Ishmael Butler's rise as Butterfly in Diggable Planets was a source of pride for Seattle hip-hop acts and fans. That Diggable was a NY-based act was only a technicality, like with another former Garfield High School student before him, Jimi Hendrix, Butler was entrenched in the 2-0-6. Unfortunately, after Diggable Planets went out of favor, Butler's return with the funk/rap act Cherrywine failed to connect, making Butler seem like potential fodder for the VH1 'where are they now' pile.
It's no wonder then that Shabazz Palaces had such a secretive beginning, with Butler taking the mysterious name Palaceer Lazaro, and burying his lyrical experiments under layers of psychedelic sounds and murky beats on their first couple EPs. There were no photos or interviews, just packed performances in clubs usually reserved for Seattle's indie rock brethren. There was something there, though, in those EPs that got perceptive listener's attention, and with their full length debut on Sub Pop, Black Up, a bit of the mystery has been lifted. "Clear some space out/ So we can space out," implores Butler during "Recollections of the Wraith" and the album does just that, letting Butler work his lyrical magic around an impressive array of experimental samples and beats. Hip-hop purists are bound to call this "Rap for rockists who hate rap," but it's an undeniable treat for any real fan of music.
With WarfWolf Parade now on indefinite hiatus, Dan Boeckner's side project Handsome Furs (with wife Alexei Perry) is now simply the project. As such, it's not surprising that Sound Kapital -- their third long player -- is easily their most accessible album thus far. Written entirely on keyboards, Boeckner's compositions sound a bit like an alternative reality where The Clash's Joe Strummer decided to go the synth route (and lost his British accent, of course). I say Strummer, because Boeckner repeatedly borrows the Clash frontman's "Straight to Hell" phrasing style throughout the release (see the excellent opener "When I Get Back" along with "Serve the People," specifically). Boeckner didn't leave the guitars completely behind, thankfully, as it's no coincidence that the album highlights feature guitars (the driving "Damage" and "Repudiated"). Wolf Parade fans will think Sound Kapital plays it a little too safe, and their right, but as a transition record, there's a lot to like here going forward now that the band has Boeckner's full focus.
Arctic Monkeys perform on Letterman, Friday evening, July 1.
In this week of reruns leading up to the much ballyhooed 4th of July weekend, The Late Show with David Letterman is the only real outlet of interest. So, while Dave's lineup of Dawes, Sleepy Man Banjo Boys, Marty Stuart, Cake and Arctic Monkeys (pictured above) isn't going to burn down any doors, it is the only game in town.
Summer is officially here, so the new release spigot will start to lose some of it's pressure as it battles for all the outdoor activities. To kick off 2011's summer, there's new releases from Bon Iver, Ty Segall, Centro-Matic, Viva Voce, Cassettes Won't Listen, Bodies of Water, Through the Sparks, Helms Alee, Gomez and The Chain Gang of 1974. Don't forget to apply your sunscreen.
Since Justin Vernon's Bon Iver emerged from the woods with their debut, it's been fun to watch Vernon's adventurous turns whether with the Blood Bank EP, or side projects Gayngs and Volcanic Choir. The self-titled sophomore release has interjected much of this adventurism into the heartfelt songcraft of the debut to create an even better beast. The songs are still there, but enhanced with added layers of complexity. So a song like "Holocene" or "Wash.", which would've sounded like simple ballads on the debut, are multi-layered tracks that approach an epic sound.
Ty Segall is quickly becoming the Robert Pollard of psychedelic rock. With 6 solo albums in under 4 years -- along with lending some of his talents to Thee Oh Sees and Brilliant Colors -- it's safe to say that Segall doesn't want for songwriting inspiration. And with Goodbye Bread, he's even matured a bit, displaying -- dare I say it -- a mellow side. We're still talking about a lo-fi psychedelic-garage-Sonics-inspired sound here, but Segall no longer goes off the rails, instead remaining within song structures. The result is a mostly stellar release that you occasionally wish would let loose a bit more.
It wasn't that long ago that Will Johnson was getting compared to Robert Pollard with his prolific turn at the beginning of the century. Between solo work, South San Gabriel and Johnson's rock and roll outlet Centro-Matic, he was averaging around five releases a year from 1999-2002. So the five year gap since Centro-Matic's last release is odd to say the least -- Johnson took some of the time off to play drums in Monsters of Folk. The wait, however, is well worth it, as Candidate Waltz has the amps turned to 11, and Johnson's cracked Texas vocals deliver the clever melancholy we've come to love over the years.
