Yesterday, the an interactive music video for the song, "We Used to Wait," and it's it's just about the coolest damn thing I have ever seen.
At the beginning of the experience, you'll be asked to enter the house where you were raised. Given I grew up in the sticks, I entered my college address, and it all damn near made me cry. If you want my exact experience, just enter 1035 Bonham Ave. in Wilmington, North Carolina.
The clip requires Google Chrome, even though it TECHNICALLY worked in Safari, but after downloading Chrome, I totally see why they recommend it. Everything ran much smoother the second time around with the new browser. And if you have an older PC/Mac, go ahead and quit everything that's open, given it sucks up every last bit of processor you have.
"We Used to Wait" can be found on Arcade Fire's latest album, The Suburbs, of course, and if you haven't gotten that then you should probably just walk out whatever door you're behind and go buy it.
It almost seemed too good to be true. A true outdoor music festival in Saint Louis, one where you could sit on your blanket or in a lawn chair all day, drinking and conversing with friends and music lovers? Really? In Saint Louis?
LouFest delivered on its promise: to make everything easy, like you were walking into your vacation home. Like you just woke up on Sunday morning (some of us may have, indeed). Like you didn't have to travel hundreds of miles to see what this "music festival hoopla" was all about.
Brian Cohen and his team of supporters (what a nice bunch!) knew what they had to offer in year one, and smartly, didn't try to overdo it. The only negative aspect we've read about the whole darn thing was that the lines for the free water stations were too long. Easily fixable. It's not like we were invaded by killer bees or had government officials asking to see our IDs. No, LouFest was cool. How cool? Read on for our thoughts about the two-day extravaganza.
Jason Gonulsen: I have been around the festival block a few times, and I am proud of that. While things can get hot, sweaty, and tiresome, the memories you have after a festival are like no other, mainly because you feel like you were part of something special, especially when the damn festival takes place in your city. And LouFest, in its own comfy way, was just as special as Bonnaroo or the ACL Fest.
JG: I started LouFest off on Saturday morning bright and early at noon with one my favorite local/national bands, The Bottle Rockets. They are the perfect festival band and proved to be a great LouFest opener with their rusty Crazy Horse-style rock. They opened with "Lucky Break," which will go down in the LouFest history books as the first ever LouFest tune, and followed it with a loud fury of new tunes (see/listen to "Hard Times" below) and favorites ("I'll Be Comin' Around," "Radar Gun"). A sweet beginning, but that's what I've come to expect from Brian Henneman and the Bottle Rockets.
1) An ice shelf in the Antarctic
2) The band name of three young blokes from Hertfordshire
3) A song by British Sea Power
Trick question bitches – it’s actually all three! Didn’t see that coming, did you? I will now attempt the impossible and relate an indie song to a disintegrated mass of frozen water.
Our Jam of the Day, Larsen B’s “Marilyn,” is a song that is warm and inviting - unlike it’s ice-shelf brethren by name. (Ka-chow!) It’s simple and sounds familiar. It doesn’t challenge any songwriting lines, but you’re immediately swept up by its chorus and melody upon first listen. Which, if we’re talking about the purpose of pop songs, is the whole point in the first place, correct?
Larsen B actually released the first version of "Marilyn" back in 2008 as part of an EP on the Try Harder label. Thankfully, "Marilyn" is being brought back and revamped on Larsen B's debut album, entitled Musketeer, which came out earlier this year.
Daaaamn! It's almost September, and us cool-music loving people in the Triangle are starting to get fully pumped for the inaugural three-day festival that is the Hopscotch Music Festival. It takes place September 9th, 10th, and 11th all over downtown Raleigh and has some pretty amazing bands (full schedule here) taking to small stages for intimate sets.
What's even more exciting is that the Hopscotch peeps have generously given us a pair of passes to witness the Public Enemy/No Age/The Love Language set in Raleigh City Plaza on September 10th. The set lasts from 5:30 - 10:00 and is sponsored by the always tasty Newcastle.
To enter, all you have to do is simply copy and paste this into a tweet: I entered to win a pair of passes to @hopscotchfest on @speakersincode. Or, if you're not up on your socmed avenues, just send an e-mail to matt.speakersincode@gmail.com, and I'll enter you my damn self.
The contest will run through August 31st, and we'll randomly pick and e-mail or DM the winner on September 1st. Good luck!
Don't forget to follow Hopscotch (@hopscotchfest) and Speakers in Code (@speakersincode) on Twitter all the time!
So after endless (more like ten minutes really) of surfing the web, trying find out something about these guys, I have found these nuggets o' info.
1) Beat Connection are a duo from Seattle.
2) They're offering up their debut EP for free (below).
3) They seem to be named after an LCD Soundsystem song.
4) "Silver Screen," the jam featured below, is perfect for late-summer listening.
5) Surf Noir, the title of said EP, is a sub-genre of literature made famous by surfing aurthor Kem Nunn.
With today's lessons now complete, please enjoy the EP in it's entirety by clicking below and downloading from their BandCamp site.
