Bowerbirds’ Upper Air is a 2009 sleeper, flying just under the radar. Given Phil Moore and Beth Tacular’s simple melodies and delicate arrangements, the acoustic folk outfit won’t stay there for long. After relentless touring, including a performance at this year’s Primavera festival in Spain and an upcoming spot on the Pitchfork Festival’s lineup, they seem destined for nu-folk greatness.
On Upper Air, the loose compositions all share a tender connection with Moore’s acute lyrics and unassuming voice. Where debut full-length Hymns for the Dark Horse focused on the natural world, here we find Moore in a more confessional state of mind. This transition proves to mature the entire sound; more personal lyrics combined with an expanded repertoire of instruments raises the bar for the band. Though the married duo (with Matt Damron on drums) do just one thing throughout the record, they do it well, and without pretense. Soft percussion, accordion and Tacular’s Feist-like harmonies accent this excellent release from Dead Oceans.
(Enjoy another excellent writeup from our new contributor Paige Maguire) Since 1990, Chicago’s Tortoise has effortlessly defied easy categorization. Operating somewhere between Krautrock and prog, post-rock and jazz, the group and their longtime label (Thrill Jockey) have offered indie music much to be inspired by and indebted to.
It’s been five years since the band released a full-length with all new material, and we’re ready for it. Few do what these guys do well, making the remix, electronica, jazz and ambient noise play nicely with deep rhythm sections and patient atmospheres. It’s no easy task, but the veterans show they’ve still got chops.
Tortoise has always been somewhat genre negligent, but this record finds them articulating this flexibility with a stiff sort of force. At times, the songs float in a post-Virgin Suicides Air-powered dance club (“Minors”, “The Fall of Seven Diamonds Plus One”) reminiscent of the Tortoise we’ve grown accustomed to over the years. The real highlights on this album, however, happen in between those moments. “Gigantes” is a six and a half minute, busty jaunt through the band’s more upbeat tendencies, and “Monument Six One Thousand” pays homage to several modern day glitch and avant auteurs (Four Tet, Clark) with dancey blips. “De Chelly” goes post-modern, sounding like Wendy Carlos’ Beethoven performed in Eden. Closing track “Charteroak Foundation” meanders through elements focused on previously throughout the record, but at over five minutes begins to pull its partners down. I can’t help but wish that the album ended with “De Chelly” one minute longer, closed with a John McEntire drum solo heart attack.
Overall the album is meticulously arranged, perhaps too much so. Its brightest moments fuse Tortoise’s unmistakable sound with post-Tortoise inspirations, making it an unbelievably ambitious undertaking — like writing your own biography and finishing the last few chapters with comments on how much your children are like you. Always gorgeous and immensely listenable, Beacons is bound to appear on many end of the year lists.
The Friedbergers are back, and with a sunnier, lighter feeling album than you might be used to from them as well. Eleanor and Matthew Friedberger are, of course, The Fiery Furnaces, a band whose back catalogue includes some of the most talked about indie releases of the past decade, including Blueberry Boat, Bitter Tea, an album recorded with their Grandmother (Rehearsing My Choir), and who could forget the epic, but probably way too long live album from last year, Remember.
The bottom line is that The Fiery Furnaces are pretty good at keeping their fans on their toes. You really never know what they might do next. While there’s nothing predictable about the band, their upcoming album (their third release on Chicago-based label Thrill Jockey Records) sees the band going back to basics in some ways, and it pulls their fans back that may have been ostricized during some of their more polarizing moments.
I’m Going Away carries a lighter air about it in general, with shorter poppier numbers led by the always steady piano work from Matthew. The sunnier feel is intentional too, as Matthew has said that the album means to take on more of a sitcom approach, like “Taxi”, as opposed to a full length feature film, like “Titanic.”
