Monthly Archives: July 2012

general

New Sea Wolf: Old Friend

Leave a comment

seawolf

In September 2008 – about a year before the release of his second album under the Sea Wolf name – Alex Brown Church sounded like a man in need of a change. I got to interview him during his opening run for Okkervil River at the time, when the Los Angeles-based Church was spending half the year in Montreal with his girlfriend. Said Church: “Being here is a really interesting experience because it’s bilingual and different culturally from Los Angeles. I’ve been longing to not be in L.A. for a while but not really knowing where else to go. It’s been a nice break.”

Fast-forward almost four years, and Church has returned to familiar surroundings. Church and his girlfriend moved back to L.A., where he wrote his third album, Old World Romance, due out Sept. 11 on Dangerbird Records.

“Old Friend,” the first single from the new album, is the makeup to the breakup – a sort of apology for leaving but a celebration of returning home: “Old friend come to me / everything I was, I used to be / I went north and I went east / following in the footsteps of some beautiful beast.”

Church obviously had a good reason to go – we all have to go at some point. But you can go home again.

Church told the Los Angeles Times: “It was inspiring to be in another city, but it also felt very alone, other than being with her and her friends. She’s a French Canadian, and all of her friends are French Canadian, so I didn’t have any English friends there. There’s a cultural barrier that goes along with that. Coming home to California was really inspiring. I just felt comfortable.”

Old World Romance track list:
1. Old Friend
2. In Nothing
3. Priscilla
4. Kasper
5. Blue Stockings
6. Saint Catherine St.
7. Changing Seasons
8. Dear Fellow Traveler
9. Miracle Cure
10. Whirlpool

general, sports

Ben Gibbard: Ichiro’s Theme

Leave a comment

gibbard_480

If it wasn’t totally obvious already, I love when music and sports collide. These are subjects that consume me, personally and professionally. What could be better than a marriage of the two?

So even though I have no loyalties to the Mariners or Ichiro Suzuki (I’m just another miserable Cubs fan), I found it rather endearing that Death Cab for Cutie frontman and devoted Mariners follower Ben Gibbard unveiled an homage to Ichiro via Twitter after the star outfielder was traded to the Yankees on Monday.

Says Gibbard: “I wrote this song a few years ago. Today seems like the best day to share it with you. Thank you so much, Ichiro.”

“Ichiro’s Theme” is undeniably catchy – “Go, go, go, go, Ichiro” – if not a little schmaltzy, but the sentimental power of baseball can inspire grown men in unique ways. Thousands of words were spilled Monday about a 10-time All-Star’s legacy, and thousands more will follow, but a three-minute song seems just as fitting as any tribute.

Ichiro’s Theme by Ben Gibbard:

hip-hop, i used to love h.e.r.

I Used to Love H.E.R.: Harris Pittman (Henry Clay People)

2 Comments

henryclaypeople

The 55th installment of I Used to Love H.E.R., a series in which artists/bloggers/writers discuss their most essential or favorite hip-hop albums and songs, comes from Harris Pittman, bassist for the Los Angeles-based Henry Clay People, who are playing Crescent Ballroom on Thursday night in support of their new album Twenty-Five for the Rest of Our Lives, out now on TBD Records.

Pittman dissects a not-so-obvious classic, an album whose much-anticipated follow-up is rumored to be finished with a possible release later this year.

deltron 3030Deltron 3030, self-titled
(75 Ark, 2000)

Picking a favorite hip-hop record is – for me at least – a difficult task. I will spare you the obvious favorites from Run DMC, Public Enemy and A Tribe Called Quest. Picking those groups are like picking The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Nirvana for me, respectively. The importance of their records are well-known, but my go-to record is more like The Soft Bulletin of hip-hop, Deltron 3030. It’s the work of mastermind Del the Funky Homosapien, Dan the Automator (Dan Nakamura) and Kid Koala, along with contributions from Damon Albarn and others.

Deltron 3030 is Del and Dan the Automator’s concept album of a dystopian society with only one hope: Deltron Zero. Throughout this tale of hip-hop sci-fi set in the year 3030, Del delivers abstract ideas set against Nakamura’s signature production. Deltron 3030 takes the idea of Nakamura’s previous effort, Dr. Octagon (with Kool Keith), and solidifies his vision with more intelligent and digestible rhymes from Del. Nakamura fuses odd samples, like the hook from the 1970 tune “Of Cities and Escapes” by Canadian pop group The Poppy Family on the track “Madness” to my favorite bass line on the album. The list of abstract samples continues further. Ever heard of the 1968’s “No Silver Bird” by Hooterville Trolley? Me neither.

Deltron 3030, released in 2000, really needs to be heard to understand how out of the box this record is to be fully appreciated. While many of the ideas are futuristic and more 1984 than “Fight the Power,” these tracks stand the test of time and will still be relevant for the next 1,018 years. Put any of them against your choice of mainstream hip-hop “hits” of the last twenty years and Deltron Zero will still remain victorious.

arizona, general, video

New Reubens Accomplice (!): Field Science, plus track listing for the album Sons of Men

2 Comments

Reubens Accomplice

I think I speak for Reubens Accomplice fans everywhere when I say this: Finally.

