Jam of the Day | Purity Ring - Obedear

Purity Ring, the Canadian odd-pop duo who rocked us (and creeped us out a little) last summer with "Belispeak," are in the process of finishing their debut record. Shrines will be released on July 24 (4AD), and "Obedear" is the lead single. The track is packed with everything we love about Purity Ring; Corin Roddick's twisted beats, ominous synth waves, and Megan James' eerie vocals. With only four tracks released to date, including "Obedear," July 24 can't arrive soon enough.

Download "Obedear" here. Buy Shrines in July, here.

Concert Photos | The Black Keys at Chaifetz Arena in Saint Louis

All photos by Nate Burrell

The Black Keys aren't just a duo from Akron these days. They're a band capable of headlining any festival known to man, and selling out arenas, which isn't easy to do in Saint Louis if you're not Springsteen or Pearl Jam.

Last night they rocked Chaifetz Arena on the campus of Saint Louis University, playing songs off their latest release, El Camino, and other favorites. We sent photographer Nate Burrell out to catch all the action, and he did an exemplary job, as usual. You can find more of Burrell's work at his website, Before the Blink.

Concert Photos + Review | The Lumineers at Local 506 in Chapel Hill, NC

Words and Photos by Agatha Donkar

Glenn Boothe, who owns the Local 506, told me this great story a few years ago, one night when I was sitting at the bar and there were, at best, maybe 20 people there for the show -- I couldn't even tell you who was playing, that's how empty and unmemorable the night was.

But, Glenn told me that, shortly after he bought the place, he booked The National. They came, and they played a show to 18 people, 4 of whom worked there and 6 of whom were in the opening band. By the next year, just after Alligator came out, he tried to book them again -- and they were already too big for him. They came close to selling out the Cat's Cradle on that tour. They sold the Cradle out on the Boxer tour, and played a 1,000-person venue the tour after that.

When Glenn told me this story, The National were getting ready to play a 2,500 seat theatre in Raleigh in support of High Violet.

Last year, when The Lumineers played at the 506, they played to exactly 12 people, a fact they proudly announced to the beyond sold-out crowd last night, and then they proceeded to play one of those sets that, if you are smart, you understand when you are watching it that it will be memorable not just for the music but because you were one of those 250 people seeing The Lumineers absolutely shine in a small venue.

A small venue the likes of which they won't be in for much longer, because they were that magical last night. They moved a notoriously stoic Chapel Hill crowd to full-voiced sing-along and enthusiastic foot-stomping, and every member of the band looked like there was nowhere they would rather be than playing those songs on that stage.

Everything from the album sounds as transcendent and golden live as it does on the record; they burned through a stomping mid-set cover of "Subterranean Homesick Blues"; and they closed their encore with a sunny and utterly sincere cover of "The Weight," which was so gorgeous and sad that I just stood there and cried helplessly.

I can't give a band a bigger rave than that, really, and to say that it was a genuine pleasure to watch them own the room last night, and to know that I was watching something special. Sometimes you know that about a band, but you don't really know it until you see it.

See more of Agatha Donkar's photos at her website.

10 to Spin | The Lumineers

Every year it happens. And every year, I'm still surprised when it happens.

Music is a lot like love -- the best songs come into your life when you're not looking or seemingly don't care. Or, they arrive at exactly the moment when you think you've heard it all.

The Lumineers is a trio from Denver, and their self-titled album is the best album I've heard in 2012. The songwriting is smart, the melodies are supreme, and there is passion in each note. Above all else, it is an album free of superficial tendencies or self-serving bullshit. It doesn't try to be different, and yet, it is. But like most great albums, it requires some patience. So, please, give it that.



On Saturday, they'll play to a sold-out Duck Room at Blueberry Hill. But for now, they want to take us back to the future with their 10 to Spin playlist. So, away we go.

"10 Songs That Can Make A Soccer-Mom-Minivan Feel Like You're Riding In A Delorean."

We're about to head off on tour, our 1st EVER - DEBUT CD-Release International Tour (Canada!), and we have been traveling up to this point in a Silver Ford Windstar with the vanity plate  "LUMINRS"...although humorous, these plates may have also led to us getting robbed of most of our instruments in LA a few months back.  So the joke was on us.  haha (tear drop).

But, despite being cramped in a minivan with all our gear for most of the past year, there were songs that made us forget we were traveling in a beat up minivan, and tricked us into believing, momentarily, that we were riding in style... at 88mph with Michael J. Fox, the flux capacitor, and Einstein (the dog) all packed inside.

Ezra Furman and the Harpoons - Take Off Your Sunglasses

A friend of ours played this for us on our last tour, repeatedly, and it grew on me like a fungus.  A very very very attractive fungus. and now I'm hooked and can't get enough - check out the Daytrotter - it's Violent Femmes meets Bob Dylan.

