Monthly Archives: July 2010

2010, live, music, Uncategorized

I'm making you a mixtape (Pitchfork Music Festival 2010 edition) 2/3

Leave a comment

Dear _______,

Considering Friday is just a ‘warm-up’, can you even imagine how excited I am about the rest of the weekend? It’s almost too much to handle sometimes. I wait all year for this weekend and then before I realize, it is over. I just try to stand there and experience every moment for as long as possible, trying to grab the moment inside those moments in a never ending fractal of amazing moments.

I didn’t even mention that I am seeing Liars twice on Friday. They are playing at a place called the Bottom Lounge after they play the festival. It’s non-stop once I get to Chicago and that’s probably the best thing. Remember how I told you about going to see The Twilight Sad at Schuba’s after an entire day of Pitchfork Festival-ing (where they opened up the day) and I fell asleep at a table despite the band being louder than an airplane taking off next to my head. Good times.

Back to what I was saying, Saturday is going to be a great day at the festival. The first band that I am going to catch is Real Estate. I bought their album several months ago and really love it. They are from New York, but when I first heard them I would have put money on that they are from the West Coast. They have this chilled out, surfer vibe to their tunes. Recorded kind of low-fi, kinda jamm-y, subdued and awash in reverb (as is the trend these days it seems). I think my favorite track off of their self-titled (only) release is “Beach Comber“. That’s the opening track from their album. I don’t think there is a bad song on it. The track that opens the 2nd side is another fave of mine too.

Let’s see, after Real Estate the next band that I am going to make a point to see is Titus Andronicus. They opened the festival 2 years ago, which means that they got to play a shorter set while people begin to trickle into the park. I remember it was starting to rain, and I remember that they played as if there was no tomorrow. I’m actually going to see them in Buffalo today, in a rather tiny room. That should prove interesting. To be honest though I don’t have any of their albums. I only am going by the fact that they were worth remembering from a few years ago and apparently are doing pretty well with their latest full length release. If a band can make that much noise and uses 3 guitarists, bassist and drummer to do it, then I am pretty much going to be interested (unless they are The Eagles or Collective Soul or something, then I’d only be interested in them stopping.). Let’s see, I guess I’ll have to just pick a track from random that I find online somewhere. How about this, it’s a video from Pitchfork’s A>D>D series.

It’s best to see/hear/experience them live. I’ll figure out a way to burn a song of theirs to CD for you though.

I’ve heard people saying that they like the Smith Westerns, so I’m sure that my brother and I will make our way over to their set. I have nothing to go on for them. I think they are from Chicago. I found this song,  “Tonight“, online. Sounds good to me. Noisy and jangly, just the way I like my guitars to sound. So much noise and guitars that you can barely make out the fact that there is even a singer in the room with them. Lo-fi. Maybe this is representative of them, maybe it isn’t, but it’s going to be fun finding out.

I’m not necessarily excited about The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. I remember that they had a song on the radio when I was in high school but I definitely have not been keeping up with everything that Jon Spencer has been up to. I’m pretty sure he has more than a few projects going on at once. At some point my brain decided to store his memory in the same place as The White Stripes. So maybe there is some logic to that. You know that I can’t figure out what my brain is doing half the time, and I know how entertaining that is for you so let’s just leave it at that. Maybe I’ll catch their set, or maybe I’ll head down to where the food is and eat. I’m sure, just like the past 4 years, I’ll make some comment about the Cevapcici booth. I’ll stay away though, because I’m a vegetarian, but you knew that already. Back to the music, because I don’t want this to devolve, like so many of our conversations, into the topic of my eating habits (or lack thereof). Yes, I’ll eat while I’m there. There might not be a lot of time to eat, but I will eat.

Wolf Parade is playing Saturday too. One of the few bands remaining with “Wolf” as part of their name. I can’t keep them straight anymore. I know they aren’t like Wolfmother, or AIDS Wolf. Is there a band called Wolf Eyes, or am I getting them confused with Frog Eyes? Well if there isn’t, then there should be. Oh, I’m remembering now, yeah, Spencer Krug of Sunset Rubdown is the lead dude in Wolf Parade (who was also at one time in Frog Eyes). This is made so much more confusing with the animal+something(usually eyes) formula. Anyway, Wolf Parade sounds like Frog Eyes and they are “ok”. Maybe a little too jittery with super cryptic lyrics and long song titles that probably only make sense to Spencer, but you know, to each his own. This track is “I’ll Believe in Anything.” I can picture you cringing right now. I know, it’s alright.

