Author Archive
Review: Smith Westerns - S/T
Friday, October 1st, 2010
Smith Westerns Smith Westerns [Fat Possum]
Need to know: Smith Westerns were formed in Chicago, Illinois by three teenagers (they’re now aged 18, 19 and 20). They released an early 7” on HoZac Records, which was followed up with a self-titled full-length LP last year. The album cover features a painting of the Virgin Mary chopped up and intermingled with Nirvana’s iconic Nevermind cover, upside down (they say they have yet to receive a cease-and-desist letter from Courtney Love, so they’re all good). After selling out its 3000 copy run, they eventually signed with Fat Possum, which has just reissued the album also on CD for a wide release. Smith Westerns are finishing off their sophomore album, scheduled for a January release and currently on the road opening up for both Belle and Sebastian and Florence and the Machine.
In a 100 words or so: Glam rock may be the immediate thread to follow on Smith Westerns’ debut album – “Girl In Love” is a straight up T-Rex aping if I ever heard one, from the arena-rock boom of the drums and guitar chugs, to the softly, effeminate vocal delivery and those drenching strings. But taking into consideration the blown-out, level-bleeding lo-fi production and the teenage innocence dripping from the lyrics, they’ve certainly found inspiration elsewhere. “Diamond Boys,” for instance, swings like a Motown outtake that was shelved, lost in a flood and resurrected, water damage and all. That the trio are all so green makes this self-titled album such an extraordinary work. Sure the coarse membrane of the production might be a little too much for some to bear, but underneath Smith Westerns is heaving with irresistible hooks that can rival any chart-topping act of yesteryear or today.
Best track: “Be My Girl”
R.I.Y.L. T-Rex, Wavves, The Black Lips, Girls, early ’70s David Bowie, The Strange Boys, Christmas Island, Nobunny, Harlem
Rating: 9.5 /10
Buy, download, steal or don’t bother: Buy on vinyl. The sleeve is worth it.
Sample: “Boys Are Fine”
Website: MySpace.com/SmithWesterns
Tags: Fat Possum, Hozac, Smith Westerns
Posted in News, Reviews | No Comments »
Review: Salem - King Night
Wednesday, September 29th, 2010
Salem King Night [IAMSOUND]
Need to know: To quote their bio, “Salem are John Holland, Heather Marlatt and Jack Donoghue. John and Heather went to high school together in Interlochen, Michigan and later moved to Chicago where they met Jack.” After meeting, the John and Heather joined Jack’s project Salem, which they used as an outlet to merge their respective influences – shoegaze, goth, ambient, Chicago Juke, Houston Screw, crunk, Dirty South rap and pop - and see what would happen. What resulted was a sound unlike any other out there: beautiful and creepy, tranquil and murderous, beguiling and sedating, as slow as molasses and as rapid as automatic gunfire. Eventually, they’d be credited as originators of “drag” and “witch house,” insular subgenres known for discombobulated effects, screwed and chopped beats, trill synths, haunted vocals and goth-y overtones. Their first single was called Yes, I Smoke Crack (Acéphale) sold out instantly, and was followed by a bunch of singles, splits, remixes and mixtapes. Their EP Water featured a drugged out cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Streets of Philadelphia” re-titled “Brustreet.” The video for single “Dirt” featured a woman trying to kill herself in a car via carbon monoxide poisoning, while another naked woman dances on the hood and roof of the car. In an interview with Butt magazine, where John admitted to a stint as a “highbrow prostitute.”
In a 100 words or so: Salem have only been in the public consciousness for two years now, but the anticipation for King Night has made its release feel like we were waiting in dog years. Between the band’s divisiveness and the album’s build up, this felt like a debut that was destined to fail. But for those who have fallen for Salem’s austere, disorienting music, the album transcends expectations. Mixed by Dave Sardy (Rage Against The Machine, LCD Soundsystem, Jay-Z), King Night goes for broke without any concept of what that actually means. Nothing is considered off limits: “Asia” parades Aphex’s overzealous techno beats from “Ventolin” into the euphoric shoegaze of “Frost,” which then descends into decelerated, sizzurp-slurping rap joints like “Sick” and “Tair,” without giving two shits. The nerve of this trio is completely off the charts: case in point is the title track, which has the nerve to sample a choral rendition of “O Holy Night” and inject it like a filthy syringe into a blown-out symphony of gunshot beats and distorted keyboards. While Salem may be grouped in with the witch house/drag gang, King Night is a singular artistic statement that hits you like a miasma of the most toxic chemicals imaginable. And like everything that’s bad for you, it tastes damn good.