The Whitest Boy Alive  - Burning

This album is one of best produced albums for its simplicity and bare-bones arrangements. The songs are simply Bad-Ass, and unlike a lot of other bands, these songs are not apologizing for being stripped down - like a beautiful woman without makeup on.  Wow.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Shuffle Your Feet

It's hard not to feel good about yourself with this track blasting and an arm out the window rolling through a small town, like you know something everyone else in this one-horse town does not.

Bruce Hornsby - Changes Made 

One of the most dynamic and well produced pop songs ever.  Blast it and enjoy the ride.

TV On the Radio - Staring at the Sun

This one feels like the a kettle boiling quietly at first and then boiling over. The tension builds and then the sweet release.

The Black Keys - She's Long Gone

From the beginning of the song, the tone is set when Dan Auerbach says, "Yea ?", seeing if the listener is ready for his swagger...the chorus riff is sick.

Kid Cudi - Up Up And Away (The Wake & Bake Song)

I used to mop floors in the morning, hungover, and one of the cooks would blast this whole album, but this was the one that always got me. I was an inspired mopper with this song on, and when I was through with the floors, you could see your reflection in 'em.

Gorillaz - Welcome to World of the Plastic Beach

Every time we would play this song on the road, Jer would recognize it by the first note of the synth horns, less than a half a second into the song. Snoop. Sick. Anything he says could sound cool, and does.

Kings of Leon - Trani

I heard Bob Dylan asked the Kings what this song was about at an awards show - the article deftly pointed out that Dylan had once been asked that same question, and his response was, "some of my songs are about 4 minutes, some 5, one of 'em is about 12 mins."  The lyrics are incredible, and the guitar solo... such a payoff.

Queen - Don't Stop Me Now

Put this song on and try not to feel good. Absurdly good.

Jam of the Day | Ben Howard - Old Pine

We slept like dogs down by the fire side
Awoke to the fog all around us
The boom of summer time

For the past two years, Bonnaroo marked the beginning of my summer. And the mornings were the best part -- the boom of summer, exactly around 6 AM -- for those of us camping, anyway, which is the only real way of experiencing a true festival. You have to gut it out.

I won't be going back to Bonnaroo this year, even though Ben Howard will be performing. Still, I have songs like Howard's "Old Pine" to remind me that mornings don't have to be rushed. Instead, they were made to slowly begin your day, to think about yourself for just a few minutes. Imagine that, right?

You might not know Howard's music yet, but you soon will -- if only because it's immediately memorable. "Old Pine" is taken from his debut album, Every Kingdom.

Keep Your Eyes + Ears On | The Milk Carton Kids

Photo by Ben Pattengale

At the beginning of the year, we wrote a love letter to The Milk Carton Kids and not-so-subtly urged you to pick up the album Prologue for free. (Yes, they are givin' it away for free. Pure craziness.) Now, we're following up that letter with a gigantic P.S. in the form of a "Keep Your Eyes + Ears On" feature devoted to the Los Angeles duo. It's that necessary.

The buzzy folk twosome just recorded an interview and performance on NPR's World Café, and The Milk Carton Kids were selected as one of the best acts of 2012's SXSW by major critics like The New York Times, NPR, and Time Magazine. Even though the act is on the up and up, they remain committed to their original vision: two voices and two guitars.

Watch them perform live in Grand Rapids:

Jam of the Day | Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros - That's What's Up

I'll be the church, you be the steeple
You be the king, I'll be the people

Remember how obsessed you were with "Home" when it first came out? Well, we think today's Jam of the Day is just as insanely catchy. With the same kind of "you complete me" lyrics as Barry Louis Polisar's "All I Want Is You" ("If I was a flower growing wild and free/ All I'd want is you to be my sweet honeybee...") or Devendra Banhart's "At the Hop" ("Cook me in your breakfast and put me on your plate/ 'Cause you know that I'd taste great..."), the song is a "Let the Sunshine In" love fest jamboree complete with SAT analogies. You just can't deny is unbridled happiness.

And, a little after the 3:00 mark, the band really takes us to church with an a capella chorus backed by nothing but joyful choir handclaps. That's what's up.

HERE comes out May 28th on Rough Trade, but you can preorder the album...uh...here.

Jam of the Day | Poliça - Lay Your Cards Out

Minneapolis continues its golden run of producing quality talent with the first project to arrive out of the Gayngs collective, the super slick electronic pop-soul outfit Poliça. Fronted by vocalist Channy Leanagh who sang with Gayngs, produced by Ryan Olson and featuring Mike Noyce from Bon Iver, it’s a who’s who of the current Twin Cities scene.

After collaborating in the studio and live with Gayngs in 2010, it became apparent that Channy and Ryan should form a group of their own. The result is eleven perfectly formed auto-tuned songs that reshape the intersection of pop and R&B. And for all Poliça’s synthetic manipulation, Channy’s soft vocals and Ryan’s electronic soundscapes reveal a tender heart beneath, pulsating with life and raw emotion.

