It's here. Last week, NYC's Vampire Weekend dropped their hotly anticipated, highly hyped, self-titled and first LP on XL Recordings.
Reading more and more of the hooplah, reaching supernova levels, I really wanted to hate this release. But goddammit, every once in a while, there's actually something that comes out that meets the expectations. For me, this was like Michael Bay's Transformers. I didn't think I liked the people behind the scenes and I thought they didn't know the material they were working with and were just delivering phoned-in approximations and reinterpretations.
Man was I wrong. More comments to come. Anybody else that can't get this damn CD out of their player/MP3s out of their MP3 player?
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Vampire Weekend - A-punk
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Vampire Weekend, goddamn bloodsuckers...
Stripped down punk warmth, courtesy of the Thermals
I have a confession. I am addicted to Portland's most-prominent purveyors of earnest, politically charged punk, the Thermals. I drove to NYC this past August to catch them with Ted Leo in the basin of NYC's largest pool, drained, in the middle of McCarren Park.
I didn't want to tell Ted, but I was there more for Hutch and Kathy.
Behold, the latest Daytrotter session here. Wherein the Thermals are doing their thing. Albeit with a little less of the frantic, lightspeed tempo of their reputed live shows.
And apparently, with hints of what the new album will sound like...and I personally cannot wait. Couple vids off The Blood, The Body, The Machine for you after the jump.
Has dissent-punk ever been this endearing, heartfelt and fun? And during this election year, has it ever been more needed?
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The Thermals - "Returning to the Fold"
Leaving a big hole in my heart.
I know that this post is somewhat out of place, but I can't help but comment on it.
More than I actually listen to music throughout my day, I listen to the local NPR station, WYPR. Supposedly that acronym should stand for Your Public Radio. Yesterday, I turned on the radio at work in the morning, and at 12, waited for the always illuminating Marc Steiner Show to come on. It didn't. I assumed I must have been accidentally picking up DC's WAMU (88.5). I wasn't.
Photo credit: Steve Ruark, Special to the Sun
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In something reminiscent of the Colts leaving Baltimore in the middle of the night, WYPR had decided to fire Marc Steiner, a founder of the station, without warning. A half-assed excuse of "ratings" was given as the reason for his termination.
In Baltimore, the name Marc Steiner is synonymous with Public Radio. By hemorrhaging this connection, WYPR has effectively stunted or stopped the growth of public knowledge of Baltimore City politics and news. They have also broken my heart. Where else can I turn for in depth, accessible, coverage of candidates' positions before election day? Where else can I listen to well moderated and well planned discussions of things I didn't even know I was interested in before I turned on the radio? These things, and many more that I'm not cognizant enough to list right now, were the reasons I became a member of WYPR. The destruction of these things will be the reason I reconsider staying a member of WYPR in the future.
For more information, please visit Marc Steiner's blog.
BAM! BAM!
BAM (also known as Brooklyn Academy of Music) is holding their 2nd annual Brooklyn Next Fest from February 15-24. The festival is tasked with the unenviable job of celebrating that stagnant music scene up in Brooklyn (sarcasm).
Notable performers include the excellent White Rabbits, Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone of TV on the Radio, epic heartbreakers the National, My Brightest Diamond, country-folk artist Laura Cantrell and a healthy dose of electronica from Excepter.
Check the official site here for more info.
And as usual, some vids/tunes after the jump for your perusal.
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The National - "Fake Empire"
Monday, February 4, 2008
Yelle out loud...it's ok. She likes it.
Yelle is the name of a French electro-pop vixen that has made some deadly-catchy dance music. Check some videos after the jump, and maybe some fanboyish rantings later in the week.
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Je veux te voir
D'accord! Encore, s'il vous plait! Vive le Freedom Toast.
DJ Blaqstarr at Sonar
Baltimore based DJ Blaqstarr will be headlining an upcoming TaxLo at Sonar on February 29th. Tickets are only $8. Surely, this will be an event likely to happen once every four years, at most. (See what I did there...).
What's it going to be like?
A lot like this:
"Shake it to the Ground" by DJ Blaqstarr, f/t Rye Rye (a 14 y/o Baltimore rapper).
Panda Bear hat give away on Fader
Okay, I think this is really cool.