Best track: “King Night”
R.I.Y.L. The Knife, oOoOO, the 20jazzfunkgreats blog, Balam Acab
Rating: 9/10
Buy, download, steal or don’t bother: Buy the vinyl and play it backwards.
Sample: “King Night”
Website: S4lem.com
Tags: King Night, salem
Posted in Reviews, The New Music | No Comments »
Review: The Black Angels - Phosphene Dream
Tuesday, September 28th, 2010
The Black Angels Phosphene Dream [Blue Horizon]
Need to know: Formed in 2004 by a group of Austin, Texas-based psychedelicists, The Black Angels (named after The Velvet Underground’s “The Black Angel’s Death Song”) have had a fruitful career in their six years working closely to the mantra: “Turn On, Tune In, Drone Out.” Upon forming, The band members exploited their upbringings to help forge a sound they’ve described as “Native American Drone ‘N’ Roll.” According to their bio, “Bassist Ryan was born on a cult compound, guitarist Bland is the real deal son of a Texas preacher man, and drummer Bailey and vocalist Maas believe a little girl in a red linen dress haunts the group’s home.” Signing with retroist label Light In The Attic a year after forming, the band released two EPs and two albums in the span of three years, earning a cult-like following for their acidic psych rock. Earlier this year, The Black Angels collaborated with UNKLE on a song called “With You In My Head,” which was featured in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse’s “most pivotal scene.” For their third album, Phosphene Dream, the band signed with Blue Horizon Records, the legendary label that was recently revived by industry heavyweights Seymour Stein (CEO, Sire Records) and Richard Gottehrer (songwriter/producer, Blondie, The Raveonettes, Dum Dum Girls).
In a 100 words or so: The PR for Phosphene Dream has been dominated by the fact that The Black Angels were signed by Stein and Gottehrer, legends of the industry. But the album shouldn’t be overlooked for how it’s being released. The more significant note is in how the band have expanded their vision and developed more of an identity. Working with such a distinct, retro sound, Phosphene Dream works best when they cut loose and explore the heavier dimensions of psychedelia, like on the swirling, kaleidoscopic blast of “River of Blood” or the slithering swamp rock of “The Sniper.” Unfortunately, the band haven’t smoothened the edges of their more pop tendencies, failing to invigorate the senses more obvious single attempts like “Telephone” or “Sunday Afternoon” both of which sound fabulous but fail to pack any hooks. It’s a shame too, considering The Black Angels are one of the few bands out there to sound genuine in their homage. Still, their third album is easiest a landmark moment for them and promises their best is yet to but also guaranteed to come.
Best track: “Haunting At 1300 McKinley”
R.I.Y.L. The Velvet Underground, The Warlocks, Spacemen 3, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Jefferson Airplane, Primal Scream, The 13th Floor Elevators, Spiritualized’s Amazing Grace
Rating: 7/10
Buy, download, steal or don’t bother: Buy the physical for the awesome artwork.
Sample: “Phosphene Dream”
Website: TheBlackAngels.com
Tags: Richard Gottehrer, Seymour Stein, The Black Angels
Posted in The New Music | No Comments »
Interview: Women
Friday, September 24th, 2010
Calgary’s Women, it seemed, appeared out of thin air with their 2008 self-titled album. Produced by their hometown mate, lo-fi wunderkind Chad VanGaalen, Women’s angular riffs, broken rhythms and atonal melodies brought the best of post-punk and no wave, while demonstrating that recording in a basement using rusty old tape machines and ghettoblasters didn’t always have to sound like it. Released by Flemish Eye in Canada and Jagjaguwar everywhere else, the album immediately resonated with critics and audiences, and eventually found its way on the year-end lists worldwide.