The name Poliça refers to the word ‘policy,' meaning a definite course of action adopted for the sake of expediency, suggesting they were formed out of necessity. Which is exactly how this music feels and sounds; urgent, original and genre-defying, Poliça are absolutely essential in 2012.

Check out our Jam of the Day, "Lay Your Cards Out," below and pick up their debut LP, Give You The Ghost, right here.

Poliça - Lay Your Cards Out

Contest | Win Tickets to The Lumineers at Blueberry Hill on 4/28

Photo by Mark Sink

We don't think we're being dramatic when we tell you this: Saturday is your first and last chance to see Denver's The Lumineers in a venue like Blueberry Hill. Their self-titled debut album was released earlier this month, and everywhere we turn, we keep reading praise.

"Ho Hey" is where you should start (a former JOTD):



We'll have a 10 to Spin with The Lumineers posted later this week, but for now, we want to give away two pairs of tickets to their show at Blueberry Hill on Saturday, April 28th. (Doors, 8 PM; $10-12; RSVP here)

To enter, please do one of the following:

1. Simply copy and paste this into a tweet: I entered to win 2 tickets to see @thelumineers on 4/28 @duckroom on @speakersincode! You can, too - just tweet this to enter!

2. Send an e-mail to jason.speakersincode@gmail.com. Just say you want the tickets. Takes 10 seconds.

3. Leave us a comment on our Facebook page. You can say anything. Really.

The contest will run through April 25th at noon, and we'll randomly pick and e-mail the winner later on that night (if you enter through FB, we'll announce your name on our FB page). Good luck!

Jam of the Day | Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Oh Susannah

We normally don't post JOTDs on weekends, let alone Saturday nights (!), but there are always exceptions. Like, you know, when Neil Young & Crazy Horse's first track in nine or so years surfaces on the Internets.

Here's a first listen of "Oh Susannah," taken from the upcoming NY & CH Americana album. Welcome back, Crazy Horse!

Jam of the Day | Pond - Moth Wings

It's freaking Friday, y'all, and it's been a looooong, hard week. So, let's throw on a record that not only has some kickass licks but also possesses an ample amount of boogie to get that ass movin' when the sun goes down. 

Psych rock warriors Pond have provided us with the perfect Jam of the Day, possessing vibes that recall some of the Beatles’ more far-out stuff, combined with Led Zepplin's unabashed ability to RAWK.

Their fourth album, Beard, Wives, Denim is currently receiving attention and applause and is out now worldwide via Modular Recordings. Go get it via that handy little widget below!

Concert Photos | Cowboy Junkies at The Sheldon in Saint Louis

All photos by Chris Lay

Last night at The Sheldon in Saint Louis, Toronto's Cowboy Junkies played a full two sets (plus encore) that included selections off their recent Nomad Series, The Caution Horses' "Witches," Miles From Our Home's "Those Final Feet," and covers of Lou Reed's "Sweet Jane" and Neil Young's "Don't Let It Bring You Down." Photographer Chris Lay was there to capture it all. Enjoy.

Jam of the Day | Night Beds - Ramona

This is based off two songs I have heard, but hey, I'll throw this out there: Night Beds won't be resting any time soon. The group out of Nashville, led by Winston Yellen, creates music that is made for sunrises and sunsets; its sounds deserve the perfect moment.

Here, on "Ramona," the landscape is dreamy and lonesome (and damn, that steel [?] guitar is spooky, is it not?). I know a few people who roll their eyes at the term "Americana" these days, so let's just file this under "organic," shall we?

No, better yet, let's call it Night Beds.

Hometowns | Water Liars [Saint Louis, MO]

Photo courtesy of Misra Records

We are pleased as punch to feature Water Liars for Hometowns today on Speakers in Code. Reminder: the Hometowns mission is twofold. 1) We wanna let our favorite musicians play homage to the places they hold near and dear to their hearts and 2) we strongly believe that roots have a significant influence on the art that these folks make, so we want to investigate that connection.

The super rad thing about Water Liars is that one half of the duo, Justin Kinkel-Schuster, hails from Saint Louis, where Jason and I, the duo who started this blog back two years ago, also live. (Andrew Bryant, of Oxford, Mississippi, completes the Water Liars' line-up.) As Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. once said, "I'm from the Lou, and I'm proud." Yes, indeed. Bud Lights for one and all!


You should pick up the (critically lauded! and just really freaking tremendous!) Water Liars' debut album, Phantom Limb (Misra Records). Trust us. Run, don't walk. If you're a fellow Saint Louisian, catch 'em live Saturday night when the duo opens for The Mountain Goats at The Gargoyle. If you're not from around these parts, Water Liars will be coming to a venue near you before the end of the year. We'd bet.