Reppin' Maryland, reppin' Person Pitch.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Dub gets the academic treatment
Dub, born out of Kingston dance halls and soundclashes, will be the topic of an upcoming lecture at Peabody Conservatory. On Wednesday, February 6 Michael Veal, of Yale University, will give the free talk on the bass-heavy, reverbed-out reggae offshoot . And later that night a bunch of Peabody students, otherwise known as Soul Cannon (Baltimore's live hip hop band) hit the stage of the Talking Head.
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UPDATE: I have been obsessed with dub-step master Burial's 2007 LP Untrue lately. 3 tracks for your listening pleasure...--A.S.
Dub icons Lee "Scratch" Perry and Mad Professor
Soul Cannon
--Bez
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Kiwi Post-Hardcore
Just dropped into my inbox: Die! Die! Die!, some New Zealandish post-hardcore activity. Promising stuff. New album from S.A.F. Records called Promises, Promises drops this coming Tuesday.
Video and 3 MP3's after the jump...
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MP3s for your discretion:
"A.T.T.I.T.U.D"
"BLUE SKIES"
"SIDEWAYS HERE WE COME"
Friday, February 1, 2008
Over the horizon: this weekend.
End of week kiddos. Time to let loose and catch some good live tunes.
At the BSO tonight, where Alsop will conduct their 'America' program, playing the ubiquitous, probably cliched, but still gorgeous "Appalachian Spring" from Copland, Mark O'Connor's "American Seasons" and Duke Ellington's "Harlem." Student rush is only $10. Real seats are a little bit more.
Saturday night, the Sidebar is hosting one of the best tribute nights ever, showing the local love for the boys of the Clash. Lineup includes the fabulous Thee Lexington Arrows.
Sunday is some kind of big sporting event...I'll probably be playing Call of Duty 4 on 360 or reading Ha Jin's The Crazed while listening to some Hong Kong hardcore.
Tell us, dear reader, what's piquing your interest this weekend?
There's always room for cello...wait...what?
Classical music isn't as stuffy as you might think. An audiophile simply wants to hear good music, regardless of its genre or classification. And when you see a classical performance, you can be certain of one thing...shit will be done right. We’ve thrown the old Adorno model of high art vs. low art out the window long ago. Pop/rock/electronic musicians have long had classical influences, as well as many contemporary classical musicians and composers looking to the pop world. Philip Glass wrote works based on Bowie's Heroes. Aphex Twin hangs out with Glass. Leonard Bernstein thought Brian Wilson was a genius. Jonny Greenwood's recent soundtrack for There Will be Blood bears the mark of Gorecki to be sure, and perhaps other 20th century European composers. Talk to anybody involved in anything experimental about Stockhausen, and they won't shut up. The point is that people listening to popular music can't simply dismiss classical music. With that said, I recently got the chance to see Peabody faculty member Amit Peled perform the complete Beethoven cello sonatas. To me this was very exciting. I began playing cello when I was about seven. I’ve played most of the Beethoven cello sonatas, though my performances were never worth much notice. But going beyond my personal involvement with the instrument, this recital allowed the listener to hear (and see) Beethoven’s progress and development writing for an instrument over the course of nearly 20 years. All 700 seats of Peabody’s Freidberg Concert Hall were filled, though some of those seats were taken up by conservatory student’s cello cases (and when bows alone can cost well into the tens of thousands of dollars, it’s understandable wanting to keep a close eye on you instrument). People were visibly excited, if not just to see someone complete the marathon performance of going through all the sonatas. Mr. Peled, accompanied by Alon Goldstein, took the stage. The first two sonatas are not very strong pieces, and there isn’t too much the performer can do about it. When Beethoven wrote the first two sonatas, he had no understanding of how to exploit the cello’s strengths. Beethoven stuck to what he knew, so the focus of the first two remained the piano, with the cello playing little more than a glorified continuo.
Why would Aural States review a classical recital? Why would we, a brand new blog, even bother with something that won't earn us indie/hipster/scenester cred?
Because Aural States is by music geeks, for music geeks.
If you're a dilettante more worried about having the tightest jeans at the show, than about the music, I can recommend other, more cholesterol rich Baltimore music blogs for you to visit that are probably much better at and more focused on getting you your fix. But if you take music seriously, and see it as more than just a signifier of you coolness, then this blog has something to offer you.
During the first sonata, Mr. Peled had an embarrassing, though common, mistake for cellists—his endpin kept slipping. The endpin is the pointed metal rod at the base of the cello, and it supports all of the weight. Mr. Peled couldn’t find a notch in the floor keep to the endpin in place, so he supported the cello instead by holding the body between his knees—like a baroque cello, or a viola da gamba.