Fresh off a couple reunion shows (including the recent Sasquatch! performance we covered three weeks back), North Carolina's Archers of Loaf are answering their fans' call and now embarking on a full tour. To help kick it off, AoL is taking to the airwaves, playing Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Friday night, granting many a Loafhead's greatest desire.
On top of that, Merge Records has stepped up to reissue all four of their releases, including a special 20th anniversary edition of the noise pop classic Icky Mettle. For those not familiar with the Loaf, this will be the album to get as they'll be tacking on the great EP Vs the Greatest of All Time on it as well. We can expect Eric Bachman and crew to perform "Web in Front" from Icky Mettle, and we'll be chanting "All I ever wanted was to be your spine" before the night is over.
Meanwhile, the oft-mentioned Bon Iver has two appearances this week, hitting Fallon as well this week (Tuesday), but also sitting down for truthiness on the all of a sudden music-heavy The Colbert Report on Monday. Stephen Colbert is eschewing his normal author and politician guest run this week in favor of a week of musicians. This week The Colbert Report also welcomes Florence & the Machine (Tuesday), Talib Kweli (Wednesday) and the Black Belles (Thursday).
Elsewhere, there's Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder taking a break from the PJ 20th anniversary celebrations, going it alone with his ukelele on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Monday evening. Tiny Tim better watch out.
But the real pearl might just be the combination of alternative legends Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) and Bob Mould (Husker Du, Sugar) both making appearances on Fallon Wednesday night. Moore recently released an intriguing acoustic-centric release, Demolished Thoughts, easily the best solo release he's done yet. Mould, for his part, is out promoting his memoir See a Little Light, co-authored with rock scribe Michael Azzerad (Our Band Could Be Your Life). Mould must be sitting down for an interview, talking about his work with wresting's WCW and his late immersion into gay culture, but will he also be performing? Sitting in with The Roots? Must tune in to find out...
After last week's bonanza of good-to-great releases, this week is far more subtle in it's charms. Both Junior Boys and Vetiver headline the action here, and their laid back approach to music make a perfect match to talk about. Elsewhere this week there's the latest Emmy the Great, Marissa Nadler, reissues from Paul McCartney and Sebadoh, along with a long lost recording from Neil Young.
Ontario's sublime electro-pop duo Junior Boys, after going for production-wise with the dancefloor shiny Begone Dull Care, return a bit to their more intimate sounding roots on this, their fourth album, It's All True. They manage to not sacrifice any production value while still approaching their more minimalistic beginnings (2003's masterful Last Exit). Opener "Itchy Finger" proves to be a red herring, with it's rubbery bass and driving rhythms, as IAT quickly turns introspective immediately following -- and mostly remains as such til the end -- and what and ending it is. Closer and first single "Banana Ripple" is a driving, fun song that builds and builds throughout it's 9 + minutes. Not that you'd notice how long the song is, as it never seems to feel more than 5 minutes.
After moving into more accessible waters for their Sub Pop debut (2009's Tight Knit), San Francisco's Vetiver move into more uncharted realms for them with their latest, taking their folk down-tempo for the most part. There's much less freak here, than their freak folk beginnings, and while there's plenty to be excited about here, the sameness of instrumentation and tempo begin to feel cumbersome halfway through the release.
Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears make national TV debut on Letterman Monday
For Austin's Joe Lewis, it all began in a pawn shop where Lewis worked. Bored one day. Lewis picked up a guitar and felt the magic. After playing some open mics around town with his Honeybears trio, Lewis landed a spot opening for Little Richard. Local indie bands Spoon and Okkervil River also noticed and had Lewis open for them, leading Spoon drummer Jim Eno to produce their 2009 debut full length, Tell 'Em What Your Name Is!.
Lewis and his Honeybears will make their network television debut on Letterman Monday night, likely performing "Living in the Jungle" from their latest, Scandalous, and not wearing the "Fuck This" t-shirt he wore at Sasquatch a couple weekends back. Dave has a soft spot for acts like Lewis' Honeybears, but can we expect an encore request like The Heavy got on their last appearance?
Elsewhere, the New York dancerock trio Battles play Fallon on Thursday. Their latest, Gloss Drop, was released just last week to critical raves, following the exit of short-term vocalist Tyondai Braxton. For Gloss Drop, the band called in a few notable cameos for vocals (Gary Numan, Blonde Redhead's Kazu Makino, and, most notably for Thursday, Kompakt's Matias Aguayo (on the lead single "Ice Cream"). And there's not many better acts to have play during "Video Game Week" on Fallon, as you can imagine their high energy dance-meets-math-rock beats are perfect for the game geek set.