Just a few weeks ago, we reviewed the new Lissie album, Catching a Tiger, the debut from the California via Illinois singer-songwriter. Today, we offer you a download of a live version of "In Sleep," a darkly haunting dreamscape where lovers rendezvous...only in the subconscious.
Hope everyone has fun at LouFest tomorrow! See you there...
Saturday, 8/28
BLUE STAGE
NOON - 12:55 Bottle Rockets
2:00 - 2:55 So Many Dynamos
4:00 - 4:55 Titus Andronicus
6:00 - 6:55 Airborne Toxic Event
8:30 - 10:00 Broken Social Scene
ORANGE STAGE
1:00 - 1:55 Stephaniesid
3:00 - 3:55 Adam Reichmann
5:00 - 5:55 Lucero
7:00 - 8:15 Built To Spill
Sunday, 8/29
BLUE STAGE
NOON - 12:55 Kim Massie
2:00 - 2:55 Carolina Chocolate Drops
4:00 - 4:55 Cory Chisel
6:00 - 6:55 Alejandro Escovedo
8:30 - 10:00 She & Him
ORANGE STAGE
1:00 - 1:55 Magnolia Summer
3:00 - 3:55 Gentleman Auction House
5:00 - 5:55 Fruit Bats
7:00 - 8:15 Jeff Tweedy
Ok, this video for the lead single from She & Him's Volume Two has been around for a few months, and we even hit you with the track back in January, but in anticipation of this weekend's LouFest, watch the Sunday night headliners do a hip version of High School Musical in this Jam of the Day. She is Zooey Deschanel, he is M. Ward, and the video encapsulates all that is great about She & Him.
She is adorable. Him is super cool. She's smokey and twangy voice is unmistakable. Him's guitar rhythms and song closing solo are classic M. Ward (if you're familiar with his excellent individual work). While I'm generally opposed to organized mass dance, the moves in this video (which seem to be a hybrid of Britney's "Hit Me Baby One More Time" and Feist's "1234" videos) are okay by me with these two behind the metaphorical wheel.
She & Him work together to craft classic pop tunes that stick in your head like gum on the underside of a classroom desk. Buy their records HERE. See them live, in the Saint Louis sun HERE.
Hurrah for plum pudding! The dudes that rocked our worlds in concert at the beginning of the month have decided to share a new song with us and the world: "Piece by Piece, Frame by Frame."
As the latest graduates of the British indie-folk boys school, Oxford four-piece Stornoway draw positive parallels with the likes of Bombay Bicycle Club and current SIC faves Mumford & Sons. I'm pretty sure no one could argue that's an extremely positive thing given the way both bands have blown the beep up over the past year. So, the class of 2009-2010 continues to grow stronger.
Our Jam of the Day, "Zorbing," is whimsical and lighthearted, but as I've learned Stornoway’s songs regularly do, it bursts into a whirling dervish of instrumentation and creative imagery at the drop of a hat. It's familiar, but complex, which makes this guy feel at home while giving a bit of a challenge that a few of their peers fail to do.
So hop in that inflatable ball Wayne Coyne style and check it out below.
Tim Kasher (frontman for Cursive, The Good Life), is set to release his solo debut, The Game of Monogamy. It's filled with theatrical arrangements and lush instrumentation, stamping a "guaranteed" on Kasher's brand of classic pop.
As the press release oh-so eloquently states, "The protagonist’s arc throughout the album spans the wide range of distinctly human emotions tangled up around relationships in a starched shirt society. Call it the score for our collective sexual plight: expression routinely becomes repression in the name of romance." Sounds right up my literary alley.
Run, don't walk, to download the "Cold Love" single.
The Game of Monogamy comes out October 5, 2010 on Saddle Creek. Kasher's going on tour at the end of September in support of Minus the Bear, and future tour dates will be announced soon.
Elf Power is gearing up to release their 10th studio album - a self-titled, dozen-song sonic totem, representing the group's spiritual endurance and its continued relevance as the flagship band of the celebrated psych-rock scene which they helped forge over a decade and a half ago.
The new record conveys a unique synthesis of expansion and space, as deft rhythmic interplay, thoughtful instrumental flourishes, and subtle hands at the mixing-board frame all contribute to the Elves' lithe, powerful folk-rock, and the frank, beautiful lyrical exposition that's come to be expected from head songwriter Andrew Rieger.
Check out the first single, "Stranger in the Window" below.
We at Speakers in Code were ecstatic to hear that Carl Broemel, guitarist for My Morning Jacket, was doin' his solo thang. "Heaven Knows," a recent Pajammy Jam of the Day, charmingly hints at summer love and island whispers. To the MMJ fans who known him for his raging guitar solos: get ready to see a whole 'nother side of Carl.
In anticipation of his upcoming album release on August 31st, Broemel is sharing three video performances of tracks off All Birds Say (ATO Records). If you like what you hear, grab "Heaven Knows" while you patiently wait for Tuesday.
