Monday, January 17th, 2011
Review of The Decemberists’ The King Is Dead
Autumn de WildeIt’s odd to think that a band’s most direct and tuneful album might turn out to be its most divisive, but were you to survey a cross-section of Decemberists fans, it’s unlikely that “convention” would come up as what they love most about the Portland band. After all, this is a band who made their name with sea shanties, drama club videos, multi-part prog-rock epics and full-blown rock operas – hardly the standard template for pop music success, and yet it’s served the band well as they’ve built progressively their eccentricities up, using their folk roots and pop smarts as mortar, culminating in 2009’s grandiose The Hazards Of Love.
So with nowhere further to go on that trip, it was inevitable that they’d dial it back some for their next effort but the degree to which The King Is Dead retreats is pretty remarkable. You’d have to go back as far as their 2001 debut EP 5 Songs to find a collection of songs as countrified, direct and simply adorned as these, and even then Colin Meloy’s penchant for period-costume characters and storytelling sets the two bookends of their career (thus far) apart. While he remains an erudite and wordy lyricist, his quirkier narrative inclinations take a step back to allow the band’s musicianship and songcraft carry the day. And start to finish, this is probably The Decemberists’ most tasteful and accomplished record to date, given extra weight from vocal contributions by Gillian Welch and notable for the absence of the one or two compositional experiments that seemed mandatory on past efforts.
For most other bands, such a record would be an unqualified high-water mark but for The Decemberists it’s enough of a departure that the portion of their audience who love them for their idiosyncrasies might find it puzzling and/or disappointing – it’s not a perspective I necessarily agree with as the merits of The King Is Dead, irrespective of the rest of their catalog, are myriad, but it’s an understandable one. But for others who might have been turned off by the band’s indulgences in the past, it could be just the record they’ve been waiting for. Assuming that one waits for records from bands they’ve already been turned off of.
NPR, Billboard, The Wall Street Journal and MusicOmh have interviews with the band, whose record is out tomorrow and whose tour for the record commences next week – look for them at The Sound Academy in Toronto on February 1.
MP3: The Decemberists – “Down By The Water”
S. Carey chats with The AV Club and discusses his new video with Spin.
Video: S. Carey – “In The Dirt”
Mark Olson talks to NOW and Gary Louris to Spinner about the The Jayhawks reunion, which kicks off its tour tomorrow night at The Phoenix – the same day their deluxe reissues of Hollywood Town Hall and Tomorrow The Green Grass come out.
Daytrotter serves up a session with Iron & Wine, whose new record Kiss Each Other Clean is out next week.
NPR is streaming a World Cafe session with Old 97s.
NYC Taper is sharing a recording of the “Dean Wareham plays Galaxie 500” at Maxwell’s in New Jersey from last week.
There’s a new video from Buffalo Tom’s forthcoming record Skins, due out February 15.
Video: Buffalo Tom – “Down”
Peter Buck tells NME he thinks quite highly of R.E.M.’s new record Collapse Into Now; the world will judge when it comes out on March 8 (or a couple weeks earlier when it leaks).
The Denver Post and Denver Westword have interviews with Liz Phair.
Parts & Labor are sharing the MP3 for the title track from their new record Constant Future, due out March 8.
MP3: Parts & Labor – “Constant Future”
Undercover discovers the statute of limitations on talking smack about former bandmates is up, as evidenced by this interview with Paul Banks of Interpol. They’re at The Sound Academy on February 15.
Washington City Paper recalls the heyday of The Dismemberment Plan.
Dave Gedge of The Wedding Present takes to The Guardian to offer The Flaming Lips some advice on how to successfully release a single a month for a year – after all, they did just that back in 1992 and included a b-side for each, no less. Of course, they didn’t write a song meant to be played on four iPhones simultaneously… The Lips have them beat there.
And oh yeah, Archers Of Loaf got back together for the first time in over a decade in Carrboro, North Carolina on Saturday night and it doesn’t feel like a one-off. If this is why we shouldn’t expect a new Crooked Fingers record before the end of the year, well, that’s okay then.
Sunday, January 16th, 2011
Mumford & Sons cover White Lies
Triple JWhite Lies aren’t big on nuance. The British trio like to serve up their gloomy, angst-rock like a 2×4 to the head thanks to Harry McVeigh’s big baritone and rather ham-fisted lyrical approach. It can be a bit much to take for anyone whose wardrobe isn’t made up completely of black apparel – we just don’t understand, I suppose – but it’s clearly worked for them, their 2009 self-titled debut topping the UK charts and the follow-up Ritual, due out this week, probably set to do something about the same.
