2010, live, music, reviews

Pitchfork Music Festival, Day 2 (July 17, 2010)

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Saturday was the first full day of the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago. All three stages are dedicated to music, all day. In case you are unfamiliar here is a very brief overview: Main stages (A and C stages) alternate with hour long sets. As one band plays on the A stage another is setting up on the C stage, so all one has to do is walk, or simply turn 90º and see continuous music on the main stages. The B stage, however, runs more or less independently and is across the park. If you want to hang out at the B stage all day you have to wait through set-ups and tear downs, and the set times overlap with those of the main stages. So, basically, you are able to see continuous music all day long no matter what you do. The park is large enough where there isn’t too much sound interfering from mainstages to B stage, and small enough where you can walk from one end to the other in a matter of minutes.

The first band I caught, Free Energy seemed quite excited to be playing to such a large crowd. The park was crowded right from the get-go on Saturday, which is good to see. Their music reminded me more than a little of J. Geils Band from the 70’s. Not necessarily saying that that is a bad thing, but it isn’t really the kind of thing that I would go out of my way to see. Their classic rock influences are proudly worn on their sleeves with their rockstar posturing, big arena rock sound and gratuitous guitar solos (some taken right at the front of the stage, guitar pointed towards the sky as if offering up alms to the ever present God of Rock ‘n Roll). Their music has some hints of decency, but it also seems like they ran out of ideas pretty quickly.

Real Estate was one of the bands that I was really looking forward to hearing at the festival. It was great to hear them play new tunes (I counted 3), one of which featured the other guitarist as vocalist. What was also promising is that the songs that they played from the record had extended sections worked out a bit more, some noticeable tempo changes and some parts added. The fact that the band is not content to just leave the songs as they are bodes well. They have taken the time to evaluate their work and are changing things, bringing the songs through a process of evolution. They are making the old (even though it really isn’t that old at all) new again. Their mix was good, everything came through and the band is very balanced in general. The new songs sound a bit more focused and less jammy than the tunes on the first album. They were an early highlight of the day. Their songs work well in a large outdoor setting, especially with the bright early afternoon sun blazing down on us. Their music is so relaxed and uplifting in a way that the setting just made them all the better. Meanwhile over at the B stage Kurt Vile was getting ready to bring his psychedelic garage rock to life. I have heard a lot about him before seeing him at this festival, but have never actually heard any of his music. That being said, this was one of the acts that I was ready to have impress me. Every year I try to catch as many bands as possible that I know absolutely nothing about. This year was a little bit leaning in the other direction because I

Kurt Vile at the Pitchfork Music Festival 2010
Kurt Vile photo by Kirstie Shanley

am so familiar with so many of the bands that there were only a few that I would be able to catch for the very first time. His band featured a harpist on stage left, in lieu of a bassist. Her sound brought a certain depth to the music. The percussive attack from the harp would percolate through the flanged, delayed layer of guitars that were washing over the vocals. At times the harp seemed to act as a piano, other times it would break through with intricate little lead lines that really brought some focus to some of the noise all around. All in all his set was pretty good, and I’m glad I caught it.

Now for the real action. Titus Andronicus. Holy shit. They brought it, and they brought it hard. Right up front I’m going to say that this was quite easily the highlight of the day for me. Their performance was spectacular, and this was the 3rd time that I have seen them. The first time was at the Pitchfork Music Festival in 2008, where they opened up Saturday, in the rain and I don’t think very many people were familiar with them at all. I certainly was not. The 2nd time I saw them was only 3 days before this most recent performance, but in a small room in Buffalo. That gig in Buffalo familiarized me with their songs a bit more, and they have recently released a new album. When they took to the main stage the crowd was so large that I couldn’t force my way any closer than the sound booth, about halfway back. It was good to see them from there though because I could see the crowd bouncing with the music, shouting along, pumping their fists and making the whole set like a huge celebration. The band was running around giving it all they got. Patrick, the leader of the group, jumped into the crowd while continuing to sing his powerfully emotional and heartfelt songs to an audience that was supporting him in every sense of the word.