Two years later, Women have returned with an even heartier second album, Public Strain. Once again recorded by Chad, Women have given themselves more breathing room with their arrangements. The band’s love for clashing harmonies with dissonant guitar fits has intensified, but instead of always coalescing for a crest of noise, they can now show a tender side (“Venice Lockjaw) or jam into a motorik reverie (“China Steps”).
On the eve of a North American tour with Liars, guitarist/vocalist Chris Reimer shared some thoughts on the new album, working with Chad and the newest addition to their gear.
When your first album came out there was a lot of confusion and difficult Google searches that came with your name. What have you learned from naming your band Women?
Google is the most important thing to us musicians. When we found out we had angered it we sacrificed our first drummer to try and appease it. It wasn’t enough though, and it is haunting us to this day. The funniest thing I heard was my uncle who said, “So I typed in “women + four men” into a search and, four hours later, I still hadn’t found your band!’
You recorded your debut with Chad VanGaalen on old tape machines and a ghettoblaster. How was making Public Strain different from your first album?
Chad had moved houses, his studio was larger, and more of the album was recorded to just one tape machine with the same microphones. There is some more consistency as far as the sounds go.
What involvement did Chad have with this record?
He worked his ass off trying to get the sounds we were looking for with only the vague references to other bands we gave him. He was also the guy that let us completely record new versions of songs from scratch because we got fickle and decided we wanted to do them in a different way. He is a sweet, tall, kind man, and I totally understand if he never wants to work with us again.
The debut album had a lot of jolting, noisy moments. You’ve kind of given way to more melody with the new album. What brought on this direction?
I think the nature of the songs lent themselves to longer arrangements with more room for sounds to develop. On the first record we didn’t really develop the smaller ideas we had, so things ended up being more brash and immediate.
The album cover for Public Strain is pretty spectacular. Where did that come from?
It is a photograph taken from the archives of Wayne State University in Michigan. One of our original ideas for a cover was an overhead photograph taken of a lake in Michigan sometime in the 1940s but we couldn’t find the copyright. A massive search ensued for something similar, which led us to this photo. I think it works really well with the overall feel of the album; kind of grainy and bleak and not really forthcoming with any actual information.
What can you tell me about this cello-like instrument you have Yuri Landman making for you? Will that compensate for sounds on the album or is it more of something you hope to add to future recordings?
It’s really cool! Even better than I expected when he was describing it. It has two sets of four strings, each with its own individual pickup, and its own floating bridge that creates a different note on either side. It will definitely be making its way into the live show because I am sure we would find a way to destroy a cello if it came on tour. I am positive it will be used on records in the future. That Yuri character is a genius.
Not long ago you recorded a BBC session. Did you ever imagine having that opportunity when you first began Women? What has been the biggest surprise to come since the release of your first album?
I am constantly amazed at the things we get to do and the kind of praise we get for our music. The biggest one for me is meeting other bands that I have looked up to and been listening to for years. I never thought that I would be able to tour with Mogwai, and have the Deerhoof folks tell me how much they like my band. It kind of doesn’t seem real sometimes.
Women tour dates:
Sept. 24 Saskatoon, SK - Amigos
Sept. 25 Winnipeg, MB - Royal Albert
Sept. 29 Toronto, ON - Lee’s Palace - w / Liars
Sept. 30 Montreal, QC - Le National - w/ Liars
Oct. 1 Ottawa, ON - Ritual Nightclub - w / Liars
Oct. 2 Hamilton, ON - This Ain’t Hollywood - w/ Liars
Oct. 3 Guelph, ON - The Cinema
Oct. 29 Victoria, BC - Lucky’s - w/ Manchild
Oct. 30 Vancouver, BC - The Biltmore - w/ Nu Sensae
Nov. 6 Edmonton, AB - The Pawn Shop
Tags: Public Strain, Women
Posted in The New Music, interview | No Comments »
Review: Nobunny - First Blood
Thursday, September 23rd, 2010
Nobunny First Blood [Goner]
Need to know: Justin Champlin is one of the truly deranged characters in the underground punk and garage scenes. As Nobunny, he wears a bunny mask and whatever clothing he can find – dress, panties, tighty-whitey briefs, trash-covered coats – and puts on one hell of a rock’n’roll show. Assuming the identity of his leporid alter ego back in 2001, Champlin has released a number of one-off CD-Rs and singles and eventually got around to releasing his debut album, Love Visions, in 2008. Last year he released a cassette called Raw Romance on Burger Records, as well as a live album recorded at Jack White’s Third Man Records HQ, which was recently released on vinyl by the label. First Blood is his first album on Goner Records.