Panda Bear, from Animal Collective is playing too. He’s got a solo project that is going to be released very soon. Two tracks have been leaked and the blogs are all over it. Everyone is super excited. I guess the tracks are ok. It doesn’t really grab me though. Not too fond of seeing this kind of music played at a large festival though. It’s hard to make a connection with a guy that is a mile away, standing at a table, unless he’s doing something like what Girl Talk does. His new album is called Tomboy. The title track was one of the ones that was leaked.

Finishing up the night is LCD Soundsystem. This dude hasn’t put out an album in just about forever. He had a relatively huge, ‘memeable’ hit with “Daft Punk is Playing at My House“, which is the one I am putting on your mix CD, because I feel like most of the rest of his stuff is pretty forgettable. His new album didn’t really impress many people I don’t think. I haven’t made it a point to hear it, but nobody close to me is very into it so my excitement level is pretty low. I’m sure that his set is going to be exciting and dancy. Maybe as dancy as !!!’s set from a few years back and I know that you like them because I burned that CD for you (it only took me just over a year to remember to do so, but I DID….) and you love them. The lead dude from LCD soundsystem is one of the main guys up at DFA records, which, prior to September 11, 2001, was known as Death From Above Records. They specialize in that sort of indie dance punk funk thing that’s going on.

So Saturday will be quite a packed day, but wait until I tell you about Sunday. You may not hear from me again because I may die after Sunday. If I did, I feel like that would be perfectly acceptable. Remember the text that I sent you when Pavement announced that they were reuniting? Well, that excitement is going to come to a head on Sunday night. No matter how exhausted I am I’m sure I will have the energy to jump around and yell along to their entire set.

Talk to you soon,

Adam

2010, live, music, personal, Uncategorized

I'm making you a mixtape (Pitchfork Music Festival 2010 edition) 1/3

1 Comment

Dear _______,

I know that you always think I’m such a snob with my music tastes, but at the same time I know that you think it is entertaining when I am able to spout off random facts about all these bands that you have never heard of. I revel in my pretentiousness, my “hipsterdom” and you sit there and listen patiently. Sometimes I feel really bad, like I’m dominating the conversation, and it’s mostly just because I like to hear myself talk. Well, I’m going to be away for a week baking in the Chicago sun while standing in Union Park getting my yearly does of music festival.

Over the years I have seen and heard so many bands and even continue to follow many of them. Some are, deservedly, long forgotten (Fuck Buttons) and some I wish I could go back in time to see again because I only realized how epic and amazing your set must have been, playing all of my favorite songs that only became my favorites months later (The Futureheads). This is what I am looking forward too this year, probably the most anticipated of my Pitchfork festival outings since its inception in 2006.

Friday, July 16:

I’m definitely excited to catch Liars…again….and again. I’m sure I told you about the first time that I saw them, at Pitchfork 2006. They immediately became the standout band from that years festival. The shear energy alone was enough to make me stop caring that my brains were being fried like an egg inside my head in the direct sun and 95ºF heat.

Well, they are returning this year. Since 2006 there has been a day added, Friday, that is shorter. A warm up that used to be in conjuncture with All Tomorrow’s Parties (remember when I kept going on and on about seeing Sonic Youth performing Daydream Nation in its entirety?) well, that was ATP. Anyway. Friday isn’t in conjuncture with anything but Pitchfork these days and Liars is playing at 5:30, and on the same stage I saw them on in 2006 (I know you find it amusing that I remember details like that. Well, thank god for mental illness [which is the name of an album by a band called Brian Jonestown Massacre, who isn’t playing..] mine being OCD) anyway. Liars new album is called “Sisterworld” and I’m including the track “Scarecrows On A Killer Slant“. It pretty much captures in a song what Liars are like.

They added a comedy line-up to the 3rd stage on Friday, which is usually vacant, so good on Pitchfork for figuring out a way to utilize this space. I feel like they are copying Bonnaroo with this idea though. That’s a much, much larger festival. Maybe people will be over there for part of the afternoon. I might even stop over and catch Wyatt Cenac while Robyn is performing, because I have no idea who Robyn is. Might just walk around, but then at 7:20 Broken Social Scene is taking the stage and I know that I need to see that.

They were pretty much the first band that I got into back in 2006 when I started listening to actual good music, thanks to a friend that sent me gigs upon gigs of music. That reminds me that the first song of theirs that I ever heard was “7/4 Shoreline”. Watching this video brings back so many memories.