Love is a weird thing, we all know that. Whether you're in love, have been in love, have been burned by love, its power has probably has fooled you a time or two. And that's okay, as long as you're willing to not give up. Love makes us all come clean, sooner or later.
And as Steve Earle once sang, when it comes to love, "sometimes the best that you can do is just jump back in." We all need to find our fearless hearts.
I admire Hayley Taylor for defining her idea of a true love, one that requires "no more wishing." Taylor, a singer-songwriter born in Michigan and raised in Los Angeles, has been called "refreshingly unassuming" by Pitchfork. That's high praise, if you ask me.
I'm sure there are many of you out there who know part of Pegi Young's story. Sure, she's the wife of Neil Young, and you won't find many tours of his where she's not singing with him or opening for him.
She also co-founded the Bridge School in 1986, giving children like her son, Ben, who has cerebral palsy, a place to develop skills and talents in order to achieve a high quality of life as adults.
Pegi Young, whether you like her music or not, is a person whose achievements prove her heart of gold.
Her new album, Foul Deeds, is her latest accomplishment, one that she co-produced and recorded with the late Ben Keith, Anthony Crawford, Rick Rosas, and Phil Jones. Spooner Oldham, Karl Himmel, and yes, Neil Young himself, also play on three of the album's tracks.
Foul Deeds features many originals written by Young, but also finds her covering Lucinda Williams, Will Jennings, Devendra Banhart, and B. Boatman. You can listen to Young's cover of Banhart's "Body Breaks" here.
We're proud to announce that we have a copy of Young's Foul Deeds to give away! Simply e-mail jason.speakersincode@gmail.com by August 30th to enter. We'll announce the winner on August 31st.
Fellow vinyl lovers in the Triangle area take note!
The Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University is presenting a groundbreaking exhibition that explores the culture of vinyl records through 50 years of contemporary art.
The Record: Contemporary Art and Vinyl features work by 41 artists from around the world, from the 1960s to the present, who use vinyl records as subject or medium. The exhibition includes sound work, sculpture, installation, drawing, painting, photography, video and performance.
It's so not like me to post anything as poplicious as this JOTD, so you know it must have grabbed me and really took hold. Canadian producer and Kanye-approved songwriter, Colin Munroe's cover of Prince's "I Would Die 4 U" is a shimmering, dance floor ready number. Well, maybe only if you're making like R. Kelly with a little bump n' grind. And I don't see nothin' wrong with a little of that.
Munroe's been pretty quiet on the music scene, but recently, he's offered up a couple of interesting tidbits via his Twitter account: 1) He doesn't use autotune, yo. He uses "a pitch control technique that no one else is using" and 2) He promises more new music soon.
2010 has been very busy for Cloud Nothings. First, there was the Turning On EP, then a seven inch single on Group Tightener and then another one on Old Flame, as well as a super rare split cassette release on Bathetic Records. This fall, Carpark compiles the Turning On EP, the Group Tightener single, and two songs from the split cassette for a handy introductory compilation called simply Turning On.
Cloud Nothings are recording their first full length this summer in Baltimore with Chester Gwazda(also in the mindblowing group Nuclear Power Pants) who has also recorded albums for folks like Dan Deacon and SIC favs Future Islands. The album is planned for a winter 2011 release.
The last time Sufjan Stevens released a proper record, the world, for me at least, was a very different place. In 2005, my son had yet to enter this world, and my best friend had yet to leave it. Katrina was just a pleasant sounding woman’s name. Bennifer was still a term, Beiber was still pooping his diaper, and MySpace was blowing up the social media world. Tiger Woods was still playing good golf, and John Edwards was getting $400 haircuts because he effing could.
In fact – some newly minted indie-kids may not even realize how big albums like Seven Swans and Illinoise were to us old fogies who’ve been livin’ the dream since Robert Pollard only had 37 albums under his belt.
Well, this weekend Sufjan shook up things by releasing his new EP online for a mere five bucks - so it's time for us all to reacquaint ourselves. Our JOTD, "All Delighted People," gives us the perfect ten minutes of song to do it.
The EP, All Delighted People, is built around two different versions of Sufjan’s long-form epic ballad "All Delighted People," a dramatic homage to the Apocalypse, existential ennui, and Paul Simon’s "Sounds of Silence." Sounds delightful, yes! The song was originally workshopped on Sufjan’s previous tour in the fall of 2009.
Check it out and download the MP3 free below. You can buy it as well, and it's well worth it before the double LP EP (you read that right) drops later this fall.
"“Le Noise” is complete. It is a solo record. Playbacks are happening now. Release date is September 28th. It will be available in Vinyl, CD and I tunes in the first edition, followed by Blu-Ray, and an APP for I-Phone and I-Pad a month or so later. The app will be free. It gives you an interactive album cover. Forgive my use of the word “album”. I am old school. When you buy the songs/movies from I- tunes they show up in your APP. Peace ny"
Denver band, Achille Lauro, just got back from touring and sent me this MP3 out of the goodness of their talented hearts. It's a track called "No Brakes" from the latest album, Indiscretions. The band's dubbed the song as "a pop track, for sure."
