We'll make no secret of the fact that we here at HAD are fans of Eric Bachmann: Whether it be with his seminal days with Archers Of Loaf, his recent work with Crooked Fingers, or his gradually increasing solo output, the man always manages to create a sound that is completely his own. Given that, we were totally psyched to see that Bachmann will be making a solo appearance at Mercury Lounge on December 19th.
The show is part of a small, four date solo tour, and it's the only show not in Bachmann's native south. Given the intimate nature of the show, and the fact that Bachmann's last solo release (To The Races) was in 2006, there's no telling exactly what the setlist will consist of. That being said, we've never been to one of the man's shows and not enjoyed it, so we recommend you jump on board. Tickets are on sale now.
Eric Bachmann Winter 2009 Solo Dates 2009-12-05 Asheville, NC The Grey Eagle Eric Bachmann (Solo) 2009-12-19 New York, NY The Mercury Lounge Eric Bachmann (Solo) 2009-12-26 Atlanta, GA The Earl Eric Bachmann (Solo) w/ Liz Durrett 2010-01-02 Charlotte, NC The Evening Muse Eric Bachmann (Solo) w/ Liz Durrett
On Saturday night, HAD stopped in at Mercury Lounge to catch a show that was so well attended it could have qualified as a double bill. Granted, the sell-out crowd was targeted soundly at Land Of Talk's return to New York City, but that didn't mean that openers Surprise Me Mr. Davis didn't manage to draw in quite the crowd of their own as well. In short: it was a packed night at the Mercury Lounge, and with good reason.
Surprise Me Mr. Davis delivered a set that both opened and closed with some killer a capella tunes. However, that unique facet was just one of the many that filled the set, which traversed genres of American music in a way that was so rapid that it was almost tough to follow. The band had tunes that ranged from dirge-y folk, to pop songs, to soulful ballads. In short, just about anything you could ask for.
Delving into such a diverse set could have it's downsides, with the potential to come off painfully wedding band-ish. Luckily for Surprise Me Mr. Davis, this was resoundingly not the case: the band not only has obscenely proficient technical chops, but they also have an energy and charisma that completely won over the crowd. Had we not known that Land Of Talk was on deck, we could have been easily fooled into thinking these guys were the headliners. In short: see them live, you'll thank us for it.
Land Of Talk took to the stage as a four piece, but the change was only momentary: within one song they were at their typical three piece lineup to deliver a killer set. Over the course of the next hour or so, the band delivered almost the full breadth of their catalog without a single lag in energy. The band was playing to a crowd that was clearly enthralled, and many of the tracks from their full length LP were even more energetic than on record.
Much of that energy was rooted in the fact that the band creates an extremely vital live sound. Between Liz Powell's electric guitar work, and a completely solid lock in between the bass and drums, the band was ended up far bigger than you might typically expect from a trio. This visceral feel played out extremely well on the tracks from the band's first EP, which lends itself even more readily to a locked in rock show.
Despite the band's clear ability to rock out, the show was not without its tender moments. Powell's vocals are unquestionably beautiful, and the band wisely showed the restraint to let them come rise to the top when needed. Those moments served not only to illustrate the band's dynamics, but also the breadth of the songwriting involved. In short, by any measure, be it performance, virtuosity, songwriting, or crowd enthusiasm, a Land Of Talk live show is a do-not-miss event. While we'll certainly be there next time, we're guessing it's going to be in a much larger room.
The last time we saw Evangelicals, they were awash in a sea of black lights and caped costumes, so it was quite the surprise when we stumbled into Union Hall on Wednesday night, and discovered the band as close to clean cut as most rock bands tend to get. Their new look, however, did little to affect the band's awesome live sound: if anything, the band has become a tighter unit since we last saw them, and is even more dynamic to boot.
The band kicked the set off with a blazing cover of David Bowie's "Be My Wife". As huge Bowiephiles here at HAD, we were more than a little excited to hear the band dive into one of the Thin White Duke's lesser known singles. More importantly, the band did a killer, fuzzed out, job with the song, and it led perfectly into the body of their set.
And the set was, in short, stellar. As we mentioned above, the band has significantly tightened up their sound since we saw them last year. The instrumentation felt tighter, the vibe was more succinct, and it felt far more like a well established band mutually contributing to their set and songs.