And if the parallel holds, I’d take it a step further and say that the key-driven tunes, combined with Eleanor’s infectious croon make for a perfect summer soundtrack in the city, with songs like “The End Is Near”, “Charmaine Champaign” and “I’m Going Away” coming in fast and short with just at or under three minutes of summer heat. It’s another change of pace for the band, who really bowled us over with their last studio album, Widow City, which seemed to really show off the band’s muscles with big swooping rock tunes that moved to the steady bass guitar heartbeat provided by Furnaces collaborator and Sebadoh member Jason Loewenstein (who also happens to have recorded and mixed I’m Going Away.)
(For today’s “This Just In” feature, please join me in welcoming our new contributor Paige and get ready to hear a lot more from her in the coming months.)
The last full length Dave Longstreth and his Dirty Projectors released was 2007’s Rise Above, an imagined version of Black Flag’s Damaged culled together from memory. Since that brave if somewhat difficult release, Angel Deradoorian has joined the group permanently as bassist and vocalist, they’ve written with David Byrne, and generally risen to indie-fame with a slew of tours and festival performances. All this attention is remarkable considering the band’s reputation for being geeky, avant and generally difficult to listen to.
The steadfast Longstreth follower was probably pleased with the treatment of Rise Above: it was a noticeable development for him in terms of arrangement and execution, and the touring band he assembled (now his cast for Bitte Orca) raised the bar for just about everyone. The Projector novice could listen and become familiar with Longstreth’s loping vocals, the absolutely academic guitar work and the band’s love affair with close-range harmony and listener challenges without ever giving a damn about Black Flag. Compared to previous releases, Rise Above took the complexity of Longstreth’s songwriting to a new level but bordered on exclusionary. Bitte Orca marks a resolution between the songwriter that is, at heart, a pop artist and an avant composer simultaneously.
It’s unavoidable: Bitte Orca is a challenge. There’s absolutely no allegiance to traditional structures or signatures, and the three vocalists (Longstreth, along with Deradoorian and rhythm guitarist Amber Coffman) effortlessly play with each other’s voices through harmony and note-hopping gymnastics throughout. Still, Bitte Orca manages to be utterly listenable, lithe and concise. There’s no fluff here, no filler tracks. Rarely is such a brainy record so purely enjoyable.
Opener “Cannibal Resource” introduces the rest of the album as well as any lead track could. The off-kilter time signature, layers of vocal harmony and intermittent claps are pinned together by Longstreth’s guitar, which is remarkable considering the fact that the guitar only appears occasionally in the tune. Right away we’re asked to cope with the agility of the group’s songwriting, and yet here it is, track one, utterly melodic and memorable. “Temecula” and “The Bride” scream Jimmy Page immediately with both tune and production, slowing down the frenetic mood leftover from track one. Their ease and accessibility are sequestered for “Stillness Is the Move”, a jaunting, toe-tapping tune that introduces female lead vocals and a modest dose of four on the floor relief. “Two Doves” brings things even closer to earth with its loose homage to Nico’s version of Jackson Browne’s “These Days”. “Useful Chamber” — a sort of title track — brings Longstreth’s Page fantasy to fruition with a mid-song breakdown and fuzzed-out guitar chorus. Another highlight is transition-tune “No Intention”, a sweetly sung pop swash hoisted by intricate guitar noodling and soaring falsettos. All the while, Longstreth’s skills are met with remarkable technical precision from the rest of the band. As often as he is referred to as the driving force of this group, he’s been unbelievably generous with the group — they’re given the keys and asked to drive throughout.
At any point on this record, the ensemble is struggling between pop fancy and compositional esotericism, and though many will find the songs busy or overwhelming, careful listens reveal an astounding restraint in these arrangements. After years of burgeoning home recordings and rotating band members, Longstreth has released his most shining accomplishment yet — one that will earn him attention in circles that might surprise him. Longtime fans that are frustrated with increased accessibility take note: Bitte Orca might be more accessible than anything prior, but it’s certainly not any less dense. Easily one of 2009’s most gratifying and addictive listens.