Justin, you call Saint Louis your hometown, but we're guessing with the way Water Liars has exploded this year, you've been too busy to fully enjoy the city in a little while. If you had twenty-four hours to spend in Saint Louis as you wished, what would you do?

I'm gonna take a risk here and tell you what I would actually do instead of telling you what I imagine an interesting, fun-loving person might do. I'd sleep till at least 10:30, maybe take a shower, maybe not. Drive to The Mud House, get coffee and a bacon breakfast burrito. Hopefully it's a Friday because I haven't seen the new contemporary photography exhibit at the art museum, and I wanna go see that for free. After that, stop over at Vintage Vinyl and buy the new Lambchop and the new Spiritualized. By this time I'm probably pretty worn out, so I'll go home, get a blanket and a Coke, and walk to Lafayette Park, find my spot, and read myself to sleep in the sun. 'Round dinner time call in a pickup order for some Pappy's ribs, 'cause I love that shit but I ain't tryin' to wait in that line. If there's a good show goin' on that night, I'd wanna try and hit that up; otherwise I'd hang out at my place and watch The Andy Griffith Show or The Twilight Zone or some shit. Goodnight.

Photo by Katie Guymon

What are some common misconceptions, or little known facts, about Saint Louis that anyone living outside the area would be surprised to learn?

I think most people probably don't realize that St. Louis has spawned two true American heroes: Tennessee Williams and Vincent Price. I dare you to watch Vincent in The Abominable Dr. Phibes and not laugh your ass off. Also, I dare you to watch A Streetcar Named Desire and not get turned on by Marlon Brando in spite of Karl Malden's nose.

How does your growing up and time living in Saint Louis influence your music? How do fragments of the city itself work their way into Water Liars' sound?

I think it happens in a couple of ways. In an amorphous, general sort of way, it can't help but seep in through the places and people where and with whom you spend your time. They have a way of influencing you and the things you do and the things that get done to you, most of the time without you noticing, which is as it should be. But more specifically, at least on the record that we just put out, there's a lot of sounds from a particular train underpass in Saint Louis where frogs go to mate this time of year when these huge rain puddles form. They all gather and are trying to get laid and make this eerie sound that's echoed and amplified by the bridge, and I took a tape recorder down there one night and just taped the frogs making those sounds and some trains came by and mixed with them and we ended up putting those recordings on a couple tracks on the album.

You guys will be in town Saturday, AKA the holiday we know and love as Record Store Day, to open for The Mountain Goats. How have you spent past Record Store Days in Saint Louis?

Record Store Day is great. Anything that helps independent record stores and bands sell records is unquestionably great. Having said that, I have a minor personal grievance to air with regard to Record Store Day, namely: once, just once, please put that shit on a Monday. As a chronically underemployed member of the service industry, I am sad as hell to say that I have not done anything cool on any Record Store Day yet because I always have to work on Record Store Day. So, I wish I had a good story to tell about Record Store Day, but I can't sit here and lie to you about it.

After Saturday's hometown performance, we know that you guys are going to tour pretty hard for the remainder of 2012. If you could take a special Saint Louis something on the road with you, what would it be?

Cheesy Red Hot Riplets, man. Cheesy Red Hot Riplets. You can't get 'em anywhere else.

Jam of the Day | Finn Riggins - Benchwarmers

Photo courtesy of Finn Riggins

This week, I'm very pleased to make the acquaintance of the self-proclaimed "quirky" Idaho indie-pop trio, Finn Riggins, and their new ditty, "Benchwarmers." I didn't expect to learn that Idaho, Boise in particular, boasts a burgeoning indie music scene. But, hey, now I know. And knowing is half the battle.

Today's Jam of the Day features playground lyrics (hopscotch, anyone?), backed by crunchy bass and sunny guitars, that are as catchy as a Miss Mary Mac handclap. Think: the teenage nostalgia of Sleigh Bells' "Rill Rill" on the junior high tip.

Finn Riggins - Benchwarmers

The Benchwarmers EP will be released on Tender Loving Empire on April 21st. Get the 10" colored vinyl in honor of Record Store Day this Saturday.

A Speakers Endorsed Show | JC Brooks + The Uptown Sound at Lola

Photo by Jaime Massieu

This Sunday marks a JC Brooks and The Uptown Sound first: they're bringing their Chicago-style, post-soul dance party to the light of day. Yup, the band's putting on a free brunch show at Lola in downtown Saint Louis! And all you have to do to partake in the festivities is show up. And order a mimosa or two.

We recently talked to Mr. Brooks himself about what we can all expect on Sunday: the day we all get our groove on before noon. (Side note: gotta love a frontman who loves his Bs & Gs.)

You guys play Saint Louis quite frequently. What keeps you coming back for more (besides the toasted ravioli and Bud Light)?