As we mentioned previously, Evangelicals have a new record in the works, and after seeing the Union Hall show, we're even more excited than we were before. The fact of the matter is that this is a band that was already making fantastic studio albums. If they can manage to supplement that with even more tightly knit interplay, there's really no telling what might be in store. Rest assured, we'll be eagerly awaiting whatever it might be.
The Big Pink have been making the rounds on the hype wire for quite a while now, particularly in the UK. As such, when their debut full length, A Brief History Of Love, dropped last month, we here at HAD finally decided that it was time to sit down and have a listen. We have not disappointed.
The record, which is the product of a UK duo who have gradually expanded their instrumental entourage over the past two years, seemingly pulls in every recognizable force in British music in the past twenty years and amalgamates it into one glorious, out of control noise bomb. There's a bit of shoegaze, a bit of madchester, a bit of brit pop, a bit of twee. In a way, this makes it almost impossible to put a finger on the band's influences, because there are simply too many.
That being said, the band manages to take in all these influences while still managing not to be derivative. Their sound is refreshingly inventive, enjoyable, and unique. At the same time, the wide range of influences manage to give it a sound that gives the illusion of familiarity on first listen. Indeed, from track to track, the band manages to be anthemic, touchingly brittle, aggressively beat driven, and completely atmospheric. It is a record that runs the gamut of musical emotion, and does so with expertise.
In many ways, A Brief History Of Love is the record that the American market has been waiting for: so many British music trends have proved evasive on these shores because of their singular or overwhelming vibe. The American music market is always more friendly, it seems, to bands who can deliver a variety of sounds, and aren't stuck in one image or scene. By contrast, it seems that the British are more than happy (even enthusiastic) to embrace music movements, and it has driven highly different music cultures on both sides of the Atlantic.
The Big Pink, then, are delivering exactly what the American scene is looking for: dynamic pop music that covers a range of genres, and defies classification. Regardless of what you're looking for in a record (okay, save a country twang - we'll give you that), it's all here. The band has managed to produce a record that is as enjoyable as it is exciting, and if you're not already, it should be the next record you listen to.
The Big Pink - Fall 2009 North American Dates Nov 18 EL REY LOS ANGELES, CA Nov 19 DJ SET ORIGAMI VINYL HOLLYWOOD, CA Nov 20 DETROIT BAR COSTA MESA, CA Nov 21 DJ SET M THEORY SAN DIEGO, CA Nov 21 CASBAH SAN DIEGO, CA Nov 23 LARIMER LOUNGE DENVER, CO Nov 23 DJ SET TWIST AND SHOUT DENVER, CO Nov 25 7TH STREET ENTRY MINNEAPOLIS, MN Nov 27 EMPTY BOTTLE CHICAGO, IL Nov 28 MAGIC STICK DETROIT, MI Nov 29 EE’S PALACE TORONTO, ON Nov 30 LA SALSA ROSA MONTREAL, QUE Dec 1 DJ SET NEWBURY COMICS BOSTON, MA Dec 1 PARADISE BOSTON, MA Dec 3 BOWERY BALLROOM NEW YORK, NY Dec 4 MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURGH BROOKLYN, NY Dec 5 BLACK CAT WASHINGTON, DC Dec 6 OHNNY BRENDAS PHILADELPHIA, PA
EELS have their second record in the span of a year on tap for January, and now it's starting to make its way on to the interwebs. End Times drops on January 19th, and the band has just released the first single from the record, "Little Bird", for free download.
To our ears, the track is pure classic EELS. Which is to say, it's sweet, it's melodic, and it's a tad sardonic. That being said, it also doesn't really push any creative boundaries. Sure, it could legitimately be an outtake from Daisies Of The Galaxy or Electro Shock Blues, but it also sounds so much like those records, that we wonder if Mr. E has been listening to his own record collection a little too much.
Still, we love Mr. E, and we're willing to keep the faith. Frankly, we still love hearing his crunchy voice floating above a sweetly capo-ed guitar. Check it out below.
In what is probably one of the most surprising event announcements of the season, it looks like the NYPL Live has recruited Lou Reed, Mo Tucker, and Doug Yule (3 of the 4 surviving members of The Velvet Underground) to sit down with Rolling Stone editor David Fricke for a discussion of their old band on December 8th.