The song opens like a southern gothic dirge, much like the old-timey singers who lamented the inevitable execution of Everett and his sidekicks right before the miraculous flood saved them all in O Brother, Where Art Thou. The horns kick in for the transition to a new school bluesy vibe a la Ryan Adams' "Touch, Feel, Lose." And then all the angst melts away as that brass kicks into high gear and almost, almost, sends us across country borders and through the Gulf of Mexico. Ultimately, it's subtlety only hints at far away lands; we're not free of these shackles yet.
I asked the band what influenced the interesting blend of genres that is "No Brakes" and was told, "We get really jealous when we see other bands having fun on stage. So we decided we're gonna have way more fun than them. So in conclusion, we're influenced by fun."
Surf. Garage. Indie. Motown. '50s pop. Grunge. Lo-fi. Fuzz. Doo-wop. Roll up all of these genres together in somewhat equal portions (in a tortilla with avocado), and you have Best Coast, the charming trio from Los Angeles, California, composed of Bethany Cosentino, Bobb Bruno, and Ali Koehler.
Best Coast's exceptional debut LP, Crazy For You, (released by label Mexican Summer) is replete, from start to finish, with the commonly linked themes of love, longing, pining, wanting, missing, and desiring to just start over. These motifs are boiled down, reduced, and concentrated in the record's median track, "I Want To." Over slow and repetitive guitar strokes, drum thuds, and tambourine shakes, Cosentino pleads simply, "I want you. So much... I miss you. So much..."
Then a pause and a shift. The final 49 seconds escape the desirous march of the preceding 2 minutes and rush to a conclusion as Cosentino presents a solution to her lamentations: "I want to, go back to, the first time, the first place." Desperation sets in, and the only way to cure the wanting and the missing is a fresh start, a relationship re-birth... Or time travel. Whatever works, it doesn't matter, as long as a reunion is the end result.
Pick up Crazy For YouHERE. You'd be crazy not to...
World - please meet Paul Daniel. He's a singer/songwriter and guitarist from Raleigh, North Carolina, a friend, and all around just freaking great guy. He makes music. With guitars and vocals. His songs have heart. And melody. And if you like that kind of thing, chances are you'll like Paul's music.
I stole this little blurb from his MySpace page. I mean, why reinvent the wheel?
"His guitar work is layered and complex, drawing influences from, rock, blues, country, bluegrass and folk. Imagine Bruce Springsteen, Mark Knopfler, Norman Blake, and Jerry Garcia all channeled into one guitar. The result is a rich foundation for songs with vivid scenes, lingering stories, and unforgettable lyrics. Always honest and incisive, Paul puts his heart on display, but isn’t afraid to call it the way he sees it."
Not too shabby huh? Listen for yourself below and if you like it - throw some love his way.
Let me start by saying I am not an '80s music expert - in fact, many of the things I remember as coming from the decade actually came from the early '90s. I know that '80s vocals sound distant, and there was an abundance of hi-hat hits and Moogish keyboards backed by snappy drum beats. I know you danced with your hands down by your side for some reason, and that wearing a dorky outfit somehow solidified your non-dorkyness.
Our Jam of the Day "Heart Full of Pentagons" is pure '80s bliss. It could be the soundtrack to any John Hughes film clip montage capturing all the insane things we do when we we're in love as a teen. It's about clarity, energy, and change - the virtual soul of the late 1980s.
It makes you feel something that is familiar, and for me, safe. It takes me back to the days I had no real cares, other than waking up in time to catch Saved by the Bell on Saturday morning (again, actually the '90s).
From what I've heard, their new album Fission, which is out at the end of the month, delivers the layers of reverbed guitars, swirling keyboards, and strong rhythms that the band is known for, but adds more harmonies and pop sensibilities, making it Film School’s most accessible and expressive album to date.
I would have let you leave. Really, that's all you need to know about today's JOTD.
Andrew Belle, a singer-songwriter from Chicago, drops the bomb, with a little help from Katie Herzig: he would've let ya walk and find another life. Boom. Just like that. Like when that pigeon dropped that bomb on the dude from Kings of Leon.
Belle's The Ladder was released earlier this year, and you might just want to get yourself a copy, mmmmk? In the meantime, here's the video for "Static Waves."
Chikita Violenta is a unique band with an intensely crafted sound that was once unheard of in their native Mexico, and even criticized due to the lack of Spanish lyrics. But despite the English naysayers, they've become one of Mexico’s biggest indie acts, praised simultaneously for their compelling songwriting and all-consuming live performances.
Chikita will head out a North American tour starting later this month with Built To Spill before joining Ra Ra Riot in late September. The band will close out that run at the Corona Capital Festival in their hometown of Mexico City on October 16th, sharing the stage with the likes of Interpol, Pixies, Metric, Temper Trap, amongst others.