White Rabbits hit the scene a couple years ago with a standout debut, Fort Nightly, and caught the attention of lots of us, including some contemporaries. The band did the festival circuit, and also went out on tour with The Walkmen, Spoon, Richard Swift, The Cribs, White Denim and Tokyo Police Club among others in the two years after the debut dropped. When the band finally had a moment to breathe, they took advantage of their new relationships and got to work on album number two.
While I know some felt that Fort Nightly had some “Spoon-ish” qualities to it, I did not draw the comparison as much, however the collaboration between the Rabbits and Britt Daniel on this new album, as Britt is the producer, makes the comparison a little tougher to ignore this time around.
That is not to say that Britt has made White Rabbits sound like the second coming of Girls Can Tell, which would not be a bad thing by the way, but rather that the crispness and bite that I have come to expect from Spoon is all over It’s Frightening, the new album from White Rabbits. It could also have something to do with the fact that in addition to Britt, White Rabbits enlisted the help of Austin based studio wiz Mike McCarthy to mix the album and his respected fingerprints are all over it as well.
The album plays like a complete work from start to finish, and has the type of cohesive sound you would expect from a band in mid-career stride rather than a group on their second album. It starts with a band on the lead tune and single Percussion Gun with certainly sounds just like the title suggests, and sets the tone of the record. There are moments that are more mid-tempo on the album as well, as the band is able to take a step back from the excitement and show a more introspective side as well. Overall, it’s an album that should put White Rabbits in front of even more people than before, which would be a well deserved position for this excellent upcoming band.
The album is out on May 19th in the US from TBD Records.
Ever since his first album for Secretly Canadian Records, which was one half The Novelist, and the other half Walking Without Effort I have had a certain fondness for everything the man touches. While some of his work has flown under my radar, it is hard not to appreciate the songwriter / mad scientist that sits behind his piano and bears his soul.
So when the new album from Swift fell into my lap, I had to see what he was up to now. And as it turns out, what he is up to is blowing the roof off of all the adjectives you may have used to describe him in the past. It’s pretty easy to categorize some of Swifts previous efforts as bedroom pop or hushed and even dark at times, while this new album, The Atlantic Ocean comes out of the gate downright sunny and dare I say it, fun.
This is not to say that Swift has never ventured into the sunnier side of the pasture, but something about the introduction to this new album is way more in the realm of a soulful Beach Boys album rather than some previous work, which might fall closer to a brooding version of Rufus Wainwright. And current contemporaries like Ron Sexsmith should take note, buying an vintage analog tape machine from Jeff Tweedy has its benefits. Because that is just what Swift used to record most of this album, after touring with Wilco last year. Leaning on his proven approach and getting some help from engineer Chris Colbert, Swift churned out what in our opinion is his best record to date.
But when it comes down to it, Swift might describe The Atlantic Ocean the best when he says it is like “Prince sitting in on John Lennon’s Plastic Ono sessions”.
The Atlantic Ocean is out April 7th from SC and interestingly enough, Swift finds himself out on the road with The Fray, of all bands, this summer. All dates listed after the jump….
Luke Temple is a singer with immense talent. If you are a fan of his solo work or not, you have to at least appreciate his ability as a singer, which is nothing short of impressive. His two albums to date have been very introspective bedroom folk pop that requires some patience to fully appreciate.
Temple is stepping outside of those boundaries for his new project though, Here We Go Magic. For this adventure, Temple has enlisted a wide variety of sounds and emotions to make up the self titled album. Luke still recorded things at home, but used analog synths, a cassette 4-track, and a SM-57 mic to get the album where he wanted it.
The results are multi-layered experimental pop music that, when combined with Temple’s voice, make this an album I can easily recommend. The record is due out now on Western Vinyl.
In addition, Here We Go Magic will be joining us live in the lounge this afternoon at 3pm ET! So mark you calendars now and check out all the upcoming tour dates after the jump.
Over the past couple of months, I have been on a bit of a James Brown kick. Picking up random album from his past and even a 45′ of JB doing “Living In America” from Rocky IV. Another kick I have been on of late is music coming out of Austin, Texas. Sure, there are loads of talented bands that claim Austin as home, so I dug beneath the surface just a bit and with a little help have unearthed some great bands in the process.