So credit to Mumford & Sons, themselves big stars both in the UK and abroad after just one record, for being able to take one of White Lies’ tunes, as the did in session for Australian radio state Triple J last Summer, and rein it in a bit. But only a bit, as Marcus Mumford’s vocal approach isn’t exactly a textbook study in subtle – folk-angst or goth-angst, take your pick.
Spinner has an interview with White Lies, who will stage a short North American tour next week, wrapping at the Mod Club in Toronto on January 29. By rights, Mumford & Sons should be resting up after a 2010 marked by relentless touring and working on a second record, but they’ll be picking up at least some trans-Atlantic frequent flier points in 2011 as they’re confirmed to play the Wakarusa festival in Arkansas in June. And as long as they’re over here…
MP3: Mumford & Sons – “Unfinished Business”
Video: White Lies – “Unfinished Business”
Friday, January 14th, 2011
Little Scream breaks silence in big way
Simoneau GuillaumeI first made the acquaintance of Iowa native and Montreal resident Laurel Sprengelmeyer’s stage persona Little Scream almost exactly two years ago, when she opened up for Land Of Talk at The Horseshoe. At the time, she had no web presence whatsoever – not a website, not a Myspace, nothing – but her solo electrified acoustic performance made enough of an impression to stick with me.
Enough so that I made sure to see her again a couple months later during Canadian Musicfest and while she still hadn’t discovered the internet – my previous review seemed to be the authoritative statement about her online – was able to see that while her sound had gotten more electrified thanks to picking up a solidbody guitar, her distinctive approach to folk and rock – but not folk-rock – was still inscrutable and compelling. And I figured that her being relatively local and obviously up for gigging, I’d be getting plenty of opportunity to figure out what she was about.
Or not so much. Though I’m sure she showed up on more Toronto stages over the last couple years, she basically fell off my radar until just recently when she began showing up in concert announcements – a lot of concert announcements. Over the next few months, she’s touring Ontario with Julie Doiron including February 3 at the Horseshoe, returning for Canadian Musicfest at the Opera House on March 11 with Land Of Talk and then traversing the United States with Sharon Van Etten, including her April 12 date at the Drake Underground. Which is to say she’s no longer going to be out of sight, out of mind but rather constantly underfoot.
And the reason is the impending elease of her debut album The Golden Record on Secretly Canadian in the US and Outside Music in Canada, which features production from Arcade Fire’s Richard Reed Perry and guitar contributions from The National’s Aaron Dessner, amongst other high-profile contributors. Which is to say Little Scream has made some impressive friends. The record is out on April 12, which makes that Drake show a record release party, and while the first MP3 is a good deal gentler than I’d have expected from those early live shows, the additional samples on her Facebook (she’s certainly got an online presence now) point at a lot more range being captured on the record, to say nothing of the intensity I saw back in 2009. In other words, this is a record that will be worth hearing, start to finish, because if you don’t you’ll likely have missed something crucial.
MP3: Little Scream – “The Heron & The Fox”
Those Who Dig has an interview with Sharon Van Etten who, as mentioned above, will be at The Drake Underground on April 12.
Nicole Atkins discusses her new record Mondo Amore with Knox Road. The album is out February 8 and she plays The Horseshoe on February 26.
Spinner and The Montreal Mirror talk to Lisa Milberg of The Concretes; they’re at The Horseshoe on Monday night, January 17.
Pitchfork and Clash talk to PJ Harvey about her new record Let England Shake, due out February 15.
The Ottawa Citizen profiles Two Door Cinema Club, in town at the Kool Haus tomorrow night, while The State is streaming a documentary feature on the band. And the band’s new video ably demonstrates the perks of being a young man in a rock band… which is to say dancing girls.
Video: Two Door Cinema Club – “What You Know”
It would have been nice if British Sea Power could have announced their North American tour in support of Valhalla Dancehall a couple days earlier so I could have included it with my review of said record, but that’s not so important – what is is that the British are coming and they’ll be at Lee’s Palace on March 24. Incendiary has an interview with Martin Noble while The Guardian has a live session video of the band performing “Who’s In Control?”.
MP3: British Sea Power – “Who’s In Control?”
Patrick Wolf talks to NME about the cleanliness of his in-progress new record, which despite what they say is unlikely to be called The Conqueror but will likely to be out in May.
The Fly checks in with Glasvegas and Elbow amongst others about their 2011 album plans. The former’s build a rocket boys! will be out March 8 while NME reports the latter’s Euphoric Heartbreak will be out April 4.
Condolences to the friends, fans and family of Broadcast’s Trish Keenan, who has passed away from pneumonia. The statement from Warp Records.