The band is nicely making available the album track “All I Need’s A Little More." You can grab it via the widget below.
I’m holding a half-hearted smile to your face
It’s pretty enough, but watch out, it fades away
Sunday night shows can carry a weird vibe. Sometimes, the energy in the crowd or from the artist performing can be lacking, making the occasion seem a little too chill, or perhaps just outright dull. I guess it depends on the show, but a spark is often hard to find with Monday's ugly head peeking around the corner.
But maybe Katie Herzig has this Sunday night concert thing figured out. Sure, her music can be soft and serious, but there is something mysterious about her -- the way she sings, the way she moves, the pensive way she smiles. Her music brings unique energy to the end of a weekend, even if she and her band don't set out to blow any amps or leave your ears ringing for days.
That is not Katie Herzig.
Herzig is, at the very least, a thoughtful singer-songwriter. Her last album, Apple Tree, won me over with introspective songs like "I Will Follow," "I Hurt Too," and "Wish You Well," and the playfulness of "Forevermore" and "Hologram." Her voice is sweet, and when she wants to let loose, she can find that extra gear, something she did a few times at The Old Rock House.
She sizzled during the flirty "Hologram," a song that her young nephew describes as "the one about Katie's relationship issues," Herzig explained to us. Its energy was only rivaled by her performance of "Hey Na Na," a sassy tune that she wrote for the Sex in the City movie, only it never made an appearance in the film (certainly not for its lack of swagger).
Herzig, had some talented help on stage, too. Claire Indie appeared on cello, bringing "Shovel" to new heights, and Jordan Hamlin, besides telling a few jokes, showed off her ukulele, accordion, clarinet, and electric guitar (and probably a few other instruments I am forgetting).
The show concluded with the trio honoring a birthday request ("How The West Was Won"), complete with whistling, and absolutely nailing "Wish You Well," my favorite Herzig tune. And when I say favorite, I mean that in the most obsessive way -- so much that I would have gladly traveled to see Herzig sing it and play it, and then leave. Yes, even on a Sunday night.
Brothers Aron and Robert Mardo record together - only on bass and drums - as the Heavy Young Heathens. The Los Angeles duo recently put out a new EP, Make Room For The Youth, co-produced by JP Bowersock (The Strokes, Ryan Adams), and it's getting a ton of praise, particularly from notable radio DJs like Nic Harcourt of KCRW.
Your JOTD, "Shine" is indie-rock-jock-jam goodness. Seriously, if this song doesn't get you hyped to go bust some heads, I don't know what will. I think it's perfect for that current "hipsters wearing ironic NBA jerseys trend" that we've been seeing at all the music fests this summer. Go big or go home, boys.
"I'm tired of saying that I won't get lost ever again/ Who knows? Maybe I will..."
These are the first two lines from "Record Collector," track one off Lissie's debut album, Catching a Tiger(produced by Jacquire King and Bill Reynolds and out 8/17 in the States). I think there's a massive amount to be said about her opening statement, her cool confidence that immediately deflates the idea that one must have her head about her at all times. Lissie is quick to say, "Hey, I might eff up! To be expected!" I like that.
Listen up all you cougars out there – Dent May just dropped the frustrated married lady’s equivalent to Beyonce’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).” So shimmy that ass into those Spanx and leave the pearls at home – because once this jam plays on the hubby’s Bose system in the bonus room, there’s going to be bubbly popping in that mini-van tonight…ye-yuh.
Actually, this song plays more like a saxophone-riffed part two to Beyonce’s anthem – illustrating just what happens when you do indeed “put a ring on it,” but don't let that get you down.
Mississippi born crooner Dent May is back after moving record labels, and his new material sounds quite different from that produced with his magical ukulele. The vibe is still mellow - but this jam has an even more smoothed-out retro sound to it.
That Feeling/Eastover Wives is out September 14th on limited edition lavender vinyl via Forest Family and will likely appear on Dent’s forthcoming Paw Tracks full-length. Pre-order here.
Of late, the Swedes have been dominating the headphones. The electro-pop stylings of Robyn and the impeccable songwriting and trademark growl of The Tallest Man on Earth have been in heavy rotation and show no signs of leaving my brain any time soon. One Swede, however, has been oh so silent for the last three years... until now.
The the impossibly clever and typically melancholy yarns of Jens Lekman have enraptured American listeners' ears (and broken hearts) since 2005's compilation record, Oh You're So Silent Jens, and 2007's brilliantly sad, Night Falls Over Kortedala (featuring songs entitled "The Opposite of Hallelujah" and "I'm Leaving You Because I Don't Love You.") Jens, however, has been quite quiet of late, but he has broken this hush with the uncharacteristically upbeat "The End of the World is Bigger Than Love." It is a welcome break from the infinite sadness that tends to permeate Jens' work.