His lyrics really spoke to me, and I think to the whole audience. They came off as pieces of advice from the trenches that he was translating to us because he has been there. “You will always be a loser” in his hands is not a defeatist saying. Instead it is a rallying cry. “Your life is over” is said as if not speaking directly to us but through him to others that have given up fighting. He is warning through experience. My personal favorite though is, “But when they see the person that you really are, you won’t be laughing so hard.” It’s not all toughness and struggle though, there are also feelings of vulnerability and honest desperation when he repeats “Please don’t ever leave”. This is hardcore music with truly no fear at all. It must be frightening to bring that kind of honesty and strength to the stage every day. It is all well worth it though, because the connection that was made with the 10 – 12,000 people that were there will not soon go away. Helping the band out through a few songs were members from Boston’s Hallelujah the Hills bringing a trumpet, cello and extra set of hands for keyboards and guitars which really helped their set truly reach new heights. Local Chicago band of extraordinarily young kids, Smith Westerns played the B stage. They have some really good tunes. Basically what you have here is really young kids playing well crafted rock tunes that sound like they are influenced by old 60’s albums and a touch of garage rock. They were catchy enough, though I feel as though the singer really needs time to develop his voice a bit, but he is still young, so it isn’t truly a concern. He is relying too much on his falsetto and that kind of wears on one after a while. Uniqueness bonus for the lead singer playing a left-handed guitar right-handed, perhaps a backwards nod to Hendrix?

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. Gritty. Loud. Raw. Epic voice. This is what Jack White wants to be when he grows up. It was good to see a truly veteran performer up on the stage. His confidence showed through his ability to jam on a song for 10 or more minutes of bluesed up abandon. He never lets his guitar prowess put too much of a shine on the dirtiness of the sound. Great balance of raw improv and solid structure.

Back on the B stage WHY? gave us their interesting mix of eclectic influences ranging from prog rock shiftiness to straight up old school rap. The singer’s nasal vocal style is reminiscent of John Linnell of They Might Be Giants. This was the first act of the festival that is truly hard to define in simple terms. Artful arrangements with xylophone, sometimes sparse drums, sometimes aggressive guitar and a declamatory vocal delivery with a fine tuned focus on rhythm with deeply personal lyrics. Really good sound, and interesting. I’d file this under “need to investigate further”. Another surprising discovery for myself at the festival.

Wolf Parade‘s nervous and jittery set of energetic tunes were already blaring from the main stage as we arrived. The crowd had swelled considerably. My best guess is that people were jockeying for position for Panda Bear, who was closing out one of the main stages. The lead singer has quite a recognizable voice. The songs were mostly straight ahead and rocking and ranging from guitar driven to synth-centric, though some did wander in the territory of what I would consider “angular”, bringing attention to their quirkiness.

Panda Bear. Everyone was excited for Panda Bear. After his set everyone seemed to be wondering, “Why was I excited for Panda Bear?”. Yes, of course, he is a member of Animal Collective. That in and of itself doesn’t mean that his set is going to be good. His set got off to a slow start and once it did there were no breaks. If you are into standing in a large crowd to watch a guy stand at a keyboard with a guitar play excruciatingly long and drawn out songs that are mostly developmental headphone music then maybe you would have enjoyed this set. I don’t feel that this kind of music works for this venue. There is really nothing to latch onto. The energy, whatever energy there is, doesn’t really translate very well. There was no chance for the audience to really digest the songs or to even figure out what was happening. Total dud of a performance.

The headliner of the night was LCD Soundsystem who really has a way of making songs that are over 10 minutes long that simply repeat the same groove over and over again into

a constantly growing mammoth tune in spite of itself. As opposed to Panda Bear, this music was EXACTLY the kind of music that plays well at this type of venue. LCD Soundsytem turned the entire Pitchfork crowd into one huge dance party. A conga line was formed that snaked through the crowd. Glo-sticks flew through the air, people sang along and everyone danced. They danced with strangers, they danced by themselves, they smiled, they moved. Everything was great for that 45 minutes. It was a great way to end a night. This was the one night that we didn’t catch a show after the festival.

Two days down and one day to go.

2010, live, music, reviews

Shows in Brief: The Bottom Lounge, Chicago (July 16, 2010)

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After a full day of festival-ing at Pitchfork we walked down the street a few block to the Bottom Lounge to catch a show by Liars (who had already played an awesome set earlier in the day). Opening was Chicago based dark-prog-metal band Follows and sound artist John Wiese.