A new album by the beloved Phoenix band, which would be its first since 2004’s The Bull, the Balloon, and the Family, has become a bit like our very own sasquatch – often discussed but never seen. We’ve been teased, agonizingly so at times. I had my own sighting (false, as it turns out), in 2006, of a possible album that even had a title, Mammal Music. Let me put 2006 in perspective for you: I gleaned this information from the band’s Live Journal, which is just a rung below MySpace in the social media wasteland.

Reubens AccompliceSpeaking of MySpace, that might be where I first saw news, in 2009, that the band had released an EP and was taking pre-orders for the new album, titled Sons of Men. Three years later, there was something to it: Sons of Men actually is the name of the album, and it will be available this August. No, really. A mural was painted in downtown Phoenix to promote the album with the words: “Available August 2012.” I saw it with my own two eyes. That’s about as close to etched in stone as there is. No turning back now, dudes.

But seriously: I tease because I love. Life tends to get in the way of these things. I don’t have the faintest idea of what Chris Corak and Jeff Bufano – the band’s two principal members – had to go through to get to this point. But I hope to find out more in the coming weeks. I can tell you that Grammy-winning producer/engineer/mixer Chris Testa, who has worked with several locals in the past (Jimmy Eat World, Source Victoria, Kinch, Courtney Marie Andrews), is adding this one to his extensive credits.

Corak also kindly (and quickly) responded to an email to give me some other tidbits, including the track listing (below) and that guest musicians on the record include pedal-steel king Jon Rauhouse (a member of Neko Case’s band), Matt Maher and Promise Ring/Maritime singer Davey von Bohlen, who sings the choruses on “I Love You, But I’m Tired.”

What we also know is this: Sons of Men (that’s the cover art above; click to expand) will be available in August, with a show at Crescent Ballroom on Aug. 10 serving as the album release party. (They are playing shows on Aug. 11 and 12 in California with the Promise Ring.) “Field Science” is the leadoff track on the album, and it’s featured here in the time-lapse video that shows the creation of the aforementioned mural.

Getting the feeling this is going to be worth the wait.

Sons of Men track listing:
1. Field Science
2. This Desert
3. I Love You, but I’m Tired
4. I’m Leaving
5. The Losing Curse
6. Sons of Men
7. Memory Works
8. No Motion
9. Women
10. Less Pain Forever

general

Fang Island: Major

1 Comment

fangisland

Eric here again (previous posts here and here). I feel like more of my favorite bands have released, or are about to release, potentially awesome albums in the last few months than I have time for these days. I’m firmly entrenched in Japandroids‘ Celebration Rock, knee-deep in Beach House’s Bloom, starting to put in some solid QT with El-P’s Cancer for Cure and Killer Mike’s R.A.P. Music, and licking my lips just thinking about diving into Dirty Projectors’ Swing Lo Magellan and Twin Shadow’s Confess. On top of that, as Kevin mentioned in his last few posts, brand new stuff from the Soft Pack and Band of Horses. I do declay-uh, I think I’m catchin’ tha vapuhs, y’all. *woosily faints in style of 1860’s southern belle*

I think I’m about to have to throw another one on the pile. On July 24, Brooklyn via Providence, R.I., rockers Fang Island are set to release Major, the follow-up to their stellar 2010 self-titled debut. After a first listen, what we seem to have is a more fully realized version of their self-described “everyone high-fiving everyone” vibe on display. Intensely catchy, dense with hooks, intricate guitar work and squibbily-dibbily-doo solos, Major is relentlessly upbeat, consistently air-drum-inducing and unabashedly loud. Tracks like “Asunder,” “Seek it Out” and “Sisterly” ratchet up the jamzzz several notches from Fang Island’s already established ball-to-the-wall-edness.

Not only is there an album to look forward to in the near future, but they’ll also be playing a show at my beloved Rhythm Room on Aug. 12, via Stateside Presents. For 12 buckaroonies, no less. Can’t beat that. (Side note: I really do miss me some Rhythm Room. I moved to Phoenix from Scottsdale in August 2011, planning to more or less live at Rhythm Room, and sadly, I think I’ve been to like two shows since. As it turned out, my move-in date was a little over 2 months before a certain little spot opened up, stealing away many of its indie shows, and in turn, this guy. Not that I’m complaining about suddenly having what’s becoming one of the top venues in the western United States almost equally close. When I think about good ol’ RR, though, I definitely get a wee bit nostalgic about seeing some of my favorite bands, most or all of whom have now outgrown the place, play in a space roughly the size of a wealthier buddy’s living room. Just sayin’.)