Now, the characterization of this offering as "upbeat" is a qualified "upbeat." After all, this is still Jens, the song is still about broken hearts and relationships gone awry, but the song's tone actually matches the somewhat optimistic nature of the lyrics. Perhaps Jens' outlook on love is really experiencing a small, tiny minuscule, minute, microscopic uptick in positivity. The song concludes as Jens croons, "A broken heart is not the end of the world/ the end of the world is bigger than love." For us, this may seem obvious. For Jens, this is a revolution.
"Remember that the life we share is nothing but a song."
There was a period of three or four years when all I would listen to was Neil Young. Not a bad thing, but I thought the only great albums that existed were After the Gold Rush, Zuma, Harvest, and Harvest Moon. I never would have given a band like Great Big Sea a chance. Probably wouldn't have even played a single song.
You could say I missed the point, in a huge way.
Today's JOTD reminds me that music is something we share, something that never ends, something that sometimes lets us down, but usually comes roaring back.
Newfoundland's Great Big Sea is back with a wonderful new album, Safe Upon the Shore. Have a listen to "Nothing But a Song" below!
If you've lived in Saint Louis for any significant amount of time, you probably remember a local rockabilly band called Rockhouse Ramblers. (KDHX claims, "In their day, [they were] the hottest honky tonk band" in the city). According to founder Kip Loui, from 1999 to 2005, the band "played pretty much every bar, nightclub, dance hall, performance space, and street corner in Saint Louis during that time," and it was also successfully signed to a (now-defunct) indie label out of Tempe, Arizona.
The Rockhouse Ramblers, comprised of Dade Farrar (brother of Jay of Son Volt, Uncle Tupelo), John Horton (of The Bottle Rockets), Gary Hunt, Danny Kathriner, and Loui, put out two albums in that time span, but the pressures of endless touring eventually broke up the band, right after a third album on a different, larger label was recorded but unfortunately shelved.
However, now that album, Lies And Damn Lies, is gonna see the light of day. You can help the guys dust it off and celebrate at the CD release party and reunion show for all five original Rockhouse Ramblers this Friday the 13th at Blueberry Hill. Very special guest, Brian Henneman of The Bottle Rockets, will open the show.
Lies And Damn Lies contains 12 tracks, 11 originals and 1 cover of "Bubbles In The Glass," a Liz Anderson classic. The album will be available for purchase at the show and is up now on iTunes.
Doors at 8 PM, and the show kicks off at 9 PM. Tickets are $8. A portion of the proceeds benefit your favorite independent radio station and mine, KDHX. It's guaranteed fun for huge fans and newcomers alike.
Hi, my name is Katie. And I'm addicted to garage rock.
I did not even realize I suffered from such an affliction until I recently considered the July posts I penned for Speakers in Code. The desire to back my Oldsmobile out of the carport, crank The Black Angels, and shimmy under the protective roof is strong. Oh, the shame!
My newest obsession, the aforementioned Black Angels from Austin, Texas, premiered its latest single, "Telephone" two weeks ago on SPIN. It is freakin' catchy, y'all. Tempered with moody organs and wounded howls at the moon, it's perfect to express the pain of unrequited love, served straight up via an unanswered telephone.
The band's third album,Phosphene Dream, comes out on September 14th on Blue Horizon Records. The Black Angels are also set to co-headline a tour with Black Mountain starting in October. Check out the tour dates, but be careful. Garage rock is addicting, sir.
If you can manage to pull yourself away from the ethereal beauty (above) of Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink, the two artists who comprise Azure Ray, you'll see that the ladies are offering their new single, "Don't Leave My Mind" for free download (below).
Azure Ray will also hit the road this fall for its first major outing in six years. Tour dates are available on the duo's MySpace page; a redesign of its official website is coming soon.
Falsettos have recently been tied to comedy or musical spoofs (insert The Darkness reference here), with most artists too afraid of the delicate tactic to actually implement it into their sound. Like Antony and the Johnsons, however, it works damn well for some.
Wild Beasts somehow retain a sort of seductiveness on our Jam of the Day, "All the King's Men," that pertains more to the revolutionary performers of the ‘50s, even if the percussion and thick guitar progression sound distinctively from recent years. They effortlessly elude to the stereotypes of melodramatic post-punk with a youthful, finger-snapping impression that prepares their style for a generation full of romanticized drama kings and queens.
“All the King’s Men” is more than apt for that sort, being direct in its respective descriptions of death and desperation over mumbled vocals that weep and yelp over anguished guitar lines. The bass lines are subtler than typical post-punk, but the dramatics are still there, stuffed with pop-oriented theatrics that make the style more accessible for those somewhat opposed to the likes of Joy Division or The Cure.
Give it a spin below - and if you like it, pick up their Mercury Music Prize nominated album Two Dancers which is out now.
The way I look at it, a concert can be a great experience because of so many things. Some of these things have nothing to do with the music you came to hear or the band/artist you came to watch. Sometimes, it can have everything to do with where you're sitting/standing, who you're with, or what kind of mood you're in. You know, those things.