When we walked in Follows was already on the stage. If you are familiar at all with the work of “Enter” era Russian Circles you can begin to understand the heaviness of Follows as the bassist is formerly of the Chicago post-metal band. They are almost devastatingly heavy, made all the more so by their extended compositions that seem to build continually louder and become more imposing as the minutes tick by. The songs feature quiet, understated vocals by their female lead singer/guitarist that exist over the top of a roaring crescendo of bass, guitars and drums. Many of the songs featured asymmetrical meter and odd phrase lengths, hence my “prog” designation. Check out their songs on myspace.

Chicago band Follows
Follows

John Wiese took a little longer to set up than I feel they were planning on. Alone on stage with just a laptop and some assorted electronics he performed, or possibly composed on the spot, music that was consisting mostly of manipulated sounds. I guess the best description I could come up with is “sound sculpture”. An interesting juxtaposition coming from a band like Follows and preceding a band like Liars. His set consisted of a non-stop ebb and flow of sounds for about 25 minutes. Take a listen here.

John Wiese

Liars took to the stage shortly thereafter in much the same way they did for their set at Pitchfork earlier in the day, with everyone in the band except for Angus coming out and beginning a song. This makes them seem like even more of a “rock band” than they really are. Their set consisted of the same material from earlier in the day plus a few other songs. They still tended towards the more guitar driven tunes but during their encore they did play as the classic trio. Though I do miss the days of Angus Andrew flailing around with a guitar around his neck and him seeming to struggle to break free, their band is really tight now. The noise is much more like a controlled burn rather than the out of control forest fire that used to be their live show.

They really seemed more energetic, oddly, at this point in the night. Their set was loud, wild and felt far too short. The addition of a bassist really makes a big difference in their overall sound, especially considering that he would spend most of songs strumming the bass as if it was a rhythm guitar. There was a low end rumble that was noisy, but still providing the foundation that one would expect from a bass guitar.  I would have been happy to stand there all night.

Liars Liars Liars
Liars
2010, live, music, reviews

Pitchfork Music Festival, Day 1 (Friday, July 16, 2010)

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Friday, July 16, 2010 was the first day of the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago. The festival is growing year after year from it’s 2 full day beginnings in 2006, to their collaboration with All Tomorrow’s Parties in 2007-2008 that saw bands invited to play their classic albums in their entirety (including Sonic Youth, my personal favorite, playing all of Daydream Nation for the first time on American soil).

Now the festival has grown to 2 and 3/4 days of music, and for some reason comedy (a failure that hopefully won’t happen again), and art. I always try to see as many bands as possible and this year I actually brought a notebook so that I don’t have to attempt to do it from memory. This was my friday:

Sharon Van Etten- The very first musician of the festival. She came out with only a guitar, which I think is a very daring thing to do, but she was fantastic. No effects on her guitar, just a clean tone. Her songs have these really honest and heartfelt lyrics that don’t hold anything back, and don’t hide anything. Heartbreak, loneliness and trying to pick up and start again after failed relationships seems to be the main themes.

During her set, towards the end, she broke a string on her guitar and after managing to make it through one more song she was joined on stage by a roadie that handed her a new guitar to finish her set, to which she excitedly announced to the crowd, “Modest Mouse just let me borrow their guitar!”. It was a beautiful black Gibson hollowbody with gold trim. That was the end of her set. Unfortunately the first two sets of the afternoon are only a half an hour long. I would have gladly listened to Sharon Van Etten’s music all night.

Photo by Kirstie Shanley (All rights reserved)
Marie-Claire (left), of Speck Mountain and Sharon Van Etten (right) Photo by Kirstie Shanley

We decided to skip out on The Tallest Man on Earth to check out the Flatstock Poster Convention. It’s a great showing of many artists that design show posters. Every year I make it a point to stop at the Bird Machine tent because Jay Ryan always does the official Pitchfork Music Festival poster.

From what I did catch of the Tallest Man on Earth set I gathered that it was another singer songwriter, solo, on acoustic guitar. I don’t really feel like I caught enough of the set to make a good judgment on what his music is really like though.