In a 100 words or so: Nobunny made quite the first impression with Love Visions, an album that fused ‘50s rock, bubblegum pop, glam, dusty garage rock, pop punk and rockabilly with plentifully uncanny hooks and a the unforgettable image of a guy in a rabbit mask performing them. Nobunny’s follow-up is no progressive leap forward, but why would it be? This furry frontman is successful in his crack at making goofy, lo-fi gems that linger like a case of herpes. Making a big-eared, bushy-tailed Frankenstein monster out of his influences, Nobunny’s music is absurd and trashy, brisk and rascally, turning a middle-fingered salute like “(Do The) F**k Yourself” into a bopping anthem for anyone 18 and up. Evoking the likes of Lux Interior, Lou Reed, Chuck Berry, Jay Reatard and Marc Bolan all at the drop of a hat, Nobunny might come off as some kind of gimmicky tribute act, but despite the novelty of his act, First Blood’s greatest strength is just how solid his off the wall songwriting is.
Best track: “Motorhead With Me”
R.I.Y.L. Jay Reatard, Hunx And His Punx, The Black Lips, Ty Segall, Smith Westerns, The Reatards, Box Elders
Rating: 7.5/10
Buy, download, steal or don’t bother: Buy the vinyl. The cover’s worth owning in full size.
Sample: “Ain’t It A Shame”
Website: MySpace.com/Nobunnylovesyou
Tags: First Blood, Goner, Love Visions, Nobunny
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Interview: The Coast
Thursday, September 23rd, 2010
If Toronto had a competition to determine its hardest working bands, The Coast would at least take bronze. At least. (Gold would like go to The Sadies, just because.) In support of their debut full-length, Expatriate, the quartet travelled all over the world, concentrating on North America and Europe until their minds, bodies and souls could no longer function. Of course, it was on home soil (Victoria, BC to be precise) on the first night of their Canadian tour that they were robbed. Luckily the thieves made off with personal possessions and not any of the gear, but the experience as well as many others on the road helped form what became their second album.
Named in honour of our country’s obsession with the monarchical structure, Queen Cities sees The Coast increase the volume, pace and melody of their songs with glowing results. Where Expatriate was a band fine-tuning the melodic, British-tinged pop of their debut EP, Queen Cities finds them furthering their sound to all sorts of new sonic levels. The guitars are cranked up, dirtier and pushed to the forefront and synthesizers have become so integral (see “White Season”) they now require a fifth member to man them.
The day of their official record release show at Toronto’s El Mocambo, singer/guitarist Ben Spurr took some time out to answer a few questions.
What is the significance of the album title, Queen Cities?
The title came about when we were touring across Canada. It’s a strange thing, you notice that every city has streets named after kings and queens, little plaques here and there where Queen Victoria once stood or something like that. Regina, Victoria, Alberta, are all named after royalty. I just found the image of this long-dead queen still presiding over this huge, distant country really compelling for some reason. History really dominates the geography.
I just found it a useful analogy for the way that our own histories preside over us.
I realize this all sounds pretentious. I don’t think I ever thought about it all that much until we started doing press for the record, it’s not a concept record or anything. But you asked the quesiton, and there’s the answer. Ha.
I heard from a mutual friend of ours that this album was going in more of an electronic direction. But it doesn’t take long to realize that you guys really like the guitar on Queen Cities. I expected more synths. What happened?
There are synths on there! We used synths for a lot of stuff, including in a couple of cases using keys where we previously would have used bass guitar. We do like the guitar though. We wanted to make a harder, louder record. Can’t do that with keys.
You did that with the guitars, which are really strapped and muscular. What brought on the decision to turn them up?
My best guess is that we’re getting older and angrier. And we want people to pay attention to us.
Aside from the cranked up guitars, what would you say are the biggest differences between Queen Cities and Expatriate?