For anyone who is a fan of the band, this is an extremely exciting event. While some might hem and haw over the fact that it's not the "original lineup" (Cale is absent), the fact of the matter is that this is a chance to hear an hour or two of frank discussion with one of the most revered, yet in some ways mysterious, bands of our time. What's more, getting the three in a room with someone like Fricke, whose knowledge of rock and roll is gigantic, is even more of a treat.
With Phrazes For The Young, Julian Casablancas not only joins the cadre of Strokes who have released solo records, but also brings the band within one member of having all released solo albums, which is quite a feat unto itself. The band that was hailed as the great white hope of rock and roll in the fall of 2001 is clearly searching for itself, both as individuals and as a collective, and the great outpouring of solo work is no doubt a considerable part of the puzzle. With a studio album in an undecided state, three years since their last record, and (supposedly) a member in rehab, it really gets you wondering how much longer there will be an entity known as "The Strokes". Luckily for Julian Casablancas, that may prove to be irrelevant.
Let's start at the beginning: Much like the other Strokes' solo records, there are fingerprints of the band all over Phrazes For The Young. In this case, however, they're even more notable. Primarily due to Casablancas' distinctive voice, but also relating to composition, this record sounds unquestionably more like a Strokes record than any of the other band members' solo output. Casablancas has cited Young as his opportunity to try things he couldn't try in The Strokes, be a control freak and not worry about it, and try and popularize underground music. The rub is that in many ways he was already doing those things in The Strokes, so the distance from a Strokes record to this one is not as far as one might expect.
That being said, it would be a mistake to categorize this as more of the same. Casablancas unquestionably takes some sonic and compositional risks on the record, and for the most part it works. The record's lead-off single, "11th Dimension", is unquestionably (and logically) its most accessible moment. It's joined by "Out Of The Blue" and "Left & Right Of The Dark" as one of the three most straight-ahead rock songs on the record. The rest of the track list is far more riddled with challenging composition: "4 Chords Of The Apocalypse" is driven by something of a gospel dirge. "Ludlow St." is an oddly miserable take on country music. "River Of Brakelights" is rock through a Timbaland filter. The record's two closing tracks "Glass" and "Tourist" find Casablancas artfully fleshing out his skill at balladry. All that in only eight tracks - indeed.
So, if you're looking for the short answer: it's a great record. But there's far more there under the surface, and more than a fair bit of imbalance. After giving the record repeated listens, it remains undeniably clear that Casablancas may have been trying to do too much. It's more than a little ironic that in grabbing full control of the creative process, Casablancas has in many ways made his most disjointed record to date. There have been hints of this in the past with tracks like "Under Control" and "Ask Me Anything", but this is the first time that Casablancas' penchant for stylistic non sequiturs has been completely exposed.
There isn't a weak moment amongst the eight tracks here, but there is a distance between them. In many ways the record feels like it was made of two EP's: one an exercise in experimental low tempo songwriting, and the other a flat out rock and roll record. One could (and many will) that these tracks come together, and that the distance between them is in fact what gives them balance. But the fact of the matter is that they are simply too far apart to hold together as an album. Will this matter to Casablancas' fans? Not in the least. But when considering the record and whether it lives on as a classic, the lack of unity will be counted against it.
Without a doubt, those trying to escape the shadow of a great band are hounded by the spectre of their bandmates. Most notably, The Beatles worked their entire solo careers to escape their own greatness, and never succeeded. However, most of this lack of success was not a result of their own lack of talent: it was a result of self indulgence. Without the counterweight of the other members, each was free to wallow away in a world of musical masturbation. Unquestionably, this yielded some fantastic records, but few would argue that there's any solo material on par with the band's original output.
Similarly, The Strokes have spent the last three years battling to find themselves in the world of solo recording: Albert Hammond with sunny pop, Fabrizio Moretti with subdued latin melodies, Nikolai Fraiture with a straight ahead rock record, and now Julian Casablancas with a synth laden rock and roll experiment. But the fact of the matter is that these four (and a still silent fifth) are part of a greater whole. They each have the ability to deliver on their own, and probably do so better than most. But still, none of them have managed to capture the magic that they do as a unit. In other words, you'd better believe that next Strokes record is going to matter. In the meantime, we'll be listening to Phrazes For The Young, and you'd better believe we'll be enjoying the hell out of it.