Next up was El-P. I can’t say enough bad things about this performance. The first thing that I have written down in my notebook is “fucking bullshit garbage rap”. This isn’t to say that I hate all rap. That is not the case. I really hate when Pitchfork puts really shitty rap on their festivals, it ruins the whole flow of the festival. GZA did well a few years back, Public Enemy blew the roof of the place a few years after that, but this was just awful. It was mostly pre-recorded. There was no melody, no harmony, seemingly no focus on song structure. It seems that their entire set was spent just trying to get us to “put [our] motherfuckin’ hand in the air”. Why is it that this act gets an hour when Sharon Van Etten only got half that?

After that, which was too loud to avoid, it was time for Liars. Last time I saw Liars they had just finished “Drum’s Not Dead”, album oriented psychedelic (in a sense) concept post-rock. Their set was focused more on long form tunes that seemed improvised to a great degree. This time around they are a roaring tight aggressive and polished band playing more “traditional” (it’s funny to even say that in reference to Liars) rock. They have added 2 members to their touring band, up to 5 from the trio that they previously toured with, adding a guitarist and bassist.

The sun was blinding me during their set. It was good to hear new arrangements of old songs from previous albums due to their new touring lineup. There was more of a guitar focus than the tribal, perpetual drumming of their performance at the same festival in 2006. The set was mostly up-tempo noisy rockers, and the band touched upon each release in their output so far. It was definitely great to hear songs from “They Threw Us All in a Trench and Stuck a Monument on Top”.  Highlights also included “No Barrier Fun” and “Scissor” as well lead singer Angus Andrew’s stage antics including reminding festival goers to stay hydrated by visiting the water stations, including the one located “in [his] pants, so feel free to hop up on stage and have a go.” Their set was the most energetic of the day (and we went to see them after the festival later that night, down the street at the Bottom Lounge)

Broken Social Scene played a set of new songs from their current album “Forgiveness Rock Record” and classics from their catalog on stage with several musicians from Chicago, including string players and the drummer from Tortoise. I suppose they just aren’t comfortable on stage unless there are at least 15 of them up there. The songs were ok, the new ones came off well, but it just seems to me like there are too many cooks in the kitchen. How can you make that music sonic space for that many people up on stage? They seem to want to make this epic statement every time they take the stage. I think that they really need to allow the songs to speak for themselves. If the songs don’t hold up live then the best thing to do would be to change the songs, not continually add more layers on top of things.

I was happy that they played “7/4 (Shoreline)” which is one of my favorites, as well as “Windsurfing Nation”, but the singer that they brought with them had a very breathy voice with no projection and even less stage presence. I just didn’t connect with the set as much as I was hoping to.

The final set of the night was brought to us by the biggest (commercially speaking) act of the festival Modest Mouse. They also had a fairly large band with them, with a few extra members, one of them a multi-instrumentalist. They also played a wide swath of material from old favorites to new tunes, but noticeably avoided playing “Float On”, which I actually feel good about, even though I kind of wanted to hear it. I like when bands seem to know what their “big hit” is, but avoid it. In essence they are saying “we have many many other songs that are equally as good, or maybe better. Perhaps you should familiarize yourself with them, right now. If you want to hear Float On, go home and throw it on the turntable”.

Lead singer, and all around lead-dude Isaac Brock came off simultaneously  insane and focused and in control. He had a crazed look in his eye for most of the set and played the guitar and banjo like he was attacking them or punishing them for something. At one point between songs a glo-stick made its way onto the stage. Brock thought it would be a good idea to bite into it and make his mouth glow. It was not a good idea. He told us immediately that he discovered this was a bad idea, but when he spit it out his spit glowed.

I felt as though the set was pretty polished with a few rough edges. It wasn’t absolutely pristine, which is a good thing. They did a 2 song encore after sort of abruptly leaving the stage the first time.

After that we headed down the street to the Bottom Lounge to catch Liars. That review will be coming soon. It will also be a much shorter review. Next up, the 2 full days of the Festival.

2010, live, music, reviews

Shows in brief: July 15, 2010 at The Empty Bottle in Chicago

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Managed to catch 3 bands at The Empty Bottle last night, in Chicago. The triple bill featured The Midwest Beat, John Paul Keith & The One Four Fives and headliner Jack Oblivian & The Tennessee Tearjerkers.

