brien, but we weren't sure what. Then we met Ryan (actually, I rented a room in Ryan's place), and he introduced us to Erika, whom he was playing with (and still is ) in a band called No'S.

As a child, did you want to be a musician? When did you start playing music? Writing music?

I wanted to be Fred Astaire, but dancing was hard work. I didn't want to be a musician until I heard Revolver when I was 12. I started playing bass and writing when I was 14. I am self taught.

Do you have a muse?

Yes. He'd only love me back, I'd quit being a musician.

Do you have any particular audience that you cater to or do you just make music that comes to you and hope people will like it?

Ummm........ I assume our music appeals to college kids, maybe high school kids, maybe cool older folks .... I don't know. People who listen to slightly experimental, minimalist indie-pop?

Who writes the songs? The lyrics?

On 'Nevermint' I wrote the music and lyrics for the 6 pop songs, and Jameson wrote the music for the two short instrumental tracks. Next record, Erika will write some too.

What does "Concrete Blonde on Blonde" mean? You're referencing Dylan, yes? I'd love you to elaborate.

Play on words... the word concrete is used... it's a song about driving back to my hometown, which I find myself doing regularly, whether from a tour, from Oakland now, or even from Alaska way back....or from school... I had an intense Dylan period right before I joined Port O'Brien in 2006.... Blonde on Blonde was the only thing on in my car for months, and man I drove a fucking lot!

What was your first record? (the first one you bought, not made)

hmm... vinyl - Built for Speed by the Stray Cats.... cassette - California Girls by the Beach Boys,.... I think my first cd was Dangerous by Michael Jackson.

What are you listening to now?

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, ESG, Jay Reatard. Those be my top three at the moment. Also Starfucker, The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, and Man/Miracle.

[fun fact: Caleb blogs daily about the songs stuck in his head. Head on over to the Head List (haha, pun) to check it out.]

What song do you wish you could have written?

'Susan in A Hundred Words' by my roommate and Grand Lake's drummer, Ryan Parks. Check out the No'S for that track. It's fucking beautiful, and made my mom cry a bit.

or "I Woke Up Today" by Van Pierszalowski of Port O'Brien... the writer always gets more royalties.

In your opinion, the number 1 most under-rated genius musician of all time.

Morphine. Mark Sandman from Morphine. I think there should be parades dedicated to that band. They fucking ruled, and the death of Mark Sandman strikes me as one of the more tragic things in rock and roll history.

Where is the strangest place you've come up with a song/melody/riff? Think of the craziest, most random one imaginable.

This usually happens while driving on the 101 for a few hours. Or the five. Driving.

[that answer was slightly disappointing. I was hoping for some hooker story.]

What song is playing on repeat in hell?

Anything by the Eagles. But at the moment I'm thinking 'Desperado' or 'Tequila Sunrise'....

Saturday Music Definitions: Winter

I know most of the world has had record breaking cold winters, but California JUST got cold. a couple of weeks ago, I was walking around in sun dresses. now I've busted out the coat again, which I haven't needed since late November.

Ra Ra Riot - Winter '05 [mp3]
I've been listening to The Rhumb Line over and over and over again. it's become an addiction. great band, great debut, great song.

The Dodos - Winter [mp3]
ironic, because I bought Visiter in the summer, after being exposed to them as Spring was blooming. folk duo from SF, a pleasant sophomore effort.

Belle & Sebastian - Winter Wooksie [mp3]
simultaneously bouncy and melancholy. signature B&S.

Roses King Castles - Brass Winter [mp3]
Babyshambles was a break from The Libertines. RKC was the side project of Babyshambles' drummer, Adam Ficek. this song is basically just a xylophone and an acoustic guitar, but it brings back childhood memories quite nicely.

Joshua Radin - Winter [mp3]
this guy got his big break being featured on Grey's Anatomy a couple of years back. his music deserves to be listened to more people than that crowd. Matt Costa meets Sufjan Stevens with a hint of Elliott Smith. very soft music. he's playing a Noisepop show, and I got my ticket last week.