I think it’s a much less confessional record. Expatriate was fairly intimate, both lyrically and soundwise. Queen Cities is still personal, but I think less concerned with the particulars of our own lives. The imagery is a bit more abstract.
Which album would you say was more enjoyable to make and why?
It’s tough to say. There were pros and cons on both of them. The second time around we knew our producer Chris Stringer a lot better, which made certain things easier and more enjoyable.
Your guitarist Ian [Fosbery] is now living in New York. How has that affected the band, which is based in Toronto?
Ian never really contributed much so it’s not that big a deal.
I’m completely joking. We used to practice more than any band that I know. We can’t do that anymore, we just go hard whenever he’s in town. Which is still fairly often.
We also do band meetings by Skype now.
The Coast did a ridiculous amount of touring for the last album. What is the plan for this one?
We’re definitely going to be a bit more selective. We love touring, but we nearly killed ourselves last time. We’re hoping to cover a lot of Canada, and at least the East Coast and Midwest of the U.S.
The Coast’s tour dates:
Sept. 23 Toronto, ON - The El Mocambo (CD Release)
Sept. 25 Montreal, QC - Club Lambi
Sept. 30 Guelph, ON - Bookshelf E-bar
Oct. 1 London, ON - Alex P. Keaton
Tags: Queen Cities, The Coast
Posted in The New Music, interview | No Comments »
“Who is Karkwa?”
Tuesday, September 21st, 2010
“Who is Karkwa?”
That head-scratcher of a question was one asked countless times over the months leading up to last night’s Polaris Music Prize gala. [Cue the deep, movie trailer voice…] Now it has been answered.
To call Montreal’s Karkwa a long shot to win the highly coveted Polaris Music Prize –
which crowns the best Canadian album of the year and rewards the artist with a $20,000 oversized cheque – is the biggest understatement of the prize’s five-year history. Even upon the announcement of the 40-artist long list, Karkwa seemed like an obscure choice, and once again when it was narrowed down to the ten-strong short list.
But Karkwa’s obscurity is yet another lesson in just how rich our country’s musical landscape truly is – and how everyone from Ontario to British Columbia continues to overlook it. You see, Karkwa (Stéphane Bergeron, Louis-Jean Cormier, François Lafontaine, Martin Lamontagne and Julien Sagot) are not just critically acclaimed in Quebec, but they’ve also sold records, won multiple awards and embarked on successful tours across the province. Like many Francophone artists, including two-time Polaris nominee Malajube before them, Karkwa have been able to thrive because of the nourishment that Quebec’s rather insular music industry can offer. That they took third place and won $5,000 in 2008’s ECHO Songwriting Prize competition is the evidence needed to expose how little music fans, journalists and execs across Canada actually invest in the Francophone market.
If you strip away the vocals, a debilitating obstacle for most listeners who gave up on French when it was no longer a compulsory subject in school, Karkwa’s Polaris-winning album, Les Chemins De Verre, is the kind of work that resonates with Canadians. Like their Polaris forebear Patrick Watson (another lesser-known whose audience has grown considerably since his win) and occasionally everyone’s favourite alternative band Radiohead, Karkwa’s sound fluctuates between introspective folk and soaring, atmospheric rock – a song like “Le Bon Sens” confirms that they’ve even been listening beyond OK Computer. You’ll like it, trust me.
The Polaris victory, of course, shouldn’t be a surprise, especially considering the amount of higher profiled artists that have been short-listed in the past and failed to take home that giant cheque: Arcade Fire, Feist, Broken Social Scene (twice), K’naan (twice), Metric (twice), The New Pornographers, Joel Plaskett (twice), Stars, and Wolf Parade. Back in July, I interviewed a humble Karkwa, unaware of who they were, and they admitted that winning Polaris would be a challenge. I imagine no one could be more surprised than they were last night.
The selection process by the grand jury is often a heated debate that results in a unanimous decision, with all sorts of criteria to consider, argue and accept. Similar to last year’s triumph by hardcore innovators F**ked Up, Karkwa’s win may be viewed as a political decision by the jury, to reward an unlikely artist (in this case the “Francophone” artist) as some kind of statement. But likely not. The discussions are usually passionate, justified and boil down to the music more than anything. The fact that Karkwa came out on top makes complete sense. Through all of the criticism and suspicious accustations, the 11 people who were given the responsibility of spending time with Les Chemins De Verre decided it was the best record overall.