Before beginning the second sonata, Mr. Peled found a knick in the floor and readjusted his chair.
“I always tell my students to find the hole before the recital,” he joked.
For my money, sonata No. 3 was the highlight of the whole night. This is when Beethoven finally understood what to do with the cello. The first movement opens with the cello playing alone in the lower register. Sonata No. 3, and the scherzo movement in particular, work to the advantages of the cello. The themes are muscular and resonating. Mr. Peled’s approach was very physical, very forceful. Horsehairs were snapping all over the place.
In the last two sonatas the dynamic between Mr. Peled and Mr. Goldstein became apparent. At this point in Beethoven’s writing the interplay between the cellist and pianist becomes (and this will sound trite and cliché, but it’s true) a dialog.
It can be said that the first two sonatas were piano pieces that just happen to have cello included, the third is definitely a cello piece, but the final two sonatas treat the two instruments as equals, as partners. To have seen two tremendous musicians locked into this conversation was amazing.
Going into the final work, adrenaline was pumping through both musicians, but Mr. Peled paused and began to speak. Before he would get a word out, an amped Mr. Goldstein hammered the opening chord. Realizing what he had done he completed the cadence. Everyone laughed. After three hours of intense concentration, a little humor to break the strain is fine. Mr. Peled dedicated the final sonata to his students. His level of energy, and the audience’s too, were remarkably high.
I thought sitting through the entire performance would be draining, but I left feeling invigorated. This is the effect of great music. --Bez
New Thrushes video
Baltimore's favorite anguished, love-lorn shoegazers just released a new video! Check out the video for "Aidan Quinn" off the superb LP Sun Come Undone...and if you are still aching for more, check after the jump for 3 more Thrushes videos for "Ghost Train," "Heartbeats" and "Trees".
Thrushes - "Aidan Quinn"
Directed by Rich Steiber
Thrushes - "Ghost Train"
Salty Bovine Films
Thrushes - "Trees"
Directed by Michael Nguyen
Thrushes - "Heartbeats"
Directed by Michael Nguyen
Thursday, January 31, 2008
White Rabbits Interview (w/ Steve Patterson)
Aural States chats with White Rabbits' vocalist and pianist Steve Patterson. Full interview after the jump.
Photo Credit Karen Chan/Spin.com
AS: Describe the history of the group and its formation. When, where, how, why?
SP: We all met in Columbia, Missouri. A few of us went to school there. Me and Greg, we worked in a record store together. The band was functioning in one form or another for about a year before we moved to New York in June 2005. About 6 months after our move to New York, Jamie, the guy playing drums in the center at the Ottobar, joined after moving to Brooklyn from Madison.
AS:What prompted the move? Did Say Hey offer you a contract?
SP:Nah, a few of us had graduated from college and it seemed a good time to move. We wanted to pursue the band full time and as you can probably imagine, it's a bit hard to get attention in the middle of Missouri. So, as much as we loved Columbia, we decided to move to Brooklyn.
AS:Your sound is fairly distinctive, with a tendency towards a world music lining. What has influenced the evolution of your sound?
SP:So much has gone into it. I used to play drums when we were in Columbia, Matt, the drummer on the right in Baltimore, used to play keys. We got to Brooklyn and after a while, things were moving too slowly. So we decided to switch it up. I switched to keys, started sharing vocal duties, and played drums on the fly. Actually, I guess that's more about how we came to our live arrangement.
I think the sound was just the way the record shaped up. With some things, it became difficult to pull off stuff live and that played a role in it. And we were all really into Squeeze, and the Specials so they were big influences.
We all listen to all kinds of music, but given that alot of us are drummers, we're really into rhythmically driven stuff. Jamie worked in Chicago at this record shop called the Dusty Groove. It's a pretty famous world music record store and he brought a lot of that to the table. And with 2 drum sets, alot of the music comes across that way. That music (world) is more traditionally oriented to rhythm.
AS:Your piano playing is also an integral part of the sound. It goes from a demented, saloon-style to improv jazz, even twinkling Carribean keys like a marimba. What influenced your style of playing?
SP:I went to school for music and did mostly jazz drumming. I had to learn some piano as part of my program. I maybe took lessons for 3 months. I'm a big fan of Dr John, Randy Newman. But I basically approach the piano like a bunch of drums.