Thursday, January 13th, 2011
Janelle Monáe leads additions to Canadian Musicfest 2011
jmonae.comBack in mid-December, I pointed out that the website for the 2011 edition of Canadian Musicfest had gone live with the first batch of showcasing artists for the festival. And while there was enough in that initial list to get my attention, in the last couple of weeks the information available has really ramped up and, methinks, another round-up of acts who will be filling Toronto clubs from March 9 to 13 is in order.
Perhaps most exciting is the return of cyber-soul firecracker Janelle Monáe, though if you were hoping to see her play a conventional headlining show then “frustrating” might be the more accurate word. She made Canadian debut last Summer on Olympic Island as part of the Arcade Fire mini-fest and this time she’s performing as part of the CMW/CMF-associated Indie Awards, the exact mandate of which I’ve never understood. But whatever the reason, Monáe will top a bill that also includes Shad, Hollerado, Bombay Bicycle Club, Hannah Georgas and Desperate Union. Obviously, it’s an awards ceremony as well as a show, but my understanding is that Monáe, at least, will play a full set so the $30 ticket price would still be worth it; a festival wristband will also get you in. The Indies take place in the Canadian Room of the Royal York on March 12.
Other “big” shows that week: Land Of Talk, Hollerado, Cadence Weapon, Isis (ex. Thunderheist) and Little Scream show at the Opera House on March 10 (already reported I know), admission $18 or with a wristband. For those who like dudes with their hair hanging over their faces while they play guitar, the pairing of J Mascis and Kurt Vile at The Great Hall on March 11 is not to be missed – that one’s limited wristbands, advance tickets $27.50. It won’t get roots-rockier than Dawes and Deer Tick to say nothing of their Voltron-like supergroup Middle Brother (which includes Matt Vasquez of Delta Spirit), all three of whom will be at the Opera House on March 11, all wristbands accepted or $18.50 for advance tickets.
Also noteworthy and festival-related if not necessarily in my wheelhouse – a Big Sugar reunion at the Sound Academy, Good Charlotte at the Phoenix, Melissa Etheridge at Massey Hall – all on the Friday, March 11 – and the can’t miss (with a rocket launcher, ideally) pairing of Buckcherry and Papa Roach at the Sound Academy on March 12. Something for everyone? And less renowned/reviled but of more interest to me – Brits Esben & The Witch (date/place TBA) and Anna Calvi (Wrongbar, March 11), Australians The Jezebels (Lee’s Palace, March 11) and surely many more that still haven’t been announced – they’re expecting some 800 showcasing bands when all’s said and done and the official artist list is only at around 560. Of course, as always, it’s logistics that will ultimately determine what I end up seeing – the schedule has just started going up and already, I’m seeing some tough choices that are going to have to be made about where to be and when.
And let’s not even get started on the fact that SxSW’s showcase listings are slowly coming together.
MP3: Land Of Talk – “Swift Coin”
MP3: Dawes – “Love Is All I Am”
MP3: Esben & The Witch – “Warpath”
MP3: Anna Calvi – “Jezebel”
MP3: The Jezebels – “Mace Spray”
Video: Janelle Monáe – “Tightrope”
I mentioned a little while back that the release of Bruce Peninsula’s second album was on the back burner while frontman Neil Haverty was being treated for acute promyelocytic leukemia; now his friends and bandmates are staging a fundraiser to help mitigate some of the financial burdens of being ill. On January 29, two fundraisers will be held at the Music Gallery – a matinee show with Snowblink, Kith & Kin, The Deep, Steve McKay and Lake Andrew Drowning and an evening show with Timber Timbre, Austra (former BP-er Katie Stelmanis newly signed to Domino) and Evening Hymns. Admission is a $10 suggested donation for the matinee and $20 for the evening show, or if you just want to donate a PayPal account has been set up. More details at the Facebook event.
MP3: Timber Timbre – “Demon Ghost”
MP3: Austra – “The Beat & The Pulse”
MP3: Evening Hymns – “Broken Rifle”
MP3: Snowblink – “Ambergris”
If Do Make Say Think’s show at the Drake Underground during Boxing Week was too big or expensive for you, take heart – they’ll be going smaller, cheaper (free with canned good) and just as below grade with an in-store at Sonic Boom on February 3.
MP3: Do Make Say Think – “Other Truths album mix”
Halifax’s Jenn Grant will be bringing her shiny new record Honeymoon Punch – which finds her going a little less jazzy and a little more poppy with great results – at the Horseshoe on February 19, advance tickets $15. The National Post and aux.tv have features on Grant, who’s just released a new video from the album.
Video: Jenn Grant – “Getcha Good”
Broken Social Scene’s January 18 show at Terminal 5 in New York City will be broadcast live on YouTube starting at 9PM.
QTV has a video interview with Feist.