So, what it all comes down to is deciding which act made the best artistic statement. That is who Karkwa is.
Tags: Karkwa, Polaris Music Prize
Posted in Feature, The New Music | No Comments »
Review: Frankie Rose & The Outs - Frankie Rose & The Outs
Monday, September 20th, 2010
Frankie Rose And The Outs Frankie Rose And The Outs [Slumberland]
Need to know: Brooklyn’s Frankie Rose may not be a household name, but if you’ve heard Crystal Stilts, Vivian Girls or Dum Dum Girls, well, you’re likely at least familiar with her music. Having previously drummed for all three of those bands, Frankie decided it was time to step into a leading role and start her own band. Not long after, the band signed to Slumberland Records, home to a compatible roster of artists like The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Lichtenstein, Brilliant Colors and Neverever, and released their debut 7” last year, Thee Only One.
In a 100 words or so: Frankie Rose’s career arch has left a certain impression, as far as what you could expect from her music. Her three previous bands all had a dusty, throwback sound that was as heavy on the reverb as it was on the melody. And so her band’s self-titled debut is no exception, building on her past exploits with a songwriting scope that is completely her own. As she’s said, “I tried to make this album as hi-fi as possible while sticking to the sounds that I’ve always loved,” and she’s actually right about that. Taking traces from her former band, Rose and The Outs have made a beautiful monster of an album. The melodies soar and crash, the reverb provides the indispensable haze and more than any of her peers, Rose explores a diverse range of influences, touching on ’60s garage (the searing “Memo”), fuzzy minimalism (a cover of Arthur Russell’s “You Can Make Me Feel Bad”), Phil Spector’s wall of sound orchestrations (“Little Brown Haired Girls”) and Slumberland’s signature sleepy indie pop (“Candy”). It’s these tiny idiosyncrasies that make Frankie Rose And The Outs stand out from the rest of the in crowd.
Best track: “Little Brown Haired Girls”
R.I.Y.L. Crystal Stilts, Vivian Girls, Dum Dum Girls, All Saints Day, Tennis, Las Robertas, Aislers Set, Best Coast
Rating: 8/10
Buy, download, steal or don’t bother: Buy the vinyl. The artwork is lovely.
Sample: “Candy” http://vimeo.com/15038170
Website: http://www.myspace.com/saintoftherose
Tags: Frankie Rose, Frankie Rose & The Outs, Slumberland
Posted in Reviews, The New Music | No Comments »
Review: Junip - Fields
Thursday, September 16th, 2010
Junip Fields [Mute]
Need to know: Formed in 1999 by Tobias Winterkorn (keyboards), Elias Araya (drums) and José González (vocals & guitar), Junip are a trio from Gothenburg, Sweden who met in their teenage years. While they bonded over hardcore music, the three decided to take their music in another direction, citing more passive music from the ’60s and ’70s as inspiration. They released a four-song 7” called Straight Lines on a tiny label called Kakafoni, which was co-founded by Josephine Olausson of Love Is All. While González began focusing on some more introspective solo work, Araya took four years to study art in Finland and Norway, while Winterkorn worked part-time as a teacher and building a studio. After González’s debut album, Veneer, was released, it slowly took off and in 2005 became a hit record in the UK and eventually North America. Though they were planning a full-length, Junip ended up releasing an EP called Black Refuge. It wasn’t until González wrapped up his commitments to his second album, In Our Nature, that Junip were able to get back into the studio. Prior to the release of their debut album, Fields, Junip released a second EP this year called Rope & Summit.