AS:I hear alot of different aspects of the Specials influencing your music. What really made me first take notice was when you pulled out "Maggie's Farm," which seems to take the Specials cover and build on it. As well as the backing chorus of "March of the Camels" which is similar in style to those of "Ghost Town," along with its unmistakable ska guitar upstrokes. What is your take on their music and their influence on your sound?
SP:We're definitely going for that sound, and the "March of the Camels" thing is one of the more obvious ones. And our cover of "Maggie's Farm" is basically us covering the Specials cover.
I've always really liked their second album, More Specials. I thought it was great that they could include these overtly minor key songs and yet still have this playfulness to it. That sound was always attractive to me. The typical ska guitar upstroke is in alot of our tracks. But Jerry Dammers, he would just throw in the most dissonant chords wherever he wanted; it's bold and it sounds great. We like alot of that stuff, so it was a huge influence on us.
AS:Would you say they are your main influence? Are there others from ska or that era?
SP:Lyrically, me and Greg were really into Squeeze, Chris Difford, Randy Newman, and telling kitchen sink sort of stories. A big influence for me was Steve Nieve, pianist for the Attractions. I couldn't touch what he does, but there are things that he does that I try to mimic. Those are the big touchstones, along with old soul records.
AS:Let's talk some about your debut LP, "Fort Nightly." How did the album come together? Were there any overarching themes?
SP:The big picture didn't make itself apparent until after we were done. All 11 tracks were started before we were ready to step back and able to look at the whole. When we were writing, we would build off the previous song. That makes it easier to have a cohesive album. Finding ways to piece things together, like somehow relate "Dinner Party" with "Take A Walk..." The album came really quickly. It was done after about a month and half.
With the album, we really just wanted to go from one place to the next seamlessly. There is no real main, overarching theme lyrically...although I've heard a few people call it a concept album. But it's really more of a, I don't want to say emotional theme, but more mood based.
AS:I can definitely see that progression. A lot of the album is spent in minor key like you mentioned appreciating in the Specials. That gives it a real haunting, mysterious quality.
SP:And the great thing about the Specials is that they can do that stuff but still make songs that are playful. That's what we tried to do...I don't know if we succeeded, that's up for you guys to decide.
AS:"Kid on my shoulders" and "take a walk around the table" are, for me, two songs that best encapsulate your style and sound. If you were to pick a single to represent you to the masses, which would it be? What is your favorite track to play off the album and why?
SP:Yeah, "Take a Walk..." seems to be one that isn't noticed alot by listeners but all the guys are really proud of it. And it probably best represents our sound. As for favorite tracks to play, we've been touring playing the same material for almost a year now so we are getting tired of alot of the songs. But I would say that "Take a Walk..." is still the most enjoyable too. But definitely not "The Plot." We don't really enjoy playing that one anymore.
And you know, the Baltimore show is the last time we're going to play "Maggie's Farm." We've played it too much and I think it's time to move on to some new material.
AS:Any new covers being shopped up for performance?
SP:You know, there's this Richard Thompson song that's probably too serious for us to be able to play. It's on "I want to see the bright lights tonight," the second track I think. "Calvary Cross". I think it'd be great live. We did a Pogues cover, "Old main drag" from Sodomy and the lash. Also, Hamilton from the Walkmen suggested we cover another Specials' track from More Specials, "I can't stand it."
AS:When my friend and I saw you at the Ottobar, he commented it seemed like you might have been in a screamo, hardcore, or post-hardcore band based off your vocal delivery. What is your musical history with bands?
SP:Haha, well nearly everyone we know was in bad punk bands when we were in high school. And we are guilty of that too. Maybe it comes from being a little too overzealous in the live show.
AS:I thought it provided good contrast between your vocals and Greg's smoother vocals.
SP:Actually, people have said Greg and I sound really similar so I'm glad that you think we sound different.
AS:Your live show is an absolutely ferocious affair. You guys really build quite a cacophony. How long have you been touring and working on your live show?
SP:Thanks, it really takes tons of time. We rehearse alot. The Walkmen was the last tour we've done at the end of probably 7 or 8 months of touring. I think we really got things together after our first big tour of the states. I know for a fact that this year we've been playing alot more than we've ever played, obviously supporting Fort Nightly.
AS:At one time, you guys had no less than 3 members percussing something. I heard the beginnings of some potentially excellent African drum/Afrobeat songs...is this in your future?
