Following up on the Dodos post, here’s video courtesy of mp3.com, showing the way that they perform “Fools” live. I don’t remember the trombone from their show in December, and I think it this performance could have been EQ’ed out a bit better, but it’s still pretty ginchy.
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At the beginning of the year I posted about Clear Tigers, a solid Brooklyn-based band that in my mind falls outside the mold, save, maybe, the Alec Ounsworth-like vocals. But the use of the synthesizer, the main source of melody on many of the tracks, is what has me coming back like pop stars to the crazy. I mean, the Philip Glass effect at the beginning of “Deathray” is calming enough that could fit the mood of a DeBeers commercial (certainly better than Cat Power did). I think Glass is actually a far better comparison than any indie act one might imagine… I would label the music ‘classical,’ in the sparing use of drums for songs like “Igloo.” I’ve always felt like the use of drums within the composition of classical music is what really separates it from contemporary music. Every genre, from jazz to rock to pop uses a constant drum beat to anchor the song, whereas in classical music drums are used sporadically for emphasis rather than layered in with the other instruments. It follows then, that the only influence they list on their myspace page is avante-garde minimalist composer, La Monte Young. And despite the focus on composition, the lyrics are actually quite witty… from the hungry animals of “Igloo” to the Halloween narrative of “Spook House.” I’m especially partial to the “Yeah yeah yeah yeah” chant of “Deathray.”
And yes, it’s official: 4 out of 5 new bands that I like have animals in the name. So the next band that comes along that is ‘hippopotamus’ something has my full support.
: Clear Tigers - Igloo :
: Clear Tigers - Deathray :
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There have been so many covers of Joy Division’s posthumous hit that I could probably post one cover each Valentine’s Day and be sure that I run out before the covers do. I stumbled upon Honeyroot’s version recently, and wanted to share it with all you lovebirds and happy-to-your-self lonebirds. Have a good one, and lay off the chocolate… it’ll make you sick.
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In light of this year’s presidential campaign, I wanted to make a point about what has been labeled “the least original buzzword in campaign history.” Before the ‘Super Tuesday’ primaries, I had a interesting conversation with a friend, who derided Barack Obama’s use of “Change” as a campaign slogan, noting that, “you can’t own change.” It seemed like after the Iowa caucuses, “change” became the Zeitgeist, repeated time and time again by the media, as well as within each candidate’s speeches, even those running to continue along the country’s current track. Some have duly noted that one cannot expect to get real change through any of the candidates; that none of the campaigns, operating within the status quo of political parties and political financing can truly offer anything significantly different. But parsing Obama’s phrasing of, “Our time for change has come,” I believe the reference to Sam Cooke’s Civil Rights-era classic is what actually does give him ownership of the slogan.
“A Change Is Gonna Come,” has been covered by many since it’s release in 1964. Cooke’s original is obviously the definitive version, half because of his unparalleled voice, and half in consideration of the lyrics, “It’s been too hard living / But I’m afraid to die,” in the context of Cooke’s death/murder less than a year after the recording. Aretha Franklin’s version would be my next favorite. The closer on her most celebrated album, I Never Loved A Man The Way I Loved You, her version starts with a touching introduction, which I think adds to the running conversation, of which the song (itself a response to Dylan’s “Blowin’ In The Wind“) occurs within. I’m not saying that Barack is necessarily the answer to the song’s confidence in the inevitability of change, but I appreciate the musical nod of his allusion. And part of his success in use of the ‘Change’ slogan has been the way in which he has been able to take a page from Edward Bernays and tap into the voter’s unconscious as a way to establish his own inevitability against the presumption of the front runner’s.
: Aretha Franklin - A Change Is Gonna Come : (1967)
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I remember picking up a Shangri-Las discography in 1994, compiled and released a record label called Cherry Red Records, that claimed to be “by the fans, for the fans.” Interested in the band after hearing covers by Superchunk and The Go-Go’s, it seemed like luck that someone would release a career-encapsulating CD, complete with a tell-all biography that didn’t spare contempt for the music-industry problems that sent the group back home to Queens. The disc went on to be re-released by a British company, RPM, but I thought there was something really special about getting a collection that was clearly motivated first by an affection for the music, and only secondly for profit. I mean, other than “The Leader Of The Pack” playing occasionally on oldies radio, it’s not as if there was really much commercial promise of The Shangri-Las during the 90s. I admit to not knowing much about the royalties that one would have to pay to release such an album, but I can’t imagine the proceeds justified the effort. With that thought in mind, I greatly appreciated that someone resurrected these tracks and made them available.
The same archeological love of music seems to drive The Numero Group, a record label out of Chicago that is best known for their Eccentric Soul series. I was introduced to the set by Marion Black’s “Who Knows,” a record that I had sought out after recognizing the Rjd2-used vocal sample. It was among one of the standouts from The Capsoul Label, a collection of would-be hits from an obscure Columbus, Ohio soul label from 1970-1974, and was the first of the Eccentric Soul releases back in 2004. Each release seems to somehow mirror the same end-to-end quality, and comes with their own unique story behind their history and how the vintage gems of soul were uncovered. Last year saw two of the best releases from the series, my #8 album of the year, Twinight’s Lunar Hour, as well as The Outskirts Of Deep City, a follow up to their 2006 release by the Miami-based soul label.
The shear number of quality tracks is exceptional: some standout, even amongst the great soul records of all time. I would be surprised if anyone can listen to “You Can’t Blame Me” without being taken to another time and place. And I don’t mean in the temporal, ‘this sounds old,’ sort of way… more in the casual approach of the song; between the subtle guitar licks, vibraphone and emotional vocals that immediately captures me. There is something interesting about going back to a time of 12″s and 45s: when groups put everything they had into single tracks, recognizing that it might be their only shot. In a time of digital downloads and the shallow releases of a hype-based music industry, Numero’s resurrected collections, exquisite packaging, and extensive liner notes are a refreshing look at the past.