Things that were important at the Phoenix show at The Pageant last Monday. I was standing in pit, with a group of friends, and we were more or less shoulder to shoulder with a sold-out audience. Sometimes, this can be a bit annoying. On Monday, it turned out to be a perfect spot.
Phoenix is a band you need to see in front of you, with eyes wide open, with your hands to the sky. You shouldn't be sitting; you should be moving, just a bit, if not a lot, for moments when they open up with "Lisztomania,' and follow it up with a frenzied "Lasso," like they did at The Pageant.
You need to be close enough to witness their extraordinary light show, how it affects the music, and how it captures drummer Thomas Hedlund's impassioned greatness: his uncanny movements, his succinct expressions, and obvious drive. You need to be close enough to feel how hard he's working his ass off.
Sure, their set was short (75 minutes or so). But I've seen three hour shows that bored the hell out of me, ones that have been filled with wasted time, sapping any kind of momentum that could have existed. Phoenix thrives on momentum; they know exactly what they want to do, and how they want to do it. I have not seen a more precise performance this year.
Case in point: midway through their set, a white curtain dropped from the rafters to show only band members' silhouettes. They were performing the mostly instrumental "Love Like A Sunset," giving us an odd peak of their creative process. But it was beautifully planned, absent of any kind of self indulgence or call for fame.
Of course, they iced their Pageant performance with an electric version of "1901," which featured a slight reprise where lead singer Thomas Mars walked along the ledges that surrounded the pit. In full rock star fashion, Mars had the crowd body surf him back to his home -- the stage -- where the lights were still shining and where energy still oozed. It could have lasted for hours.
But, that was it. 75 minutes of ballistic bliss, not a minute wasted by a French band who will surely outgrow venues like The Pageant very soon. Here's hoping we can all stay close and feel their energy, no matter how big the stage gets.
These are the six words that concluded Deer Tick frontman John McCauley’s somber recognition of the late Dave Hagerty, vocalist/guitarist of the local Saint Louis band, Fattback. (Please read the touching obituary written by our friend, Christian Schaeffer, for A to Z, the music blog of The Riverfront Times). The band was meant to open last night’s show at Off Broadway, along with Dead Confederate. While McCauley’s mere mention of the tragedy that bestowed Hagerty’s family and friends only six days ago was suitably poignant, the right words to express his emotion seemed to narrowly escape him, and therefore, he took to his guitar to honor Hagerty with a song that McCauley explained is right for almost all occasions in life: marriage, death, and everything in between.
He played an electric solo of “Sleep Walk.” (You might know it from its frequent appearances in the film La Bamba). I’m not going to pretend that I knew him, but I have to say this song seemed to be a perfect tribute to the late Hagerty: raw, spontaneous, jabbing. The audience went silent, and everyone’s thoughts leaned the way McCauley hoped they would, intimate friends and complete strangers alike.
Because of the melancholy that surrounded the night, Deer Tick eased into its set, initially playing mostly down tempo songs, including the band's latest single “20 Miles” followed by “Smith Hill” off last year's Born On Flag Day (but not before, of course, playing a few bars of Hanson's "MMMBop!" first).
But, as McCauley told his eager crowd at the start of the show, every time he comes to Saint Louis, there’s cause to party. (The last time the band came through, it was McCauley’s birthday, and he was smacked in the face by a broom handle after a late night attempt to pee on people. He acknowledged that the battle wound on his chin was well-deserved). Sensing that the band's usual, ahem, merriment could not be suppressed for much longer, the crowd joyfully sang along with McCauley to "Dirty Dishes." The noticeable emphasis on the lyric "Things could be so much worse..." was not unintentional. After all, we were gathered to celebrate.
Deer Tick - "Dirty Dishes"
McCauley paused for a moment to acknowledge absent guitarist, Ian O'Neil, who missed a plane from Chicago and didn't make the show. He warned, "So, if it sounds a bit raw and naked [tonight]...deal with it." The band then launched into a biting version of "When She Comes Home" from this year's TheBlack Dirt Sessions. It was then that I realized his voice, known for its gruffness, began to sound more and more like the electric guitar around his neck: buzzing, humming, wailing.
Photo by Katie Guymon
The band covered The Replacements' "Waitress in the Sky," but shit really got rowdy with its version of ZZ Top's of "Cheap Sunglasses," an old standby for live Deer Tick shows at this point. McCauley donned those infamous white shades and wooed the crowd with his eyebrow gymnastics. All around the room, Stags were thrust into the air with cavalier abandon. McCauley then planted his tongue firmly down the keys player's throat. So very punk rock!
Photo by Katie Guymon
Shortly after midnight, Deer Tick launched into "Don't Fear the Reaper," and the audience pleaded, "More cowbell!" when the band abruptly stopped. (That line, seriously, never gets old). The show ended with bloody knuckles and a Stag foam party for the front rows of the crowd. And McCauley explained that he thought Hagerty would have appreciated that display of exultant rejoicing.