SP:We've thought about doing instrumental tracks, but nah. Our sole priority is writing songs. Pop songs essentially. Trying to attempt to steer them in interesting directions.
AS:Are you guys considering diversifying your instrumentation? Adding some different kinds of drums or a horn section?
SP:I think we need to hire some roadies first with all the stuff we already have right now. When we are in New York, we get a few guys up on stage with us to play horns. I think at the last Bowery show. But that's only when we're in town and our friends come up. I can definitely say there will be some horns on the next album. But that's a different story than playing live.
AS:You mentioned you just finished your tour with the Walkmen. How was that experience? Did you know them beforehand?
SP:We had some mutual friends. We are booked by the same guy. The tour was ridiculously cold, and fun. But the cold kind of zapped the energy out of us at times. Overall, a good time. The shows were really well attended and they are great guys.
AS:What have you been listening to near the end of the tour? Any surprises and new music from other openers?
SP:A lot of the Coasters lately. Gabe, our sound man, used to do sound for Antibalas so their Afrobeat has been on. I'm in love with the latest Spoon and Radiohead, just like everyone else. Actually, I've been listening to more Specials the past few days.
Other openers were great and we knew them. White Denim, a band from Austin, great guys and players, they opened in Milwaukee, Madison, Chicago. The Subjects are really good friends, and share our rehearsal space. So not really any surprises there.
AS:What are your plans for the rest of this year?
SP:We just finished making touring plans. We'll be going to SXSW briefly. And touring again in the spring before going on some UK dates. We'll be writing and recording over the next month and a half. Hopefully finishing recording the album by July.
AS:How much of the new album/material is done?
We have like 5 or 6 new ones, playing 3 or 4 out there now. So that's potentially half the new record written if they all make it.
AS:Themes and sound?
We are basically building off Fort Nightly, using what we thought worked. Going a little bit less epic. Trying to get more of the live energy, get things a bit more raw and edgy. It's tricky because alot of times it seems forced. We were wet behind the ears on that first record. We had alot of amazing ideas, but we weren't the players that we are now.
AS:You've played DC at least 3 times in 2007 and Baltimore once. Are we scheduled for another area appearance in the coming tour?
I think so, in the spring. Not sure it'll be Baltimore, but we are tentatively scheduled in DC.
White Rabbits overload & more
To cement White Rabbits in the position of our first fanboyish artist obsession, I just finished an interview with vocalist/pianist Steve Patterson. Look for it later tonight/tomorrow morning.
UPDATE: Check out our exclusive interview with vocalist/pianist Steve Patterson of White Rabbits here!
Meanwhile, after the jump, podcasting Glass Candy and free White Rabbits songs...
Check out free White Rabbits, new songs from their daytrotter session here.
Click here for Taxlo's podcast of Glass Candy Live from Baltimore, 01.18.08
Scheduling your March
Cadence Weapon, Born Ruffians
Justice, DJ Mehdi, Fancy
Van Halen
(details after the jump)
Cadence Weapon/Born Ruffians
March 5th, Ottobar
In a bit of a head-scratcher, two Canadian groups with little more in common than release dates and nationality will be coming to the Ottobar on March 5th. Tickets, available through missiontix, are $8 (adv), $10 (day).
Cadence Weapon, hip hop artist from Edmonton, Alberta, will finally follow up his 2005 release Breaking Kayfabe with the much anticipated Afterparty Babies (Epitaph) due out on March 4th.
I saw a bit of the Cadence Weapon show at the Pitchfork Media Music Festival in July of 2007 - he put together a tight little performance, showcasing his vocals over minimal beats. To get a good example of the show I saw, give a listen to "Sharks" (stream over myspace). While hip hop doesn't always translate in an outdoor venue, I'm looking forward to checking him out in the coziness of the Ottobar.
Born Ruffians, Photo credit: Timothy Saccenti
Born Ruffians, on the other hand, are somewhat precocious indie rockers from Toronto. They will be promoting their new LP Red, Yellow, Blue (Warp; also due out March 4th) this tour. Take a listen to their single "Foxes Mate for Life" here (stream; source: The Fader).
Justice, DJ Mehdi, Fancy
Sonar, March 9th
Tickets (ticketmaster): $30 (adv)
Paying $30 to go see something called the "Myspace Music Tour" feels dirty on a couple different levels. Unfortunately, I still would really love to go see this show, excessive cost and all.