Every time we play Saint Louis, we play to a really engaged and generous crowd. That's why I keep coming back.

We love the idea of a free brunch show. Is it a daunting task to get the hungover legs a movin' and a-shakin' the morning after?

Can't rightly say. We've never done it before (played so early, or to a seated, eating and equally hungover 'brunch crowd'), but I'm also not intimidated by the idea!



What else can the good music fans at Lola expect at this Sunday's show?

Dapper gents, a tight band, and more than a little sweat...

Last but certainly not least, the all important question: what's your go-to brunch order?

A meat lover's skillet with biscuits & gravy!

And, there you have it folks. Recover from your Record Store Day hangover with a little musical hair of the dog. Go for the Bloodys, stay for the soul. Get ready for the par-tay by purchasing JC Brooks and The Uptown Sound's 2011 album Want More and listening to the former Jam of the Day on this here bloggy blog, "Everything Will Be Fine" and the new single "Sister Ray Charles." 

JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound - Sister Ray Charles

The fun kicks off at 11 AM. JCBUS will be joined by Brothers Lazaroff and DJ Pom as part of the Urban Chestnut Brunch Sessions. Special thanks to the Saint Louis brewery and Lola for making it happen.

The Radio Cure | Volume 2.2

These United States | Photo by Shervin Lainez

The Radio Cure provides you a smattering of great tracks (all at once!) to cure you of your radio blues. If you don't know, now you know. The second volume of 2012 features nine tracks, all available for free download, that you can easily slap on a mix CD and call it a day. Do it, to it.

These United States - Born Young
This is the second single of the fifth LP that comes out in May. The album features collaborations with Deer Tick, Cotton Jones, Phosphorescent, The Mynabirds, Ben Sollee, Langhorne Slim, Revival, and the entire Frontier Ruckus band. Hubba hubba.

The Spring Standards - Here We Go
Just last week, we picked the band's "Only Skin" as our Pajammy Jam of the Day. The band's crunchier "Here We Go" is now available for your downloading pleasure. The yellow//gold double EP is due out May 1st on Parachute Shooter Records.

JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound - Sister Ray Charles
"Sister Ray Charles" is the second single off the band's 2011 Want More. If you haven't heard the album, then you've missed the dance party. Thank goodness the band is playing a FREE brunch show this Sunday at Lola in Saint Louis. Be there or be square.

The Waco Brothers and Paul Burch - Great Chicago Fire
The tune combines the Waco Brothers’ Chicago blue-collar country via punk rock stomps, with Paul Burch’s Nashville stylized approach to traditional country. The album of the same name comes out April 24th on Bloodshot.

Ane Brun - Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels) (Arcade Fire cover)
The Norwegian singer-songwriter puts her unique spin on Arcade Fire's "Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels)." The song will be available on the iTunes Exclusive version of It All Starts With One, out May 1st via America. The album also features First Aid Kit and Jose Gonzalez. Yahoo! Google!

Fixers - Another Lost Apache
The Oxford-based psychdelic pop quintet Fixers has announced their forthcoming EP, Pop Meat/Your Corruptor, which will see a release on April 24th on Dolphin Love Records.

Bowerbirds - Tuck the Darkness In
A tender turn for Bowerbirds, "Tuck the Darkness In" is exactly the song for putting yourself to bed at night. The Clearing is out now on Dead Oceans.

Literature - Criminal Kids
Jangle-pop all the way! Austin's Literature is making a splash on the music scene, and you can judge for yourself with the single "Criminal Kids." Arab Spring is out now on Austin Town Hall Records. 

Seventeen Evergreen - Fluorescent Kind
San Francisco's Seventeen Evergreen are back with the sophomore effort, Steady On, Scientist!, via Lucky Number. Download "Fluorescent Kind" and welcome them back.

Jam of the Day | Howler - Back Of Your Neck

Man, I'm not even going to lie. I haven't been overly excited about a new band over the past few months. Maybe I overdosed last year, racking up new favorite bands seemingly monthly, but as of a week or two ago in 2012, I was questioning my musical devotion and blogger status in general. Had I lost the love that fueled me to listen to countless hours of music emailed to me on the daily? Had I finally hit crotchety old man status and ceased to understand what the "kids" were up to these days?

Halle-fucking-lujah, praise whatever god you're into, my musical devotion has been resurrected-a! The boys in Howler have come and reaffirmed my faith in all things good and pure about music, with a group of songs that have me watching the calendar until the days that it's too hot wear jeans, the pollen has subsided, and I can ride with the windows down at all times.

Download the Minneapolis band's Jam of the Day below and get ready to hear much, much more of their surf-influenced soul. You'd be wise to get into them, and their debut album America Give Up, before beach season rolls around. Just sayin'.