The first time I caught Deer Tick in concert was when the band opened for Jenny Lewis at The Pageant last summer. After seeing the band last night in an exponentially more intimate venue, it's clear that's so much more its scene. McCauley is a talker; he wants to interact with his fellow revelers. He feeds off the energy of fans standing inches away. In the heat of a summer night, sweat and saliva should blend and bind us all together.
Given the circumstances of the evening, however, it was a different kind of show for me. Like I said before, I never knew Dave Hagerty, but it wasn't hard to miss those who did. You could easily tell the difference between those who were carrying a weighty burden on their shoulders and those who were left to empathize.
Deer Tick made a lot of classy moves in the days after Hagerty's death, leading up to last night's concert at Off Broadway, including donating proceeds to benefit Hagerty's family. But, I think the one that mattered most was simply putting on the kind of show the band always does: gritty, spirited, raucous. While it was difficult at times to take my eyes off Deer Tick's onstage antics, I also paid close attention to the many brave faces swapping hugs and toasting to what I can only guess was Hagerty's legacy, masking their shared loss for the time being with great music, which to me, translates directly to love.
Cut Copy, Australia's premier dance-synth-rock outfit, has high expectations to meet. Their 2008 sophomore effort, In Ghost Colours, garnered worldwide attention, received near universal critical acclaim, and made fans and concert-goers dance and sweat all over the globe. While the band's new, as yet untitled, record is not scheduled for release until early 2011, they have rewarded patient fans with a free track to break the fever for more Cut Copy (if you are willing to cough up your e-mail address, which you should).
"Where I'm Going" offers up a slight derivation from most of the material on In Ghost Colours. It is still anthemic, but a little more spacey and a smidgen less dance-y. It is still upbeat and entrancing, but more deliberate and restrained. Despite that apparent restraint from the band's perspective, from the fan's viewpoint, "Where I'm Going" is a hand clapper and a crowd chanter... "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. WOO!" The track evokes faint memories of English greats Oasis, Doves, and the Stone Roses (nothing wrong with that). If "Where I'm Going" is meant to serve as an indicator of tunes that will make up the new record, the 2011 release will be filled with solid tracks that sound a touch methodical and calculated, but can, at the same time, be whipped up by the band as a way to enhance Cut Copy's already dazzling live show.
PLAY:stl, a music festival and conference held each year in Saint Louis, has officially announced its line-up (with just a few TBA spots sticking around for now)! The fourth annual three-day fest will take place September 16-18 and spotlight 100 acts on over seven different stages across the much-loved Delmar Loop. This year, it kicks off with a party at Cicero's featuring live sets by Gooding, Eddie Cohn, and Owen. Plan to start you weekend early.
Saturday's conference portion is geared toward musicians and provides education on hot topics like booking and touring, press and publicity, and sound engineering. Panels are hosted by industry professionals, and admission to this portion is free.
Over 4,000 people attended the fest last year, and that number is expected to grow in 2010. In other words, get your wristbands - stat. Hope to see you there!
Last winter, members of Chin Up Chin Up, Bound Stems, The Narrator, Vacations, and a whole host of other Chicago bands got together over two weekends and played it out. A band just so happened to come together as a result of that recording studio reunion, and they took a name that came about from a self-deprecating joke about their mere existence depending on the help of many. Like Pioneers - all makes perfect sense.
Their entire album, Piecemeal, came out of nowhere for me. And to be honest, it's catapulted into my top ten list for the year thus far for sure. It's a completely healthy mix of everything that was great about Chin Up Chin Up, but with that massive feeling you only get when a ton of like-minded musicians collaborate on something that is working.
Check out the Bandcamp player below - and just go ahead and prepare yourself to click that little download button on the bottom left. You can name your own price for the song, and even the album, so give up a buck if you can - it's well worth it.
Last month, we released our early "Best Of" lists for you to enjoy. Of course, lists like these are always changing. Case in point: We hadn't heard What Lasts, the fantastic new album from These United States. It's a dark album, written in the shadow of lead singer Jesse Elliot's near drowning. But it also has a lot of hope, just like the songs featured in our latest 10 to Spin.
The songs below were picked by These United States' pedal/lap steel guitarist J. Tom Hnatow. It's an inspiring bunch, one that Hnatow describes nicely below.
If you're wanting to check out the band live, you can catch These United States at Lollapalooza on Friday bright and early at 11:15 AM! The band's also hitting The Old Rock House in Saint Louis, opening for Trampled By Turtles, on October 3rd.
red moon, blue moon: a twilight mix
"A friend of ours from the band Revival once told me that he always forced himself to be doing something, anything, at twilight -- the longest, loneliest, heaviest time of day for him to get through, when all your thoughts and memories seep hazily in at the edges, darkness creeps inevitably on. This is a mix for driving west, the sun setting red through the clouds, watching the world fade away until there's nothing left but the glowing instrument panel and the lonely headlights of fellow travelers."
Side A
1 deerhunter - twilight at carbon lake
Of late, the Swedes have been dominating the headphones. The electro-pop stylings of 