I had become (slightly) familiar with Fang Island soon before I saw them open up for Matt and Kim at the Clubhouse (barf) in October 2010, and after seeing them perform, I was hooked. Their live show is not to be missed, especially if you have a thang for dudes that dress like hipster-y wizards or just feel like working out some energy by jumping around and smiling like an idiot for an hour or two.

general

Wilco streams California Stars (feat. Andrew Bird)

Leave a comment

wilco_showposter

On July 8, Wilco played a sold-out show at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark in Geneva, Ill., home of the Kane County Cougars, a Class A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. If performing at a minor league baseball stadium wasn’t cool enough, fellow Chicagoan Andrew Bird served as the opener.

As part of Wilco’s second encore, Bird joined the band for a version of “California Stars,” a live staple and a beautiful standout from the Mermaid Avenue albums. Frontman Jeff Tweedy dedicated the performance in honor of Woody Guthrie’s 100th birthday, which is today. To celebrate, the band is streaming the performance on its website.

This song never, ever gets old.

[STREAM]: Wilco (feat. Andrew Bird) | California Stars (live at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark)

arizona, covers

Phoenix’s Knesset cover Bon Iver’s Holocene

Leave a comment

knesset_holocene

Let’s be honest: Recording any cover song takes some level of ballsiness. You have to be respectful of the original but confident in your own spin on the song. And tackling a Grammy-nominated song within about a year of its release … well … that’s pretty bold.

But Knesset obviously knew what it was doing. The Phoenix-based band took on “Holocene” by Bon Iver, a track that was up for Record and Song of the Year at the 2012 Grammys. Also, this is a song that white butlers are way into. Be respectful.

Seriously, though, Knesset shows the proper reverence here and infuses an already-great song with the sort of energy guaranteed not to put Blue Ivy Carter to sleep. Stream it below or download it at RCRD LBL.

general, video

PAPA: Ain’t It So (video)

Leave a comment

papa_screengrab

“And like a song, she’s here and gone.”

That’s one of my favorite lines from “Ain’t It So,” the leadoff track from A Good Woman is Hard to Find, the debut EP by PAPA (previously raved about here). But breaking down Darren Weiss’ lyrics is a tough chore – you have to get past the insanely catchy hooks first to even want to do that.

Weiss told Nylon magazine of “Ain’t It So”: “Well, it’s a song about letting go of someone I feel like I probably should’ve married instead. It’s a real honest song about that feeling.”

Seems straightforward enough, though I’m not sure I have the interpretive intuition to make sense of the song’s new video, in which Weiss, clad in a pink suit, is driven around (along with an oversized teddy bear) by PAPA bassist/cabbie Daniel Presant. Along the circuitous route, Weiss stops to pick up a dog and tries to play catch with some Little Leaguers, but nobody seems to be paying attention to him. Maybe we’re riding shotgun, looking at a man taking inventory on his life. Or maybe not …

PAPA was scheduled to record new material last month, so there could be a release by the end of the year. In the meantime, you should really pick up that EP.

general

New Band of Horses: Knock Knock (stream, video)

Leave a comment

miragerock

Band of Horses sneaked in under the cloak of darkness on Facebook on Monday night to announce the details of their new album, Mirage Rock. Their fourth album – I love the continuity of their cover-art aesthetic – is due for release on Sept. 18 and was produced by Glyn Johns. It’s available for preorder via iTunes, which will come with a bonus track.

Along with news of the release came a stream and video for the first single, “Knock Knock,” and a track listing.

1. Knock Knock
2. How To Live
3. Slow Cruel Hands of Time
4. A Little Biblical
5. Shut-In Tourist
6. Dumpster World
7. Electric Music
8. Everything’s Gonna Be Undone
9. Feud
10. Long Vows
11. Heartbreak on the 101

general

New Soft Pack: Saratoga

1 Comment

thesoftpack

I’m not saying I have the power of premonition, but just yesterday I thought it would be a good idea to revisit the Soft Pack catalog while thinking to myself, “Hey, the Soft Pack is probably due for a new album soon.” Then today comes news of a new Soft Pack album. Coincidence? I think not.

“Saratoga” is the first single from said album by the L.A.-based surf-pysch-pop four-piece, titled Strapped and due out on Mexican Summer on Sept. 25. The album follows up the band’s excellent self-titled full-length debut from 2010.

The song hits a groove from the second you push play – that bassline is worming its way into my subconscious – but you have to dig a little deeper to pick up the faded vocals of singer Matt Lamkin, who gets right to the point in detailing the wreckage of a relationship gone wrong: “Would you be kind enough to find the time to return all the time that I spent right beside you?” But don’t let that be a buzzkill for the song’s summery vibes.

The band announced fall tour, which includes a stop in Tucson on Sept. 22, but there is no Phoenix date.

Strapped track list:
1. Saratoga
2. Second Look
3. They Say
4. Tallboy
5. Bobby Brown
6. Chinatown
7. Ray’s Mistake
8. Oxford Ave.
9. Everything I Know
10. Head on Ice
11. Bound to Fall
12. Captain Ace