Sufjan Stevens - Sister Winter [mp3]
Sufjan Stevens never fails to bring out my soft side.

Alex Turner gets mathematical

"We're going to have a new album with you by the summer I think," he told Australian network Triple J. "[It's] 78 per cent is done, I have been working in fractions actually – two thirds. [I'm] thrilled with it."

read more over at NME

Josh Homme (of QOTSA fame) has produced the record. brace yourselves. 2009 is going to be such a dynamite year for music. it already is!

Arctic Monkeys - Brianstorm (live on Jools Holland) [mp3]

BONUS:
Spoon - My Mathematical Mind [mp3]

Animal Collective announce North American tour

hellooooooo graduation present to self.

Washington, DC 9:30 Club (May 11)
Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory (12)
New York, NY Terminal 5 (13)
Boston, MA House of Blues (14)
Montreal, PQ Metropolis (15)
Toronto, ON Sound Academy (16)
Royal Oak, MI Royal Oak Music Hall (18)
Milwaukee, WI Turner Hall Ballroom (19)
Minneapolis, MN First Avenue (20)
Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom (24)
Portland, OR Roseland Theater (25)
Oakland, CA Fox Theatre (26)
Big Sur, CA Henry Miller Memorial Library (27)
Los Angeles, CA Wiltern (29)
Las Vegas, NV House of Blues (30)
Tucson, AZ Rialto Theater (31)
Albuquerque, MN Sunshine Theater (June 1)
Boulder, CO Boulder Theatre (2)
Dallas, TX House Of Blues (4)
Austin, TX Stubbs (5)
Oxford, MS The Library (6)
St. Petersburg, FL State Theatre (8)

Animal Collective - #1 [mp3]

so I finally got around to listening to Fleet Foxes...

...sometime earlier this week and I've finally dug up some of my notes. hot damn, my room is a mess.

and the verdict?

good, not great.
definitely over hyped, but they still have a handful of solid songs.

they jump around different genres, and that comes off as indecisive rather than deliberately eclectic. are they a folksy Arcade Fire? I think not.

"Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" definitely draws from Radiohead's "Karma Police". "He Doesn't Know Why" feels like a Christmas song. "Your Protector" is like a modern, indie version of "Greensleeves" (you know, the traditional English ballad about the beheaded Anne Bolyn [in the words of my beloved Dwight Schrute])

find my favourite two songs below, and if you like what you hear, head over to their MYSPACE

if not, I'd suggest you stick with Vampire Weekend. although I still don't understand why those two bands are apparently unwittingly rivals or something. no musical correlation whatsoever.

Fleet Foxes - Ragged Wood [mp3]

Fleet Foxes - Quiet Houses [mp3]

Crystal Castles

Are you in short supply of electronica? Do you desperately need some new dance music? I suggest that you check out Crystal Castles. Don't let your preconceived notions of mild mannered Canadians thwart you from experiencing one of the coolest duos around, Alice Glass and Ethan Kath.

Crystal Castles - Magic Spells [mp3]

Crystal Castles - Knights [mp3]

be forewarned, it's not a good idea to listen to them with headphones on, unless your objective is to feel a bit faint.

for fans of: Klaxons, Daft Punk, dancing

Band of the week: Antony and the Johnsons

for fans of angelic vocals, Beirut, Jens Lekman, ethereal music, John Legend, Patrick Wolf, and Jeff Buckley

a few days ago I had the pleasure of reading the most entertaining subheadline ever:

"Lou Reed's favorite transgender torch singer battles for Mother Earth"

surprisingly, it was in Rolling Stone

now I know the blogosphere is overflowing with praise for this band, which features Antony Hegarty's haunting vocals, and I hate to be just another blogger blogging about the same old thing but this music is really important.

it's very much sit-under-a-tree-and-reflect-about-the-universe-on-a-microcosm-scale music.

you don't have to be transgendered to appreciate the powerful search for identity found here.

the band is from NYC, with three fantastic albums so far (eponymous debut, the critically acclaimed "I Am A Bird Now" and their latest, "The Crying Light")