In a 100 words or so: If you were mesmerized by either of José González’s solo efforts, Fields should have a similar effect on you. Without taking too much away from Winterkorn and Araya, Junip’s debut album sounds an awful lot like a grand scale González solo album. González is renowned for his exceptional songwriting, tender guitar picking, soothing melodies and warm production, and all of those elements make up the bulk of Fields. But to be fair, Junip also sounds like a full band at work, fleshing out González’s songs and giving them nuances of psychedelia courtesy of Winterhorn’s trickling keyboards and rhythmic enhancements from Araya’s jazz-inflected timekeeping. There are surprises, like the dense “In Every Direction,” which lays the synths on heavy to make it the only song above a whisper, or “Off Point,” the fastest song González has ever put his voice to. Additionally, “Sweet & Bitter” has enough of a dirty, electronic swagger to it that were they shopping the song, Primal Scream would be the most probable bidder. For some, Junip might be too much of a departure from the intimacy that comes with González’s unaccompanied work, and for others it might be not be enough of one. Either way, it’s still the songs and voice of an excellent singer-songwriter, which, thankfully for fans, are the two most significant aspects of Junip’s music as well.
Best track: “Faded the Grain”
R.I.Y.L. José González, Kings of Convenience, Elliott Smith, Midlake, Lake Heartbeat, Nick Drake
Rating: 7.5/10
Buy, download, steal or don’t bother: Buy the 3CD deluxe version, which also includes the Black Refuge and Rope & Summit EPs.
Sample: “Always”
Website: Junip.net
Posted in The New Music | No Comments »
Review: The Walkmen - Lisbon
Wednesday, September 15th, 2010
The Walkmen Lisbon [Fat Possum]
Need to know: The Walkmen were born out of the ashes of Jonathan Fire*Eater (drummer Matt Barrick, guitarist/pianist Paul Maroon and organist/bassist Walter Martin) and The Recoys (vocalist/guitarist Hamilton Leithauser and guitarist Peter Bauer), two up-and-coming bands from DC and Boston, respectively, that failed to live up to their potential. Once formed, the members relocated to New York and built themselves a studio and rehearsal space called Marcata, using leftover funds from JF*E’s deal with Dreamworks. Signing to Startime International, The Walkmen’s first EP arrived in 2001 at the height of the rock’n’roll revolution headed by The Strokes and The White Stripes. Being associated with those bands helped the band build their profile, which received a major boost when they released their debut album, 2002’s Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me Is Gone, the next year. It was the 2004 follow-up, Bows + Arrows (released on Record Collection), however, that elevated The Walkmen into indie rock’s upper echelon. In 2006, they released two albums: A Hundred Miles Off and “Pussy Cats” Starring the Walkmen, a straight remake of Harry Nilsson’s 1974 album Pussy Cats. Neither album made much of an impact, yet The Walkmen bounced back in 2008, signing with Gigantic Records to release their fourth album, You & Me. For their fifth album, Lisbon, the band signed with Fat Possum (Wavves, The Black Keys) and recorded 30 tracks, which they whittled down to 11.
In a 100 words or so: If you look back on The Walkmen’s catalogue, the simplest observation to make is that with Lisbon the New Yorkers are now doing more with less. Unlike the crashing crescendos and frontman Hamilton Leithauser’s that dominated the majority of the first two albums, the band have stripped down their sound to a minimalistic set-up that showcases their songwriting more than even You & Me. The melancholic “Blue As Your Blood” is virtually naked, both in Leithauser’s lyric “I’d give you all my love/But my heart itself is broken” and the perpetual motion brought on by the cyclic guitar line and motorik rhythm. The song is sad and pitiful, but nonetheless a fine example of how this band can keep their composure even when they’re downright heartbroken. But The Walkmen aren’t ready to ditch those thunderous upsurges completely just yet. How could they possibly resist converging for the chorus of a song called “Victory” or not going all surf on “Angela Surf City”? Thankfully they don’t. But this newfound maturity, best fulfilled on the snail-paced, flirtatious interplay of “All My Great Designs” and the dreamy doo-wop harmonies of “Torch Song,” looks good on a band that clearly isn’t afraid to age. When it’s this graceful, why the hell not?
Best track: “Stranded”
R.I.Y.L. The National, French Kicks, White Rabbits, Beach Fossils, The Clientele
Rating: 9/10
Buy, download, steal or don’t bother: Buy the 180 gram gate-fold vinyl.
Sample: “Stranded”
Website: Marcata.net/Walkmen
Tags: Lisbon, The Walkmen
Posted in Reviews, The New Music | No Comments »
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