First up was The Midwest Beat from Wisconsin. I immediately liked them. Two guitars, bass and drums with singing duties shared by the bassist and one of the guitarists. There was some tight harmony singing supporting the lead vocal, but I feel that they could have used even a bit more to strengthen their sound. The band was very energetic with all tunes in the set very up tempo garage rock-ish songs with a sort of mid 60s vibe to them. Very tuneful and fun without a lot of effects or solos. Stripped down rock with nowhere to hide. Not too much distortion or flashiness. The two guitarists balance each other out very well. They were tight with good sound and a few interesting changes as well. Check out “Get It Started“

The Midwest Beat

Next up was John Paul Keith & The One Four Fives, from Tennessee. They are a 3 piece, straight up, uninteresting, unoriginal and very derivative blues based rock band. Perfect for your local watering hole. They play very well and John Paul Keith knows all the riffs and licks that one would expect from a country/blues guitarist. Their name is very fitting as they are not really a band that one would look to to be doing anything interesting from a harmonic standpoint. Just the basics. I-IV-V. Some songs featured the hackneyed shuffle drumbeat with steady bass dominant to tonic motion with finger picked telecaster through a Fender Twin reverb amp. Exactly the sound one would expect from this kind of band. With each song that was played I feel as though I am totally justified in wondering to myself if it was a cover tune or not. Personally I wish that this kind of blues/roots rock would just go away, never to return. The set was made all the better when he called out from the stage, “Who here is from out of town…for the Pitchfork Festival?” to which I slowly raised my hand (the only one). His reply: “I’m sure you really love this country music”. He’s right, I didn’t like that country music, but it’s not because I don’t have a varied taste, and I’m not the typical hipster. It’s because hist style is boring and hackneyed and standing in direct opposition to pushing an artform forward.

John Paul Keith

Headliners Jack Oblivian & The Tennessee Tearjerkers were up next. It’s kind of a stretch to say that this was a completely new act as it was simply John Paul Keith and co. plus Jack Oblivian (and it drives me crazy that he chooses to spell it ‘oblivian’. I hope that is really his last name).

I did like this act better than the One Four Fives. Much less of a focus on country and blues based influences and steering directly towards more rock-based music. I feel as though John Paul Keith was equally comfortable playing more straight ahead rock material and his solos were somewhat more aggressive this time out, sharing duties with Oblivian, whose main axe was a nicely weather-beaten Jazzmaster with a much dirtier tone than was present up to that point in the night. The songs worked well, and I do appreciate a little bit of a harder edge, but the songs were still quite derivative. Nothing too unlike things that you would hear at any number of bars in any number of cities at any time of the year. His not funny jokes about worshipping Satan and Lady Gaga didn’t come off as funny, but rather awkward and his repeated proclamations to not knowing what Pitchfork even was did not endear me to him very much. Instead it made him feel even more old and out of touch, playing a music that was slightly….old and out of touch. Neil Young he is not.

Jack Oblivian

All in all I am glad that I got to experience the music of The Midwest Beat. I would say definitely check them out if they come to your town. But, make sure you head for the door if they are followed by groups of old boring dudes.

2010, albums, music, reviews

Album Review: Hippo Campus – "Glass"

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Hippo Campus is the solo project of  Makan Negahban, who also plays with a band called Blips. With the EP “Glass” he has created music that is at once ambient, glitchy, trippy, deep and mysterious. Laden in echo the songs seem to emerge from a distance, shrouded in haze, but not directionless. On the contrary the songs carve out a path that may seem like it is leading the listener astray into unknown, bewildering territory, but after the trip is over we find that we are safe and sound, right where we began.

The opening track “Ghosts” is a very frightening opening track, despite all of its subtleties. Chimes sound, pitch shifted, a voice calls out, synths jitter off in the distance and the whole intro seems very unsettling. You immediately find yourself in a different world from the one that you were in only seconds before the music began. The next track “Juice” seems to me to be the real kick-off to the EP, with it’s steady back beat of drums and a  pumping bassline. We have wandered out of the ambient territory of the opening, to a track that is much more reminiscent to Crystal Castles, though there is something rather interesting that happens in this track with the tempo shifting that pushes and pulls at the driving element of the song. We are caught between the two sound-worlds presented so far. Ambience vs. IDM. Yes, it’s true, according to Hippo Campus, we can have both.