Volume 1 Brooklyn talks books with Owen Pallett.
eye puts Tokyo Police Club on this week’s cover and solicits their New Year’s resolutions in honour of Saturday’s show at the Kool Haus.
Beatroute has an interviews with Dan Bejar while NOW talks to one of the Toronto-based horn players who’s all over Destroyer’s new record Kaputt. out January 25. They’ll play Lee’s Palace on March 31.
Nils Edenloff of The Rural Alberta Advantage discusses the inspiration behind the song “Tornado ’87” with Spinner. Said song appears on their new album Departing, out March 1.
Fucked Up frontman Damian Abraham talks to eye about his new gig as veejay of MuchMusic’s back-from-the-dead alternative nation show The Wedge which returns to the air on January 26 at 10PM, and to Chart about the new Fucked Up record David Comes To Life, which could be out as soon as May.
Wednesday, January 12th, 2011
New Okkervil River is Very Far but almost here
Alexandra ValentiLast year, for my 35th birthday, I got a special gift in the form of The National releasing what would be probably my favourite record of last year in High Violet. Now Okkervil River, who have a habit of running neck and neck with The National in competition for the title of “my favourite band” – it’s a real thing – look like they’re trying to win my affections the same way by announcing a May 10 release date for their new record I Am Very Far.
They’d already announced the release of lead single “Mermaid” on 12″ come February 8, but the band took to the stage on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on Monday night to perform a different new song, “Wake And Be Fine”. And if not for Will Sheff’s distinctive vocals and presence, you might be forgiven for not recognizing them – besides the fact that New Pornographer Carl Newman and The Roots’ Questlove joined them for the occasion on vocals and drums respectively, Okkervil 2011 is a considerably different band from that which made The Stage Names and The Stand-Ins – Sheff remains, of course, as does multi-instrumentalist Scott Brackett and bassist Patrick Pestorius, but mainstays Jonathan Meiburg (keys), Brian Cassidy (guitar) and Travis Nelsen (drums) have all left the band in the past couple of years, replaced by Justin Sherburn, Lauren Gurgiolo and Cully Symington respectively. By no means is Okkervil a lesser band for the changes, but it is a different one and it will take a little adjusting to see them thusly, especially without the always-entertaining Nelson behind the kit.
But either way, the news of the imminent arrival of more Okkervil River was enough to make my day yesterday. Happy early birthday!
MP3: Okkervil River – “Wake And Be Fine” (live on Jimmy Fallon)
Video: Okkervil River – “Wake And Be Fine” (live on Jimmy Fallon)
Okkervil labelmates The Cave Singers and Lia Ices both have new records coming out – No Witch on February 22 and Grown Unknown on January 25 respectively – and have plotted a Spring tour that stops in at the Drake Underground on April 5. Tickets $13.50 in advance.
MP3: Cave Singers – “Swim Club”
MP3: Lia Ices – “Grown Unknown”
MP3: Lia Ices – “Daphne”
Of Montreal may already be plotting the follow-up to last year’s False Priest – or so Kevin Barnes tells Spin – but they’re not done touring said record. They’ll be coming back to Toronto for the first time in two and a half years – yes it’s been that long – for a show at The Phoenix on May 3, tickets $28 on sale now.
MP3: Of Montreal – “Sex Karma”
MP3: Of Montreal – “Coquet Coquette”
Pitchfork reports that The Dodos have recruited one Neko Case to help them out on their new record No Color, due out March 14. Her vocals will grace about half of the album, which will be great, but I think it’d have been more great if they got her to play all kinds of instruments but not sing a note. Because that’s how my sense of humour works.
The rumour mill has it that The Strokes’ fourth album will be out on March 22. Which jives with what’s already known, but until there’s an official announcement, it’s just hearsay. Hearsay I’m willing to blog, clearly.
Much more official is the word on the new record from The Kills – it will be called Blood Pressures, it will be out on April 5 and Pitchfork has specifics.
Blurt and I Like Music talk to Lissie, in town at the Opera House on January 24.
Colin Meloy tells Exclaim that The King Is Dead, the new Decemberists record due next week, could be their last for a while as they attend to other projects. So see them at The Sound Academy on February 1 while you can. There’s also and interview at The Sydney Morning Herald.
Beatroute talks to Sam Fogarino of Interpol, who have two Toronto visits on the books this year – a headlining date at the Sound Academy for February 15 and a support slot for U2 at the ACC on July 12.
Sam Beam talks to Billboard about the new Iron & Wine record Kiss Each Other Clean, out January 25, and to Spin about the origins of his band’s name.
The AV Club has words with The Dismemberment Plan’s Travis Morrison.
Beatroute has an interview with The Thermals.
MTV UK has a complete video session with Warpaint and it’s not geoblocked like the US site is.
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