I hear the live shows are killer too. I'll see for myself when they headline the SF Noisepop festival, with a show at Nob Hill Masonic Theatre. buy tickets for that or other shows (in your area) at ticketmaster

Antony's latest effort (The Crying Light) was released on Monday, and I'm loving it. I will try to review it sometime soon, but for now, sample these tracks and let me know what you think

Antony and the Johnsons - Kiss My Name [mp3]

Antony and the Johnsons - Aeon [mp3]

Antony and the Johnsons - Fistful of Love [mp3, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!]
Lou Reed did guitar work and background vocals on this track.

BONUS:
Antony and the Johnsons - Crazy in Love (Beyonce cover) [mp3]
"who says I'm not a teenage girl" hahahaha, oh, look, he has a sense of humour. lovely =)

The Strokes are back! er, in 3 weeks!

"We're getting back together for the first time in two years, and it's very exciting," says Albert. "We're just going to start working on songs. I mean, sounds -- we don't even have the songs. We got to get back to playing first. That's all I know. Right now, it's just February 11th at 2 o'clock we're going to the studio to hang out and play music. I just know the date and time."

I love you, Rolling Stone. you have finally redeemed yourself for having the Jonas Brothers on the cover.

anyhow, this is the most exciting bit of news ever. I knew Niko said February ages ago, but a set date is just so great! their fourth record is going to rock the world, I can feel it.

The Strokes - Razorblade [mp3, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!]

happy sexy awesome Obama day everyone!

FINALLY.

now, there are plenty of patriotic songs floating the internets in honour of this glorious day, but I am going to post something different. something that is sexy and awesome, like PRESIDENT OBAMA.

may I present...

my favourite Clash song.

THE CLASH - ROCK THE CASBAH [mp3]

The Virgins: Euro Tour Dates

The Virgins - Fernando Pando [mp3]

this band has it all. great recorded sound, crazy, rockin' live performances.



London Koko (Club NME) (March 27)
Le Harve Cabaret Electric (28)
Paris Trabendo (30)
Strasbourg La Laiterie (31)
Lyon Ninkasi Kao (April 1)
Lausanne Les Docks (2)
Milan Club Plastic (3)
Vienna Flex (5)
Munich Atomic Café (6)
Cologne Gebaude 9 (7)
Hamburg Molotow (8)
Berlin Festsaal Kreuberg (9)
Amsterdam Paradiso (11)
Rotterdam Rotown (12)
Brighton Digital (14)
Bristol Thekla (15)
Manchester Ruby Lounge (16)
Edinburgh Cabaret Voltaire (17)
Glasgow King Tut's (18)
Newcastle The Cluny (20)
Birmingham Rainbow (21)
Leeds Cockpit (22)
London Heaven (23)
Dublin Academy 2 (25)
Belfast Speakeasy (26)

NEW ARCTIC MONKEYS SONGS: good quality mp3s!

most excellent.

these are from the Wellington concert last Tuesday.

Arctic Monkeys - Go Kart [mp3]

Arctic Monkeys - Dangerous Animals [mp3]

Arctic Monkeys - Crying Lightning [mp3]

Arctic Monkeys - Pretty Visitors [mp3]

the Arctic Monkeys were my first SF concert. spectacular gig. cannot wait for the new album and new tour dates.

Sunday Morning Covers

Jamie Cullum – Wind Cries Mary (Hendrix cover) [mp3]
I actually heard this version before I knew it was a cover. I’ve had Jamie’s debut CD (Twentysomething) forever. I love it so so so much, it is a great laid back jazz/pop album.

of Montreal – Immigrant Song (Led Zeppelin cover) [mp3]
really, this one speaks for itself

Built to Spill – While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Beatles cover) [mp3]
This is one of my favourite Beatles songs, written and originally sung by my beloved George Harrison.

Radiohead – Cinnamon Girl (Neil Young cover) [mp3]
I would not have expected this but it is surprisingly good.

Happy Sunday everyone!