Julian Casablancas 2009 North American Tour Dates Nov 13 Downtown Palace Theatre Los Angeles, California Nov 17 The Regency Ballroom San Francisco, California Nov 20 Downtown Palace Theatre Los Angeles, California Nov 22 Showbox at the Market Seattle, Washington Nov 23 Commodore Ballroom Vancouver, British Columbia Nov 27 Downtown Palace Theatre Los Angeles, California
Do Make Say Think have long been a staple on the playlist. We first heard about them through their tight Broken Social Scene connection, and have been digging on their unique sound ever since. The band manages to create a sonic landscape that toes the line between fuzzy rock, ambient goodness, and melodic genius. Their classic records You, You're A History In Rust and & Yet & Yet are both go-to albums for long drives, meditative moments, or when we are simply in a mood to be enveloped by the environment of a recording.
That being said, we were psyched to discover that the band has a new record entitled The Other Truths. Comprised of four tracks entitled "Do", "Make", "Say" and "Think", the record is nonetheless most assuredly not an EP. Each track clocks in at over ten minutes (with the exception of "Think"), and the record has a playtime longer than many of its peers, despite the low track count. In terms of sound, some of the band's more familiar elements are there, but they've also managed a bit of a departure.
Where older DMST records had a clear sonic link to Broken Social Scene, this time around they seem to have completely broken away and claimed complete ownership of their own vibe. All of the familiar elements are there: sprawling epic arrangements, intricate guitar lines, percussive genius, and unquestionable melody. It's simply that something of the feel of the record has gained distance from Broken Social Scene. In short, it simply sounds like the two groups are less entangled, and DMST has found themselves more comfortable in their own skin.
Of course, the question on our minds is how this will translate to the live show, and luckily we have a chance to find out. The band will be returning to North America at the end of November, after an extensive European tour. When they do, they'll be making stops at a number of East Coast venues, including two stops in New York at the Music Hall of Williamsburg and Bowery Ballroom (see below). While we heartily recommend DMST's records, we'll take it a step further and say that you'd be even better off catching their live show. This is the kind of music that begs for live interpretation, and this is the band to to do it. See you out there! mp3: Do Make Say Think - Do
Do Make Say Think Fall 2009 North American Dates 25 Nov Montreal CA Sala Rossa 26 Nov Montreal CA Sala Rossa 27 Nov Cambridge US Middle East Downstairs 28 Nov Brooklyn US Music Hall Of Williamsburg 29 Nov New York US Bowery Ballroom 30 Nov Philadelphia US First Unitarian Church 1 Dec Washington DC US Rock and Roll Hotel 2 Dec Pittsburgh US Brillobox 3 Dec Pontiac US Crofoot Ballroom 4 Dec Chicago US Lincoln Hall 5 Dec Chicago US Schubas Tavern 12/13 Dec Toronto CA Enwave Theatre
Last Friday, we stopped in at The Independent to check out a set from The Antlers. The band has been taking up a gradually expanding spot on our playlists in both San Francisco and New York, and we were curious to see what would come of their live show. Their record, Hospice, is a meticulously crafted masterwork that extensively uses some extremely subtle sonics. As such, we were really interested as to what the band might be able to pull of live. In short: quite a bit.
The show at The Independent is part of the "Sleepy Sun" tour (more dates below), and amidst the band's considerable hype from various sources, the crowd was clearly anxious and excited to hear what the band had to offer. As the set commenced, it became clear that the band's strengths live are the same as those on the record. The set's traversal of Hospice was an epic journey in beautiful melancholy that managed to rise its head above the gloom.
Lead singer Peter Silberman simply has a fantastically beautiful voice. When combined with the outstanding compositions from Hospice, the band somehow manages to make a record that for all intents and purposes should be miserable, completely lovely. And really, that's what it comes down to: The Antlers are making fantastic, brilliant, beautiful music. Yes, it's coated in a veneer of misery, but the reality is that if you haven't heard Hospice or caught the band live, it should go in your calendar. As in, now.