Howler - Back Of Your Neck

Margo Timmins of Cowboy Junkies (The Extended Interview, Part Two)

There's a Cowboy Junkies memory I've never been able to erase from my mind: I often think back to the time I heard Margo Timmins sing "Thirty Summers" at The Pageant in the summer of 2001.

I have the bootleg somewhere in my house, and sure, it helps recreate the moment, at least sonically. But, for me, it was more than what I was hearing that night. It was what I saw -- Timmins' face as she sang the words her brother, Michael, wrote:

It's been thirty summers that I've spent with him
and I expect thirty more to pass
he has blessed my life in so many ways
that I could never turn my back.

There is something about Michael Timmins' words, and the way his sister, Margo, sings them that has always fascinated me.

And this is still the case with their latest offering, The Wilderness, the last volume of the four-part Nomad Series, a collection of albums that has turned out to be some of their best work. Let's have a quick listen to "Angels in the Wilderness."

Cowboy Junkies - Angels in the Wilderness

If you enjoyed that taste of The Wilderness, you have the chance to hear more of it live, as Cowboy Junkies will be performing at one of Saint Louis' best venues, The Sheldon, on Wednesday evening (4/18). All tickets are reserved ($30-35), and the show begins at 8 PM; there is no opener.

We recently had a chance to chat with Margo Timmins, who just happens to be one of our favorite interviews. Once again, she didn't disappoint.

The last time we talked, you had just released the Demons album, which was Volume Two of The Nomad Series. And now, you're at the finish line with The Wilderness. How did you pull this off (four albums in eighteen months)?

(laughing) I don't know! I have to say, you know, when we were doing it, we were just doing it, just trudging along. And then now, you're right -- now that it's over and I look back, it's like, "God, how did we do that? It's crazy!" (laughs)

And also, I knew we wouldn't release anything I wouldn't have been proud of; if it doesn't sound good, you don't put it out. And if we didn't make our 18-month mark, well, too bad. You can't compromise because of a date. But, I am amazed when I look back -- there is a lot of material, all of which I'm really proud of, some more than others. But, there is nothing that I've done that I'm like, "well, you know, I compromised on that one." (laughs).

So, I'm amazed. I think I am more amazed with Mike's abilities than anyone else's, because he's the one who went every day to the studio and twiddled knobs -- you know, I didn't have to be there every day! (laughs) My hat's off to Mike, he's the one.

A lot of the songs on The Wilderness -- some of these are really emotional.

Yeah. My favorite of the three will always be Demons, for many, many reasons. But, I think the last one is a really beautiful record. To me, that's the one for the fans -- The Wilderness album is the one most Junkie, the kind of sound they tend to connect Junkies to. So, I think, that's our gift.

Where, Sing In My Meadow, is a little (laughs) ... even though I know if you're a Junkies fan, you've seen us play that sort of stuff, it's a hard album to sit through and get into, and the same with Renmin Park -- that's a hard, hard record. So, this one's an easy one to sort of put on when you're having one of those long drives! (laughing)

You know, all of this is really challenging for the listener.

Hmm.

It's what you sort of have done for almost twenty five years.

Yeah, yeah. Well, I think it's respect.

Absolutely. There's a song called "Fairytale" on The Wilderness that's...I think it's one of the most beautiful songs Mike has ever written. I was listening to it for a while the other day, and I felt something different every time I listened to it.

That's great.

Which is a great thing about music.

Yeah, totally.

When Mike hands you a song like that, how do you feel?

Well, you know, it's funny, because that is an amazing song, and when I first got it -- you know, again, when I'm handed these songs, and when I get one like "Fairytale," I go, "oh my God, I have to get this more right than, say, the other ones." And I agree with you, I know I've been given something special. And I knew it also had a lot of references to Townes Van Zandt, which means a lot to Mike and to the band.

So, when I first got that song, which was a while ago, because we were touring, I did it live a couple of times -- and I knew I hadn't gotten it, I hadn't sort of found the right space for it. And when it was time to record the vocals, oddly enough, I had been spending a lot of time with my young niece, who is in her young twenties, and is sort of in that stage of life where you look at your future, and all you see is a big black void. (laughs) You know? No answers; you don't know what you're supposed to do. And I went into the studio, and I think that being with her and sort of re-living those feelings -- you know, I went through that, too, in my twenties -- we all do, that lost feeling. It helped me find my way back into "Fairytale" in a different way, because what I was doing with it before, was just really singing it sort of, I don't know ... poppy, where the way I recorded it was much more, a little bit dirtier -- when you get to the chorus, there is more of a poppier, sort of hopeful sound -- but the verses, you know, are kind of really dark! (laughs) It's like, "Whoa, there's the black void my niece is in."