In “Syrup Seas” we are moving back towards ambience, though some pulsations remain that seem to want to burst through the surface. Lighter bits of percussion and synth that are really hollow and reedy sounding like pan-pipes are combined with ethereal vocals that are off in the distance. The vocals are so delayed and echoed that they seem to plead, if lazily, for attention before reinterpreting the synth line until the distant calls of the vocals are the only thing that is left.

Hippo Campus "Glass" cover art by Miranda Darley

At the center of the album is “Glass Eye, Glass Palace”, the longest and most developmental track. It seems to build in a steady crescendo until the very last second before it explodes into “Nasty Drip” which flies excitedly, continuing the trajectory of steady rising before it gets caught up in a loop. Some more distant vocals are introduced before fading off into the gently pulsating organ timbre of “Vanish, Famish, Banish and Squid”. These tracks are best experienced as a trilogy. They seem to flow into and out of each other. They create a connective tissue at the heart of the album that ties many disparate elements together. Towards the end of the trilogy there is a steady drumbeat once again, accentuated with syncopated cymbal work.

The last two tracks also seem to go together. “Pet Shamoo” drifts more towards the brand of IDM that is present in the recordings of Doormouse. “Charlemagne” comes straight out of the preceding track with the hum of angry bees and adds a depth of sound that we have not heard yet, the sounds of the deep, low pulse of a gamelan.

The album was completed earlier this year with Negahban as the sole contributor. At work in Orange County, California with only an old Casio keyboard and his laptop he created music inspired by Broadcast, Ariel Pink, Animal Collective, and Kate Bush’s “Hounds of Love”, with of course The Beatles for good measure. These varied influences helped to create an album that is layered and far reaching. Bleak and emotional, this is music that taps into a realm not often explored in music.

Work on his next project is “50-60% done” though other projects are currently in the works so there is no real definite release date. Thankfully this release is available for free over at Rack and Ruin Records. So feel free to head over there and grab the album. The artwork was done by Miranda Darley. Of her work Negahban comments that,
“What stood out to me is those anguished old faces; I really liked how they are bleak, emotional, and almost humorous all at the same time, and in a way i see a lot of those same qualities with my music.
It’s clear that the album, from track to track and from artwork to inception, is a whole piece of art. Everything is connected and elements are brought together to complete a total vision. Definitely worth a listen.
2010, live, music

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

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Dear _______,

Thanks for taking the time to read all of this. I know that really the important thing here is listening to the music, and I really hope that you find something that you like. I know that good music doesn’t come through here too often. Though I guess if you keep an eye out there is some good stuff. I would have never heard any Mt. St. Helen’s Vietnam Band if I didn’t go to see Japandroids at the Soundlab. That was a good choice. I guess I’ve just grown cynical. Never happy no matter where I am. Buffalo isn’t really that bad, thanks to bands coming through here to get to and from Toronto. I guess it could be worse. We could live in Nebraska or something, or North Dakota. The Dakotas are probably an indie rock dead zone, I imagine. Anyway, what I was talking about? Oh yeah the last day of the Pitchfork Festival.

I’ve never heard of either of the 1st two bands, so unless they sound really interesting, the chances of me standing there to check them out are slim. I have to remember to get to The Bird Machine‘s table and get my official Pitchfork Music Festival poster that I always pick up (except for the first year I went, which I have regretted ever since). I love Jay Ryan’s designs. He’s done some album artwork too. He did Andrew Bird’s “Weather Systems” and Fruit Bats’ “Spelled in Bones”. He’s a nice guy too (and the lead singer/bass player in Dianogah).

The first thing that I want to check out is Best Coast’s set. I sent you that one song back in like December or January or something like that. Remember, it was all awash in reverb and sounded like something out of the early 60’s recorded by Phil Spector? The wall of sound? Well, anyway, that song was “When I’m With You” and I’m just going to re-use it again here. Best Coast is pretty much a solo project by Bethany Cosentino. She used to be in a band called Pocahaunted, which, if I remember correctly, also drowned everything in reverb and echo. As of Monday you can stream the entire album over at Urban Outfitters’ site. I checked it out. I imagine this album will be good and then the 2nd album will end up sounding exactly like it and probably won’t be worth buying. But for now, excited.

