The Hold Steady is streaming Sequestered in Memphis, the first single from the forthcoming LP Stay Positive, on its MySpace page.
The track, available at iTunes, features Ben Nichols of Lucero on backup vocals.
Pretty classic Craig Finn here, with bright horns and prominent piano: “She said I know I look tired but everything is fried here in Memphis.”
[STREAM]: The Hold Steady | Sequestered in Memphis
About three-quarters of the way through the Cave Singers’ show on Saturday night at Modified, I realized the band was without any sort of bass instrument. That wouldn’t be such a stunning revelation if the trio’s outstanding rhythm hadn’t already held me captive for about 30 minutes.
That’s probably a credit to the guitar playing of Derek Fudesco, whose finger-picking style manages to cover both lead and rhythm roles.
If I was a casual fan of the band’s debut Invitation Songs (get it at eMusic), the live show – with its vibrant energy – has pushed me into full fan mode. (Already I’ve downloaded the Daytrotter session and two B-sides at eMusic.)
Chad Sundin of Phoenix band the Via Maris made a great observation after the show: The Cave Singers put to use simple objects in entertaining ways. Like, say, singer Pete Quirk beating a maraca on a stool for added percussion punch on Dancing on Our Graves. (Never mind Quirk’s distinct and surprisingly warm/powerful nasal-inflected vocal style.)
While modern folk-rock heads into more abstract – and sometimes complicated – territory with the Yeasayers of the world, the Cave Singers insist there be something to hold onto, usually in the form of an infectious shuffle-stomp rhythm.
It might be true of 95 percent of bands, but a live setting is the best way to appreciate the Cave Singers’ appeal, to see the multiple parts at work in unison. I’m glad to say I’ve good reason to resurrect Invitation Songs for closer examination.
Here’s a song that’s owned me the past week. It comes from the Silver State, the Brooklyn-by-way-of-Vegas project of Caleb Lindskoog. The band recently released a tremendous album, Cut and Run, on Young American Recordings.
I’ll have more to say about the album – get it at eMusic – as a whole because it should not go unnoticed.
In the meantime, the video for Faith You Changed Your Name:
It seems like it’s been awhile since we’ve been to a show, so that will make Tuesday night’s outing at Modified, featuring the Whigs, What Made Milwaukee Famous and the Dead Trees, all the more fun.
I’ve been hopped up on the Whigs’ Mission Control (available at eMusic) the past couple days to get ready. (Though, this is my favorite album named Mission Control.)
The Arizona Republic talked to Whigs drummer Julian Dorio.
Given Modified’s modest size, I have a good feeling about the Whigs blowing the place apart. Note to self: Bring earplugs.
The Whigs perform Right Hand on My Heart on Letterman:
EDIT: Check out some live video at Breakfast on Tour of the tour stop in Houston. Um, yeah, Right Hand on My Heart pretty much rules.
Unfortunately, we didn’t drive out to Los Angeles for Elbow’s show on Friday night at the Avalon. But I’ve decided, unilaterally – all on my own, without help from the blogs or Pitchfork – that the band’s new record, The Seldom Seen Kid, is my favorite of 2008 so far. There’s so much to it, but the songwriting is never so confounding that you can’t understand what Guy Garvey is singing about or at least relate to it in some way, especially on a track like One Day Like This.
It’s just a shame the band didn’t perform The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver on this session on KEXP. (Subscribe to KEXP’s Live Performances Podcast.) You should seek that song out if you haven’t heard it yet.
However, we learn between songs in this session that Garvey (aside from being hungover … how does he still sing like this??) has been doing some writing/collaborating with Massive Attack for their new record. Also, Garvey has a radio show on the BBC called Guy Garvey’s Finest Hour. (For his last show, he played No One’s Gonna Love You, my favorite song off Band of Horses’ Cease to Begin.)
And check out Garvey’s tour blog for Blender. Apparently, he is the king of all media.
One of my favorites (and Brian’s, too), Los Angeles’ Radar Bros., visited KCRW for an in-studio session.
Also, you can go to the Merge blog, which has live video footage of the group at SXSW.
And don’t forget to check out Mt. Wilson Repeater, the solo project of Radar frontman Jim Putnam.
Marquee Theatre in Tempe has a couple busy days lined up in September. Not only is it hosting Vampire Weekend on Sept. 24, now comes word of a My Morning Jacket show on Sept. 23.
The show is being billed as “An Evening with My Morning Jacket,” which would seem to hint that there is no opening act. The Luckyman Concerts site says “an evening with no support.” But the Stateside Presents site says there is a “special guest.” Stay tuned.
Regardless, tickets for the all-ages show ($29) go on sale May 17.
The band is due to release Evil Urges on June 10. In related news, eMusic now has the entire MMJ catalog, including 2005’s Z.
As promised, Spoon continues to offer a bonus download per month – last month was a Cherry Bomb demo – at its Web site.
This month it’s the “first version” – also known as a demo – of I Turn My Camera On. I actually have this on a B-side of the 7-inch single (as you can tell from photo). I’d already done my due diligence and ripped it from the vinyl, but this version offers a little less snap, crackle and pop.
I even scanned the 7-inch cover for you completists out there. Grab the jpeg right here.
If anything can illustrate Vampire Weekend’s ascent it’s the fact that the New York quartet is playing Tempe’s cavernous Marquee Theatre on Sept. 24, just more than a year after appearing at cozy Modified as an unsigned band.
Tickets ($19) go on sale Saturday. No opening act has been announced yet. Check Stateside Presents for more information.
Just a few weeks ago, I was marveling at Vampire Weekend’s ubiquity at our local shopping mall, where we heard a VW song in no less than three different stores. I don’t mean that as a backlash-fueled knock at all. I say good for them. Haters be damned.
Vampire Weekend’s video for A-Punk:
Tom Waits is playing two dates in Phoenix – and NONE in New York. Hahahaha. LOL!