So, anyway, that's where I found my inspiration for it. But, you're right -- a song like "Fairytale," when we're on the road in the coming months, will change -- it will change from missing my son, to an argument on the phone I had with my husband, or from a happy day I've had on the road. You know, I just might sing it really poppy one night (laughs) -- a happy little ditty! (laughing) So, they change, and a good song should. And Townes Van Zandt certainly often said to us, "Songs -- often you don't know what they mean or where they come from, and they mean something different to everybody who listens to them, and a good song should." You bring your life to it, and I'll bring mine to it.

I could see Townes Van Zandt singing a song like that.

Yeah, I could too, actually. Totally. You know, and you'd be sitting there going, "huh?" (laughing)

Well, with these four releases, I think what's really cool is that there is a book that will eventually come out by a pretty interesting artist, who I don't really know much about.

Yes. You know, I'm not involved very much in the process of the book, but I do know a lot about Enrique (Martinez Celaya) -- he's been a friend of the band for a long time. I met him, oddly enough, about five years ago or so. He called -- he's been a fan of the band for a long time -- he was having an art exhibit in L.A., and he wanted to open the art exhibit -- his vision was to open his exhibit with me standing in the middle of the gallery singing "Mining for Gold." That was his vision, you know? No stage, no nothing, I just come out and sing the song. (laughs) I said, "okay, you're mad!" (laughing) And I -- I don't do that sort of thing, I really ... just think, "oh no, not going to do that."

So he then sent his art books to me -- he said, "well, just look at my art." So, I say, "okay, free art books, great!" So, I looked at the art, and I really liked it. And I never studied art, I don't know anything about it except what I like and what I don't like. I was really was intrigued by the art. So, you know, what the hell, this is a crazy idea, I like the idea, I don't know if I have the guts to do it, but I like his art, so I'm going to do it. And I did! (laughs)

The weird thing was, I arrived at the art gallery, and all his new paintings were hanging on the wall, and they were these huge pieces. And when I walked into the art gallery -- it was empty, because it was during the day, and the show was that night -- so I had a chance to sort of just be alone with these big pieces, and I looked at them and said, "oh my God, Mike needs to see this." It was our music in art.

That's what I saw. He did it all in tar and feathers, and it was really rough and ugly and mean, but it was beautiful at the same time. And I go, "this is us, this is us in art, it's so weird!" (laughs) And I was so excited. So, I told him, "you have to meet my brother, you would really like my brother, and my brother would like you!" (laughs) So, we figured out a way for them to meet, and they've been friends and have done a lot of different projects over the years, and this is one of them, and it's one of those collaborations that came together in some weird way. Because even the idea of me saying yes to the project was just so bizarre -- I never say yes to those things. So, it was meant to be.

Well, when I saw the first cover for Renmin Park, I just thought, "now that's a Cowboy Junkies cover."

Yeah. Oh yeah.

I think that's a good thing about art and music, which I think, unfortunately, a lot of people miss out on these days when they just download a file.

Oh, I know. Totally. I totally agree. Enrique has said that when he's painting, the two musicians that he likes to listen to while he paints is us and Leonard Cohen. And I agree, I think there's a lot of connections between painting and sculpture and music.

Especially with a series like this. I was reading something where Mike was saying that these songs are about different characters. And with The Wilderness, like you were saying earlier, it might be a little more defined with a Junkies sound. But, did you have a different mindset with these particular songs? Was there anything that tied the four albums together?

Well, there were definite themes. When we went at it, we didn't go at it as a foursome, we went at it as individual albums. The idea was really that what would bind the four together would basically just be a period of time that we recorded them in. And over the years, we discovered that definitely the period of time that you are recording in does have a huge impact on the result of the album. Because, like with anything, it's what's going on in your life, and whether you're happy or sad, or your marriage is good or bad -- so time has a huge impact on the outcome, so that's what would bind the four.

But each album in themselves had a specific theme. Renmin Park was definitely about Mike's China visit and the feeling of being a stranger in a culture that you know nothing about, and could never totally understand anyway if you tried, in a lifetime.

And Demons was the Vic (Chesnutt) album, and that was ...  you know, after Vic's death, that seemed to make sense that we did that. And also, we've often talked about doing an album of cover songs, which was always something in the back of our heads to do, because it would be such a challenge, you know, to take on a body of work as opposed to just one song. And when Vic died, it was just obvious it should be him.

And I think that Sing In My Meadow, again, is a side of the Junkies, unless you've been to our concerts, it's a side you don't know about, because that kind of psychedelic music, maybe we might do one song like that on an album, but for us to do an entire album that way was a real challenge, especially for me, because that's not my forte! (laughs) So, that was, again ... each album had its own challenges.

And that's the beauty of the band -- it's always been like that for the listener, a challenge.