One that I stumbled upon recently that satisfied both of those “kicks” is Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears. Certainly not a secret, but unknown to me, Black Joe Lewis’s sound hooked me instantly. With every bit as much soul and sweat as James Brown and more recently King Khan & The Shrines, Lewis and his band The Honeybears are not only great musicians, but also make me laugh out loud with some of their lyrics. With tunes like “Bitch, I Love You” and “Bobby Booshay” it can be as comedic and fun as anything I have heard so far this year. The upcoming album was also produced by Jim Eno of Spoon.
The digital EP is already available from outlets like lala.com (below) and the debut full length album is on the way March 17th from Lost Highway titled Tell Em’ What Your Name Is. Listen to “Gunpowder” below and tell me you don’t love it… :)
There is something about a band with a rich backstory that just makes the transition from holding the album in your hand to having it on repeat a bit quicker. While I could care less about most PR releases telling me about the next great band for fans of Arcade Fire, Modest Mouse, Wilco, & The Beatles, every now and then, a story makes me want to hear the album right away.
Such was the case with Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band, whos name I had heard a couple times, and with a name like that, you kinda remember it quickly. So when I got hold of the full length album recently, I paid attention. And I am really glad I did, because this is quickly becoming one of my favorite new albums this year.
As for the aforementioned back story, well the gist is that the band started to release PSA’s via myspace before they even had music to offer and in a strange way caught the attention of some in their hometown of Seattle. We find out a bit more about the band just after this, when they revealed that their drummer, is the adopted brother of the lead singer, Benjamin Verdoes , and is 13 years old. Ben also has enlisted his wife to be in the band, and she sings backing vocals. And oh yeah, the album was co-produced by Scott Colburn (Arcade Fire, Animal Collective). Not a bad little story eh?
And now, we know that Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band will be releasing their debut full length album on the Dead Oceans label March 10th, and touring with Bishop Allen this spring. So, what about the music? Well, its not ground breaking, but as far as indie rock goes, it hits the sweet spot. With some great guitar work and pleading vocals, there is no reason that these guys won’t be a blog darling before long (if they are not already).
Get a taste of the new record right now with this tune, “Anchors Dropped”….
If you hear the words “instrumental rock” and “Austin, TX” in the same sentence, it’s pretty hard not to reference Explosions In The Sky. After all, the band has become well known in the past few years for their anthemic brand of post-rock. But forget what you know about Austin and Instrumental Rock, because The Calm Blue Sea are fully prepared to change that.
While they may get grouped together with EIS often because of reasons already stated, The Calm Blue Sea do more than stand up on their own feet on their debut self titled album. The more appropriate term you should be hearing or reading when the band is described is “beautiful”, because that is the word I could not get out of my mind when listening to the soaring tunes on this record.
Providing the perfect backdrop for a film soundtrack or whatever you might be doing at the time, this album is not only atmospheric and at times ambient, but flat out rocks in places as well. Be prepared for deep reaching epic songs from this 6 song album, all of which clock out in the 7-9 minutes range (with one exception). The highs and lows are equally intriguing on the album, building from an area of gentle tones to a full out post-rock epic.
Keep an eye on The Calm Blue Sea, 2009 could be a great year for these guys.
I’ll get you started with this video of the band performing their song, “Literal” live…
Bowerbirds’ Upper Air is a 2009 sleeper, flying just under the radar. Given Phil Moore and Beth Tacular’s simple melodies and delicate arrangements, the acoustic folk outfit won’t stay there for long. After relentless touring, including a performance at this year’s Primavera festival in Spain and an upcoming spot on the Pitchfork Festival’s lineup, they seem destined for nu-folk greatness. 
you are a fan of his solo work or not, you have to at least appreciate his ability as a singer, which is nothing short of impressive. His two albums to date have been very introspective bedroom folk pop that requires some patience to fully appreciate.