Things are going to get tricky Sunday afternoon because Lightning Bolt is playing at 4:15 and Surfer Blood is playing at 4:45. I have seen Lightning Bolt before, as you know. It was at the Soundlab again, and I was standing in the front row of people crushed against the drums and every time Chippendale hit the snare it felt like I was getting punched in the nose. I’m curious about what Lightning Bolt is going to do in a festival setting like this because they usually like to play IN the crowd. I don’t think they could get away with that here. It may take away from some of the fun if they are so far away, up on a stage, but I love all their tunes so much I guess it doesn’t really matter to me, and I will be in no mood to fight my way to the front. Their latest album, “Earthly Delights” came out several months ago. I love it. I think it’s better than their last album. The song I’m putting on your mix is “Sound Guardians“, the opening track. They named it as such because when they first began work on it they thought it sounded like Soundgarden. This has all the typical elements of a Lightning Bolt track, it’s loud, distorted, fast, with break-neck speed drumming and lead bass that’s like a drill being bored into your skull. Intense. One of my favorite bands.

Surfer Blood I only recently became aware of. More of a classic garage-band thing going on. I like what I have heard so far and my ability to make it to their set will depend on how awesome Lightning Bolt is (which will be measured in volume). “Floating Vibes”. This track sounds similar to Real Estate to me. Of course you remember me going on and on about them yesterday. Surfer Blood is from Florida though, not New York, which is strange I guess, considering.

Did I tell you about Neon Indian coming through here a few months ago? Well they did and I was going back and forth about weather I was going to see them or not and I ended up not going. I don’t regret it or anything, especially now that they are playing Pitchfork. There has been a good amount of buzz about this band. There was a new categorization made for them, people refer to them as “Chillwave”. They are really synth heavy, and from what I have read the lead guy, Alan Palomo, is a composer. “Should Have Taken Acid With You“. The songs sound like post-modern responses to the 80s. I feel like I’m listening to the aural equivalent of a grainy home video. It’s scary to refer to something that sounds like it is out of the 1980s as “retro” but there you have it.

I doubt that I’ll check out Sleigh Bells, but I may. Around the time that they are scheduled to go on (and on the ‘b’ stage everything always runs behind schedule) I should probably be heading over to the stage that Pavement is playing on. I almost feel bad for Sleigh Bells, going up against a long awaited reunion of a band like Pavement. Indie rock royalty. Anyway, I have really liked what I have heard from Sleigh Bells, like this track “Crown on the Ground” which reminds me of The Go! Team (saw them open for Sonic Youth in Toronto….I wonder what happened to them…) the way the girl sings and the way there are handclaps and distortion all over the place. It might be good to check them out for a minute, if their stage is running on time. But I really really need to see Pavement.

I don’t know if I have ever gone on about Pavement to you before. I was very late to the game as far as being a Pavement fan goes. They were broken up for 7 or 8 years before I even bothered to listen to them at all. When I did I listened non-stop for what seemed like a year. I memorized the tunes on every album. I became completely obsessed. I moved from album to album, listening to one 5 or 6 times a day for a month and moving on to the next. I have my favorite tracks, though my favorite album by Pavement changes every time I sit down. They broke up in 1999 and have been anything but forthright with whether or not they would ever get back together again. When they finally announced that they were I go so excited that I told everyone that I knew, even people that didn’t care, because I just felt like I had to tell everybody. When I heard that they were headlining Pitchfork this year I got even more excited. Just thinking about standing there and watching them is getting me excited all over again. In just a few days it’s going to be a reality. I’ll probably text you as it is happening. I’m sure you are thrilled.

A few years back Stephen Malkmus performed at Pitchfork solo. He did a ton of Pavement songs and I was so happy then. I started recording his set before he even picked up his guitar because I had a suspicion that something amazing was going to happen and it did:

And yeah, he messed up the words, but I don’t think anybody could tell or even cared. I can’t even imagine how awesome it is going to be if they play “Range Life“, which is my favorite song by Pavement, and is right up there with my favorite Sonic Youth songs. But that is a topic for another mix tape.

Well, I hope you enjoy the mix. It should give you a pretty good idea of the stuff that I am going to be experiencing while I am in Chicago. If you are lucky I will recount every last minute detail to you upon my return.

See you soon,

Adam

2010, live, music, Uncategorized

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

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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

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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"

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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

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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.

Better than Pitchfork.