I think that comes from the fact that, before anything, we're fans of music. We have never said, "oh, we can't do that because we're not a punk or jazz band." We've just played the music and done the albums we wanted to do, and we've had great success in that we're still around. But, maybe that's the answer as to why we've never had a big hit, either! (laughs) People don't know who we are or what we're doing. (laughing) We're too schizophrenic for them, or whatever. But, we're still here, and we still enjoy it, and I think that's why -- it's still a challenge, it's not boring.

And you have control.

Well, that was the best ... when I write my memoirs, if I ever do, I think one of the best decisions we ever made -- and it came at the right time -- was when we decided to drop the majors and go our separate ways. Which was scary, because the majors have the money. (laughs) But, they don't really have that freedom, and I think if we had stayed with the majors, especially with the way they are today, there would have been more and more restrictions on us and demands for singles and all that crap that was irritating us. So, I think that was great when we decided to go our separate ways when we did.

Cowboy Junkies
Wednesday, April 18, 2012 at 8:00 PM
Sheldon Concert Hall, Saint Louis, Missouri (for tickets, click here)

Jam of the Day | The Walkmen - "Heaven"

The Walkmen have released the title tune of their upcoming LP Heaven (out on June 5th via Fat Possum), and the track is a fine slice of breezy pop rock from the NYC five-piece. Buoyed with a no-nonsense, jangly riff, "Heaven" is on the lighter side, if you will, of the spectrum of Walkmen singles to date (compare "Heaven" with the all out, howling rock of "The Rat"). Hamilton Leithauser's distinct vocals make the single instantly recognizable as a Walkmen tune, but the arrangement has the band experimenting with a smoothed out, surf rock vibe that may carve out a new direction for The Walkmen and their sixth full length record.

Listen to "Heaven" below. Buy Heaven in June here.

Jam of the Day | The Shoes - Time To Dance

Ahhhh! Our Jam of the Day makes me want to dance and not dance at the same time! I mean, on one hand, the song itself is literally the perfect song to spin when you and your friends get a bit tipsy and feel the need to bust a move. But the video, featuring a psychotic, dancer-killing, Jake Gyllenhaal makes me want to never enter the douchey confines of "da club" ever again.  What to do!?!

Well, maybe we should all just strap on our headphones and whip our hair back and forth, secretly, to this little ditty by French duo The Shoes. Then, stop all movement and watch the extended version of the song and its video accompaniment. It's pretty freaking badass.

Pick up their new LP, Crack My Bones, which features "Time to Dance" right here.

Jam of the Day | Née - Pretty Girls

Photo by Carson Minow

St. Louis' Née is Kristin Dennis, Mic Boshans, David Beeman (of Old Lights), and Lex Herbert. While we've written about the group before on SIC, they're now cooking up a soon to be released EP, Finches, which was recorded on "analogue, vintage gear" at Native Sound.

I'm not usually a fan of synths, but I'll let that slide here. Née's sounds feel a bit warmer, or maybe they just make me want to break out of this cubicle and run somewhere far away. Yeah, that might be it.

And while Dennis' finest moment might still be singing with Beeman on Old Lights' "Wilder Honey," today's JOTD comes pretty damn close to brushing that bar.

Pajammy Jam of the Day | The Spring Standards - Only Skin

 
Remember me with yellow hair and freckles on my nose
Remember me in purple shoes and turquoise pantyhose
Remember my two ankles, my fingers, and my toes
Remember me with yellow air and freckles on my nose

There's beauty in simplicity, and what could be a better example of that notion than the lyrics to our Pajammy Jam of the Day, "Only Skin" by The Spring Standards?

The Spring Standards - Only Skin

Yet, even such simplicity has its dark side. What happens when an idea is whittled down to nothingness because fleeing emotions or escaping time have vanquished its power? "Your name is just a noise now/ your face is only skin..." Heather Robb's lead vocals are appropriately somber - yet also appropriately detached - to recall such buried memories both with warm nostalgia and icy distance.

The yellow//gold double EP is due out May 1st on Parachute Shooter Records. Catch the band live in Saint Louis at Off Broadway on May 8th. The lovely Union Tree Review will kick off the night.

Concert Photos | Alabama Shakes at Cat's Cradle in Carrboro, NC

All photos by Aggie Donkar

At the beginning of March, we gave you the skinny on Alabama Shakes along with the mandatory assignment to keep your beautiful peepers (and ears) on the band. Did you do your homework?

Yeah? You get a gold star. No? Don't worry, there's time to rectify the clichéd dog-ate-my-homework excuse.

The band's debut album, Boys and Girls, is now out on Rough Trade, so get yo booty to your local record shop and pick it up. Our resident North Carolina photog, Aggie Donkar, was present to shoot the Shakes at Cat's Cradle. Aggie told us after the show, "The Shakes aren't as good live as is rumored; they're actually even better. Brittany Howard has more stage presence and a bigger voice than anyone who's only twenty-three has the right to have."

Check out the rest of Aggie's shots from the night on her Flickr stream.