The Antlers, Fall 2009 Dates Nov 6 THE DOOR w/ Minus The Bear Fort Worth, Texas Nov 7 JAGZ w/ Minus The Bear Pharr, Texas Nov 8 WHITE RABBIT w/ Minus The Bear San Antonio, Texas Nov 10 WORKPLAY THEATER w/ Minus The Bear Birmingham, Alabama Nov 11 FIRESTONE (Anti-Pop Fest) w/ Minus The Bear Orlando, Florida Nov 12 40 WATT CLUB w/ Minus The Bear Athens, Georgia Nov 16 BODEGA Nottingham Nov 17 13TH NOTE Glasgow, Scotland Nov 18 DEAF INSTITUTE Manchester Nov 19 COCKPIT ROOM 3 Leeds Nov 21 CROSSING BORDER FESTIVAL The Hague Nov 22 CROSSING BORDER FESTIVAL Antwerp Nov 24 NOUVEAU CASINO (Les Inrocks) Paris Nov 25 BUSH HALL London Nov 27 HOPE Brighton Nov 28 LENNONS Southampton Nov 29 LOUISIANA Bristol Dec 1 CLWB IFOR BACH Cardiff, Wales Dec 2 SALA APOLO Barcelona Dec 3 SALA CARACOL Madrid Dec 4 ACADEMY 2 Dublin Dec 15 BOWERY BALLROOM w/ Uninhabitable Mansions & Sharon Van Etten! New York, New York
Spoon at Portland's Crystal Ballroom, from the HAD Archive
We can taste it: we're on the cusp of the excitement and press deluge that comes when a record we really care about is on the verge of release. In this case, it's Transference, the Spoon full length that is on target to drop on January 26th of the new year. From what we've heard at the band's live shows, the record promises to be chock full of some fantastic songs.
Keeping that in mind, we were psyched to stumble upon this short interview with Spoon frontman Britt Daniel. In it, Daniel discusses the new record's sound, referring to it as "uglier" and consisting of "demos, or tracks that started out as demos". What's more, it reveals that "Written In Reverse" is set to be the first single from the record, and that the included version of "Got Nuffin" is in fact unique from the version on this year's EP.
All this has us (and we assume, you) extremely excited for Spoon's new LP. So much so, in fact, that you may need something to hold you over. Luckily, Spoon is the band that keeps on giving, and they just posted a live version of "Everything Hits At Once" as their November "bonus" on the web. We've provided a link below, and we recommend you grab it: this version is a distinctly grittier take on the cool studio production of the original, and really emphasizes the breadth of Spoon's awesomeness in the live environ. Enjoy!
Okay, we'll start with the truly embarrassing part: we'd never really given "Hey Bulldog" a listen. The reasoning is rather strange, and bit meandering. First, there's the fact that it's not on any of the "real" Beatles record: the song was only issued as part of the Yellow Submarine soundtrack. As such, it didn't get any play in our standard spins of Beatles wax. What's more (and this is the truly silly part), for some reason we thought it was a cover. It's hard to say why exactly; maybe it's all the covers the band was doing in the Let It Be era, or maybe it's just the silly title. Regardless, the fact remains that "Hey Bulldog" was waiting in the wings, and now that we've given it some attention, well, oh my.
Our attention returned to the track with the reissue of The Beatles' catalog back in September. Picking up the discs led to a summary listen (straight through) of the band's entire catalog, and that meant exposure to a lot of the band's music that we had perhaps considered "tier two". And frankly, we're glad that it did: listening to some of the band's older records that were perhaps less "innovative", you realize they were kicking ass from day one. Not that it's exactly a shock, but sometimes it's nice to have a little validation of the mainstream assumptions.
Fast forward to the end of our listening marathon, and the record Mono Masters 2. The second disc of the band's singles collections, the album is a virtual greatest hits record. But there's a catch: The Beatles put very few of their singles on actual records, so while Mono Masters is loaded with hits, none of them are on the actual records! When you realize how many Beatles tunes there are that aren't even on actual records, well, it's rather astounding.
But, back to our focus: "Hey Bulldog". The tune sits at the end of Mono Masters 2, and despite having blindly skipped it so many times, we were on a listening marathon, so we sat with open ears. And we were astounded. This was no cover, this was no cheesy 1950's ripoff, it was a sweet, sick, Beatles jam of the best kind. The informed among you (no doubt) will be shaking your heads, but we'll be frank: we could give a shit. Discovering this track was like discovering a long lost friend we never knew we had. It's The Beatles at their creative peak, and moreover at their silly, unencumbered best. In short, it's fantastic.