Justice will be touring in support of their recent album [cross symbol] (Vice 2007). Being house artists from Paris, France begs comparison to Daft Punk. However, that feels a little trite to me. So I'll say this: Justice are a little less robot, and a whole lot more dirt. Their music demands dancing. You can sample some of their original tracks, as well as remixes of other artists on their myspace page.
As an aside, these guys are pretty prodigious when it comes to remixes. They can claim the following artists (among many) as receiving their revisions: Britney Spears, Fat Boy Slim, Daft Punk, N*E*R*D, DFA 1979, Justin Timberlake, Klaxons...
What of the other two bands? DJ Mehdi, as another French house act, will certainly warm the crowd up for Justice. Fancy can be described in 5 words: French butt rock... starring women!
On the other hand, if that doesn't sound good (or expensive enough) for you - you can alway pop across town that night to 1st Mariner Arena to catch Van Halen. Tickets absurdly run $49.50 - $125.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
The Shondes: politpunk with a Jewish twist
The Shondes claim to generate moody political punk fused with a variety of more traditional music forms (classical, Jewish traditional). They just released their album The Red Sea. I could buy it. I definitely agree with the Sleater-Kinney comparisons being thrown around. I also hear alot of post-hardcore influence in the vocals and guitar-work on songs like "Let's Go". But it's probably best if you hear for yourself.
Stream the album here.
Three MP3s for your downloading and listening pleasure:
"Don’t Look Down"
"Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow"
"Let’s Go"
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Sonar hints at troubles, new direction
So far Sonar's decade celebration year has been rocky, to say the least. General Manager Dan McIntosh found it necessary to personally take over booking responsibilities. When the past booking staff left Sonar, they apparently left many of the club and lounge slots open.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Review- Fiery Furnaces, Oranges Band, Thank You @ the Ottobar, Baltimore
Part of the reason the Fiery Furnaces are a live draw is that, unlike many touring artists out there, you are guaranteed a different show EVERY night. My last experience was more of a "miss" than a hit, which happens when an artist makes a decision on how to interpret their music. While I could appreciate the musical talent required to execute their show at DC's the Black Cat last year, I really wasn't enjoying it.
Luckily, this time around, I got the best of both worlds from a heavily funk and jazz-fusion influenced show at Baltimore's Ottobar.
This show was well-attended relative to some Ottobar shows as of late, but the place should have been mobbed when it was actually only 50% full. Thank You provided the first opening set of the night, playing their distinct version of electronically-tinged noise-wave. Not my thing. I felt most of the songs got lost in themselves, no real momentum was obtained and no release to be had. Uninspiring post-punk dragged through the gutters of trance and electroclash. I think they could learn some lessons on where to take their sound and how from DC legends Q and Not U, and with some focus, could create a compelling body of work. But they need to tidy up their arrangements.
Next up were another, more well-known band of locals, the Oranges Band. A distinct contrast to the more technically complicated and experimental headlining Furnaces, and openers Thank You, Oranges prefer to play straight-ahead, unashamedly hooky indie-pop. They have become proficient at their craft, but there is one problem: so many other artists are in this stable that, unless you are a true prodigy or have some distinctive hook, you WILL get lost amidst the sea of others. Though infallibly catchy and easy to listen to, Oranges Band pushes no envelope and makes no real distinctive impact. But that's ok tonight, because the Fiery Furnaces provide enough of it all to sate even the most cynical listener.
Let me preface this by saying that the Fiery Furnaces are some of the most talented musicians on the indie circuit today. They play music not as individual musicians, but rather a gestalt. With how much they change their songs on the fly when performing live, I am always surprised at how tightly they play. A true testament to their talent and work ethic.
The Furnaces live show is quite different from their CDs...to the delight of some and the chagrin of others. They approach their live performances as a chance to create art and deconstruct their own music, changing tempos, times and keys like so many dirty pairs of underwear. It seemed the Furnaces were listening to a heavy dose of funk judging by their interpretation last Friday night. A large portion of their setlist laid down heavy grooving funk beats and basslines. This contrasts favorably to the aforementioned Black Cat show where things were much closer to a fusion of spoken-word, free-style rap, trip-hop and acid jazz; technically complex but rather dense, detached and inaccessible. Their set this past Friday was definitely more cohesive and preserved more of the sugary hooks from their recorded material.