: Johnson, Hawkins, Tatum & Durr - You Can’t Blame Me : (1972)
: Annette Poindexter & The Pieces Of Peace - Mama : (1970)
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With releases this month from my favorite underrated bands, some February selections were inevitable. Dirty On Purpose’s new EP, Like Bees is great, a couple reworkings of early demos, the cover that they were playing on their first cross-country tour, and two new songs, one of which is featured here, “Audience In The Room.” The other big news is the first track from Frightened Rabbit’s next LP, “The Modern Leper,” which has been revamped from the original demo they had placed on various give-away EPs over the past couple years. My love of the track is well documented. I’ve been meaning to put some Eccentric Soul one of the mixes for a while now, and “Knockin’ At The Wrong Door,” from last year’s The Outskirts Of Deep City is one of my favorites from the whole series. Dolorean is the other artist that is relatively recent to me… the title track from their 2007 album only barely missed my tracks of the year list. “Beachcomber Blues” is a fantastically sweet yet somber track, winding along with little touches of Dylan in the background organs.
[banner photo by alphaquam]
February 2008 Mix
01 The Dodos - Fools
02 The Rollers - Knockin’ At The Wrong Door
03 The Wedding Present - Sports Car
04 The Aislers Set - Friends Of The Heroes
05 Dirty On Purpose - Audience In The Room
06 Girl Talk - Can’t Stop
07 Dolorean - Beachcomber Blues
08 Film School - Breet
09 Ambulance Ltd - Sugar Pill
10 Frightened Rabbit - The Modern Leper
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Holy shit, indeed. Not to let getting canceled in 2006 hold them back, a new episode of Yacht Rock surfaced over the weekend. With many of the Michael McDonald tales already told, the focus is on Loggins, although the blue-eyed soul singer and ‘regular soul singer’ James Ingram join him in an epic battle against the “mellow, but not smooth”-ness of Jimmy Buffet. And if that still isn’t enough to sell you, there’s Jason Lee as Kevin Bacon eating bacon. We can only hope that a trip on the highway is to follow.
: Yacht Rock - Episode 11 : (video)
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There’s no denying the way that The Arcade Fire are push interaction through the internet releases of their music videos. The new video for “Black Mirror,” directed by Oliver Groulx & Tracy Maurice, isn’t as interactive as the one Vincent Morisset did for “Neon Bible,” but is is just as artful. After the witty loading page, you can re-mix the track live, while the video plays. On my beat-up computer this causes a slight lag between the drums & vocals, but not so much that it takes away from the awesomeness of the idea, or of the odd plot and vintage art direction of the video (although a volume control would have been nice). Check it out here.
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I guess I’ve just about resigned myself to the fact that this is a one-post-a-month site, at least for the time being, as well as the reality that freed isn’t posting anything, ever. But I’m gonna keep doing the monthly mixes, and every now and then I’ll feel inspired enough to do a quick posting. Right now, it’s The Dodos, a 2-piece that I saw open for Les Savy Fav in December. They immediately made me think of a mix between Two Gallants and Rogue Wave, so when I found out that they were from San Francisco (just as the aforementioned), I felt like a wine snob who guessed Alsace correctly in a blind tasting. At the time, I honestly wasn’t that impressed… they weren’t bad, but they didn’t catch me. And between drinks and conversation, they really needed to wow me. But I went home with the sound of them in my head (and a lipstick heart drawn by Tim of Les Savy Fav on my cheek)… and when I realized I had already downloaded “Fools” randomly from a blog at some point, it started to creep up on me until it was getting played almost daily.
I think the reason I took to “Fools” was because I remembered the play between the fast drum pacing and the winding vocals from their live show. That, and because it starts off just like Ambulance LTD’s “Sugar Pill,” only to build in the opposite direction in a way that is just as catchy (if not more), while being much more engaging in how it incorporates the uncommon beat. It is to be on their upcoming album on French Kiss. “Trades & Tariffs” is another one that I’m pretty sure they played live, again showing the drum focus, with vocals that vindicate my Rogue Wave comparison. They are well worth a couple chances. They play L.A. again on March 8th at The Smell.
[photo by akmal.naim]
: The Dodos - Fools :
: Dodo Bird (The Dodos) - Trades & Tariffs :
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A couple days late but no worse for the wear, we’re kicking off the year with Comet Gain’s ode to musical time capsules. I recently unearthed a bunch of awesome old mixtapes, mostly copies of ones I had made for others back in high school, as well as some hip-hop mix cd’s I made for myself that carry no tracklisting and are simply labeled by number (”twelve” + “thirteen” to be exact). I love coming back to these and remembering bands that would otherwise fall by the wayside. Hopefully this month’s mix draws on that. And though I’m still so drained from the new year that I don’t have the capacity to write-up all of the selections, I just wanted to note that I’m really liking the Clear Tigers‘ album, Brutal. It is super catchy and really doesn’t fit the current Brooklyn Zeitgeist… I feel like it is 2007’s Ambulance LTD (I mean that in a good way).
January 2008 Mix
01 Comet Gain - The Ballad Of A Mix Tape
02 Lacrosse - Sunshiner
03 The Meeting Places - Until It’s Gone
04 Masta Ace - Music Man
05 Clear Tigers - Igloo
06 Idaho - This Cloud We’re On
07 Versus - Sunburned
08 Bon Iver - Skinny Love
09 Mystik Journeymen - Velocity
10 Charlemagne - You Are My Diary
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