That’s Feist singing that tune, not that you’d be able to mistake that voice for anyone else. She’s in the band, but not really, I mean sometimes she shows up, but the band is pretty much made up of about 48 people with successful solo careers so who knows who is going to show up for gigs. Maybe she’ll be there. That’d be great, considering I haven’t heard much from here lately. They have a new album out and it has been a while since that has happened. Their new one is called “Forgiveness Rock Record” and it has been getting some great press and favorable reviews. That reminds me, I need to buy that album.

After them, I suppose you could consider the ‘headliner’ on Friday to be Modest Mouse. I know you know Modest Mouse. They have gone from one of those super indie-hipster-only bands to fairly mainstream. But I think they have managed to keep themselves positioned much like the Flaming Lips, with one foot firmly planted in each realm. From what I have heard their music is just as good, and true to form, over the years. They seem to evolve without selling out, but have become much more popular. Long story not short: Good for them. I like them. I always liked this track, “Black Cadillacs“, from their album “Good News for People Who Love Bad News”. It’s not their best album, according to their fans, but they have so much material that you can check out. That song just holds some nostalgic value for me, so that is why I picked it.

Wow, this is getting wordy. I’m going to have to break it up into a couple posts. You wouldn’t mind reading a post for every day of the festival would you? I mean, it doesn’t take that long to read, does it? Considering that the next 2 days of the festival are full days, it’s going to take considerably longer to go on and on about each of the bands that I want to see.

Check back soon,

Adam

2010, albums, groovemine, music, reviews

Tokyo Police Club – "Champ"

2 Comments

Updated July 28, 2010 with exclusive content from BaebleMusic.com. Scroll to bottom!

June 8, 2010 saw the release of the 2nd full-length album by Toronto area band Tokyo Police Club. “Champ” is a big step forward in terms of songwriting and dynamics. The album showcases a band that is able to increase the complexity of their compositions while still holding on to the energy and excitement that one would expect from a first release.

Right from the opening track a theme of growing up and reminiscing takes shape, being set up with the lyric “…because you know it’s sweet gettin’ old”. The theme is not one of longing for the past and hoping for its return, but of looking back on good times and knowing that things aren’t going to be the same, but that doesn’t mean that they are over. This is taken further with the song “Gone”, the lyrics of which explore areas of uncertainty: “I don’t know what I want/I don’t know what to think before the curtain’s drawn/I don’t know about you/Tell me something that I’m supposed to do.” This is an album by a band that is aware of their growth and is simultaneously excited and worried about it. That thread serves them well, creating a cohesion among the songs represented lyrically and musically.

Tokyo Police Club

The band truly shows their ability to stretch out, sonically, all the while making room for each other. There are contrapuntal elements at work in many of the songs, where 3 or 4 different layers are weaving in and out without covering up the original idea. It is clear that they are working with complex ideas, but the great thing is that they manage to make it sound loose and free. The songs never fall into the mechanical lock-step that is typical of so many bands with a similar approach.  The structures are tight throughout and there was obviously a lot of thought put into the way the album works as a whole with respect to song sequence. This is most evident with the one-two punch that is “Breakneck Speed” followed by “Wait Up (Boots of Danger)”, which comes across sounding like a coda, in the same key but sped-up. The most subdued track, “Hands Reversed”, appearing a little more than halfway through the album, serves as a reset point. The song features clean, delicately plucked guitar and an unobtrusive bass with a wash of cymbals in the back. One can really sense the push and pull at work in this song. They know exactly where to back off and where to really ramp it up a few notches without it ever becoming overbearing or predictable. The album continues to build with the tune “Gone”, a fun and upbeat track that is only missing some steel drums to complete the beach scene that it would fit into perfectly.

Tokyo Police Club's latest, "Champ"

The varied nature of the songs does not take away from the cohesion of the album. Urgent rockers like “Wait Up” and the jangly, angular “Favourite Colour” are contrasted by the glitchy synth-pop of “Bambi” and the bouncy “Gone”. The straight forward drive of “Big Difference” and album closer “Frankenstein” are balanced by the shuffle time “Not Sick” and the guitar-up-front classic rock influenced “End of a Spark”, a track that has single written all over it. There is great potential for any of these songs to encourage loud singing along at concerts.

The band seems to want to fill stadiums with their sound, playing with balance throughout. Rarely is the entire band playing “full-on”. They sidestep overdoing it with careful arrangements that make the songs quite dynamic. There needs to be room to have a song build and grow in order for it to achieve any sort of lasting excitement. This always ends up as more rewarding to the listener, and less tiring for the band. Guitarist Josh Hook’s atmospherics have a great way of lifting the songs up, while keyboardist Graham Wright lays a steady foundation with bassist and singer Dave Monks. The soaring vocals and emotional lyrics really have the listener taking a ride throughout many of the songs. The end of “Frankenstein” builds layer upon layer of distorted, slap-back delayed guitar and synth while Monks proclaims “it’s good to be back, it’s good to be back” and one can truly appreciate the time and thought put into the production of this album and the growth that took place in order to make it possible.