"Single Again" was delivered at a slower tempo (relatively) with more pop flavor and melodic vocals, faithful to the recorded material. "Evergreen" was a highlight as one of the most vulnerable and moving performances of the night. "The Philadelphia Grand Jury" and "Duplexes of the Dead" were infused with electrifying energy while remaining the closest resemblance to their recorded performances. What I think set this show above the previous one at the Black Cat was that Eleanor spent more time delivering melodic, tuneful vocals rather than the rapid-fire rapping she loves so much (while good, she's got such a knock-out singing voice it pains me to see her let it sit unused). Matt's keys and the rhythm also tended to gel much better at the Ottobar, probably because Matt reined in some of his more obtuse and avant-garde urges.
The Furnaces closed with one of their famed, monstrous medley tracks, assembling pieces of no less than 4 songs from their catalog (that I could discern) into one epic, lumbering giant of a finale. The sheer quality in execution of this feat at each live show is awe-inspiring to behold. And basically guarantees I will be front and center again for their next show, testing the waters and eagerly awaiting the next reimagining of their sound.
---
Photo Credit Tim Castlen
My Morning Jacket has some 'Evil Urges' on new LP
Fans of reverb and psychedelics rejoice! Louisville, Kentucky's own My Morning Jacket have announced the title of their sinister new LP...henceforth known as Evil Urges.
Source: Pitchfork
My expectations are growing by the day as the gap between 2005's spectacular Z has only been filled by the excellent-but-still-old-material live album/DVD release Okonokos.
Z still holds my personal title for best sequence of opening tracks on an album in the past decade...maybe more. Here's hoping frontman Jim James delivers plenty of spectral caterwauls to sate the hungry, teeming masses.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
White Rabbit. I need rising sound…
I remember thinking, "There are way too many instruments on this stage right now. They must be hiding something; no talent, bad musicianship... it only remains to be seen." I have never been more wrong in my life. White Rabbits has a huge sound, carefully crafted and under control. I was reminded of Hunter S. Thompson quoting Dr. Gonzo in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas:White Rabbit. I need rising sound… And when it comes to that fantastic note where the rabbit bites its own head off, I want you to throw that fuckin' radio into the tub with me!
I'd like to think that White Rabbits found some inspiration in these words.
Read Aural State's post for a complete review of the show. I intend to focus a little more on White Rabbits and what made them stand out so much on stage. Opening things up for White Rabbits were The Subjects: the perfect band to warm the crowd up. They were well-rehearsed and enjoyable to listen too, especially when they let the drummer take a crack at singing. I want to dispel the myth that you have to be an emotional tenor with an ornamental guitar -- a guitar is not a handbag, kids -- to front a rock band.
I already mentioned that I initially thought there were too many instruments on stage. My preference is to find economy in all things, but I was fairly open to the idea of a big band rock group. As White Rabbits set up, I noted two trap sets, two guitars, bass, and keys. For those of you keeping count, that's a hockey team right there. My curiosity was further piqued when the keyboard player dragged out a tack piano and a Nord Electro 2, the backup choice of Rhodes and Hammond B3 players the world over. The instrument is a mark of good taste (I have one in my living room right now). I had some high expectations for this player. While not revealing himself as a melodic player, he proved to have fantastically quick hands and excellent timing. Although I am not a fan of screaming, his vocals were generally spot on and I would say very authentic for the style of music.
Playing with two drummers on stage can prove to be rhythmically disastrous. White Rabbits pulled off the trick exceedingly well, however, proving how well-rehearsed they are as a group. Even though I was initially wary of the concept, I would now have to say that having two drummers is an essential part of this ensemble. On the other hand, I couldn't see any justification for having two guitars in the group even though neither of them were at all shabby.
The glue that holds this many musicians together is endless hours of rehearsal and it shows that White Rabbits has put in the time. Each individual was absolutely comfortable throughout the show, moving effortlessly between instruments and movements. This careful rehearsal also shows up in the quality of the arrangements that start with a simple rhythmic or melodic idea and build to a level of excited tension and release.
It was refreshing to hear a band go after some sinister sounding music with gypsy minor keys and the unusual but tasteful calypso rhythm stylings. I would love to hear this band slow it down a little and take on something a little more sophisticated. The cover of "Maggie's Farm" was a hit with the crowd, but I'd love to hear them try "All the Right Bullets" by Tom Waits. They could really stretch on that tune.