The track is driven by a classic piano riff and a duet of Lennon/McCartney vocals. Combined with a fantastic bluesy melody and guitar line, the tune simply exudes the best in carefree rock and roll. Even better is that as the track continues, it gradually becomes looser and looser, while still managing not to lose any of its rock solid structure. As the track draws to a close, McCartney and Lennon devolve into comedic barking, and then the band returns in full. In short, it's a sonic tour de force.
The track (apparently) was put in the can after recording, and only resurfaced a few years as the need for new material arose. As such, the record company put together an after-the-fact video of the band recording the song in studio (see above), and the rest, as they say, is history.
In general, we'd advise staying on top of your shit: pay attention, listen carefully, and don't make presumptions. But, sometimes, the reverse can be true. Sure, we could be bummed that we only just now came upon "Hey Bulldog", but the fact of the matter is that it's sort of a gift. The Beatles haven't been making music for almost forty years, and despite the fact that they keep leaking progressively more studio material, they're never going to record anything truly new. So, that being said, we'll take whatever chance we can get to stumble into a Lennon/McCartney composition with reckless abandon, even if it means having been in the dark for far too long.
On Halloween we stopped by Bushwick's Market Hotel and took in what's probably the most holiday-appropriate show we've ever seen: Mount Eerie headlined a night of music that served to emphasize the band's progressively darker direction. Not only that, but they also brought along a couple of bands that were far darker, Liturgy and Malkuth, and presented them to a crowd that was unquestionably enthusiastic. We don't know whether it was the Halloween vibe or simply a crowd shift of Mount Eerie's fan base, but one thing was for sure: Phil Elverum has embraced his dark side.
The night started off with a set from No Kids, and the band delivered a set of synthy dance-pop that was enjoyable, if not a tad on the typical side. Interestingly, the band's drummer is in Berlin, so Phil Elverum has been filling in as drummer for the tour. We're not sure if it affected the band's sound much, but we're guessing no: Elverum did a solid job holding down the parts. Probably the most intriguing thing about the band was that, for a relatively simple stage setup, they managed to get an incredibly full, fleshed out sound.
No Kids were followed soon after by Malkuth, and at that point, things got loud. We're going to admit: our vocabulary and knowledge of the metal scene is limited, so if we step on any toes here, we apologize. That being said, Malkuth delivered a set that was unquestionably drenched in feedback, noise, and most noticeably a distinctive drone. The band's sound was built around two guitars playing off of each other, and driving forward repetitive riffs which, to be frank, at times reminded us of live Velvet Underground records.
Liturgy was up next, and things that had gotten loud, stayed loud. The band were all done up in their Halloween-best: Kiss face makeup abounded. Their set started out with a cacophony of layered vocals that reminded us more than a little bit of some Liars records. However, from there the band stabbed straight into a set that was built around a foundation of heavily distorted vocals and guitars. The crowd was receptive, and the band clearly had more than a few fans in attendance.
After two hours of actual metal, the return to Mount Eerie was surprisingly mellow. No matter how much noise or edge there is to their new record, it still felt like home after so much aural aggressiveness. Elverum's voice was in top form, and the band managed to create a depth to the sound that allowed for astonishingly solid recreations of the record's arrangements.
Not only did Mount Eerie's touring band consist of all the members of No Kids, but it also included two drummers, who came together to allow for a sound that was a mass of layered percussion and analog drone. Thankfully, the mix was extremely well delivered, and despite the massive sound of the instrumentation, the vocals (which, let's be frank, are a huge part of the draw of Mount Eerie's sound) were clear throughout.
While the entire set was rock solid, we have to say that our favorite moment was an almost-dancey version of "Between Two Mysteries". It rounded out an evening that was an homage to Mount Eerie's continuing evolving sound, and Phil Elverum's embrace of more and more genres as his musical vocabulary expands. Was it for everyone? Probably not, but was it interesting? You bet.
At this point we're willing to gobble up whatever's available when it comes to Spoon's new record Transference. Case in point: the above video. It's not exactly monumental, but we still love it to the max. The band added it their web site after last week's announcement of the new record's imminent arrival.
Liturgy