Watch the entire concert at Baeblemusic.com.

2010, albums, music, news

2010 releases I'm looking forward to

1 Comment

I was recently asked what I have been listening to lately and what releases I was looking forward to. I realized then that most of the things that I am currently listening to came out months ago (some things even longer than that). Not that this is necessarily a bad thing. I tend to buy albums and then get so immersed in them for some time without realizing that the world still turns regardless and other albums are being released week after week.

At the beginning of 2010 I decided that, despite not having much money, I was going to purchase at least one new album per month. I think I was sticking with it for a while, but now I realize that I have quite a bit to look forward to from some old favorites and a few newcomers.

Hurricane Bells, the new project from Longwave frontman Steve Schiltz, is releasing an EP in the next few months. I already have the finished version and it is great. If you are unfamiliar with the full length album that was released late last year you can stream it in its entirety from their website. Unfortunately it is not available on vinyl, but I would highly recommend the CD. Not a bad track on there. The opener blows me away every single time that I listen to it and the videos that have been made are just perfect. Check out the videos for “Freezing Rain“, “The Winters In New York“, and the video for “This Year” has an intense effect on me every time. Keep an eye out for their forthcoming EP “Down Comes the Rain” on September 7th. Hopefully a tour to follow.

Hurricane Bells

The Spinto Band are preparing for a tour currently and have a new album ready to come out. Back in 2006 I was listening to their first album “Nice and Nicely Done” incessantly. Every song is just so damn catchy, especially the song that I first heard, which got me hooked, “Oh Mandy“, their ode to a mandolin. It seems that since this album came out they have grown in popularity, based on the simple fact that when I was first listening to them I couldn’t hardly find any information anywhere on them, or any fan videos on youtube and now there seems to be an abundance. They have been updating their youtube channel with 30 second snippets of the recording process showing not much actual work getting done, but still a lot of fun to see that they will soon be churning out what I know will be another album full of indie-pop gems. I still can’t believe that any band comes from Delaware, or that anything at all if from Deleware, but they are, and they are great. The new album will be out soon, hopefully. Check out the band on tour.

Buke and Gass is a 2 person collaboration that I discovered when they were interviewed on NPR. They make their own instruments and play a kind of music that is urgent, aggressive, experimental and above all else, very unique. Until now they have only released a 7 song EP, but a full-length album is on its way. According to the band it will be out “later in 2010”, so that must mean soon. You can listen to tracks from their EP, as well as purchase it here. Check out a track from their upcoming full-length album, “Medulla Oblongata“.

I am most looking forward to of Montreal’s “False Priest” that is currently available for pre-order over at Polyvinyl. I have been amazed at Kevin Barnes’ songwriting ever since hearing the “Icons Abstract Thee” EP in 2007. Seeing the band live blew me away. Their last album “Skeletal Lamping” took some time to grow on me, but I have discovered some really great tracks (or as the case with that album great parts of tracks, the way some songs have other songs tucked inside). Judging by the first track that they have released “Coquet Coquette” this is going to be more of the same, freaked out, funky weirdness and perfectly produced poppy tunes that we have come to expect from of Montreal. I need to find $20 so I can pre-order the limited edition red vinyl immediately.

of Montreal

I heard a track by Best Coast several months ago on a podcast that was giving a preview of SxSW. The track was “When I’m With You” and I fell in love with it instantly. Enough echo to make Phil Spector jealous, and layer upon layer of sloppy, jangly guitars. The song is catchy as hell, and the other tracks that I have heard are as well. The debut album will be out on July 27. I’m going to catch them in a few weeks at the Pitchfork Music Festival, which I’m assuming will be great.

Lastly, I’m crossing my fingers that the new Interpol album is amazing. It is also due out in September. I have been a fan of everything that they have put out so far, which flies in the face of every review of every album beyond “Turn Up the Bright Lights”. Yes, there are a few tracks that I’m not a fan of on “Antics”, but I thought that “Our Love to Admire” was great. That album was in such heavy rotation in my car that it simply lived in there for 2 years or so. The video for the first single of the new, self-titled album, is kind of freaky, overdone, overwrought and, well, I suppose good just to bring them some attention. I know I’ll end up buying this album and loving it. It’s just a matter of if I tell people that I love it or not.

That brings me up to date on the rest of the year in music. I’m sure I’m missing some, but I’m sure I’ll be back later to post about it at some point.