Thanks to Sasquatch! Music Festival and other pressing issues, I missed last weeks crop of new releases, headlined by My Morning Jacket and Death Cab For Cutie (and Robert Pollard, and Eddie Vedder on the ukelele, and Seapony, and...). For the past two days, I've been down with a fever, so this week's was in peril too, but I've switched my tea for coffee, propped myself up with some pillows and made a go of it. All because this is a great week for releases. Black Lips, Cults, Fucked Up, Tom Vek, Battles, Arctic Monkeys and Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr headline the week, but it goes deeper than that as well. New releases from The Rosebuds, Frank Turner, Givers, The Postelles, Sondre Lerche, Peter Murphy, Oneida, City and Colour all make it a pretty deep week for ear spins. Have at it.
When word leaked out that Black Lips were working with the Grammy award winning producer Mark Ronson, there was understandable worry that the antics and noise that the Atlanta quartet had become famous for would get lost. Ronson, however, let the band do their thing (almost killing him in the process), leaving his contributions to cleaning up the sound a bit. As a result, the drums are punchier, and the vocals front and center, and with Ronson's classic attention to 'classic' sound details. Arabia Mountain is Black Lips' best album thus far, both artistically, and likely, commercially.
They mystery behind the New York duo Cults has been built up since the gleeful "Go Outside" started making the rounds last year. With it's Shuggie Otis' glockenspiel-like intro and 60s pop sound, it had everyone asking "Who are these people?" Outside of the names Brian O'Blivion (guitar) and Madeline Follin (singer), never bothered to answer, instead laying low after signing on Columbia. Now their self-titled debut answers a few questions, like "will they be a one-hit wonder?" The easy answer there is "No." The advance second single, "Abducted" should've already answered that question, with it's driving chorus and continuation of 60s pop sensibilities. Aside from the unneeded recorded cult leaders interweaved throughout the album, the rest of the album sets up the duo nicely for a career beyond their debut, even if it loses a bit of steam in the second half.
Hardcore Canadians Fucked Up aren't just punk because Damien "Pink Eyes" Abraham screams up a lung in every song. It's also the constant defying of expectations time and time again. Since the release of their critically acclaimed last release, The Chemistry of Common Life, the band has released a series of Chinese Zodiac themed singles, played with Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig, LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy and, more unexpectedly, Nelly Furtado and actress Shenae Grimes. So when it was revealed their latest, David Comes Alive, was a rock opera, it was expected unexpected news. Telling the story of a light bulb factory worker, David, in love with an activist named Veronica (voiced on the album by Cults' Madeline Follin, conveniently enough for our purposes here), who tragically dies pretty early in the action. The story gets convoluted, as most rock opera's do, but there's incredible ambition here, and if it weren't for the rock opera aspect, the headline here would be that Fucked Up have become accessible. The need to display guitar prowess has been reined in, Pink Floydian meanderings cut almost entirely, and songs tightened to the point that you can recognize pop structures at work. Of course, nobody's going to put Pink Eye's screams on middle American radio stations anytime soon, but without his bravado, this album probably wouldn't work (you'd need another distinct voice -- in fact, throw Craig Finn in the mix and you've got a more masculine riff-heavy Hold Steady album).
Back in 2005, Tom Vek seemed to come out of nowhere with his idiosyncratic punk funk debut, We Have Sound. The one-man band then went back to nowhere for nearly six years -- nowhere being a place where he built his own studio, taught himself production techniques, and spent time writing new material. Listening to his long awaited follow up, Leisure Seizure, it's like Vek was locked up in his recording studio for the majority of the time, just trying to get the sounds in his head on recording, as the album is pretty well removed from sounds and trends that have occurred in the six years he's been absent. The difference for Vek is a more polished sound, punchier drums and less tinny guitars. Advance single "A Chore" is the perfect (re)introduction to Vek's sound, with the big ringing drums and disjointed keyboard and guitar interplay, while "Aroused" sounds a bit like Yeasayer roofied Joe Jackson into a guest vocal. But really, Vek sounds like nobody else, so comparisons are just silly. It's great to have him back, and hopefully we won't have to wait until 2017 for another release.
Eric Bachman of Archers of Loaf at Sasquatch -- photo by me
One of the best bit of news coming out of the Sasquatch! 2011 wake was that the reunited Archers of Loaf were continuing their tour (already got my tix for their Seattle date in September), and that their catalogue would get the reissue treatment on Merge Records.
I guess that explains guitarist Eric Johnson's fashion choice at Sasquatch!.
Eric Johnson of Archers of Loaf at Sasquatch -- photo by me
The final recap and batch of photos from Sasquatch! Music Festival 2011 is now up over at Bumpershine. Plenty of shots from the Archers of Loaf reunion extravaganza, Flaming Lips, Yeasayer, Beach House, Sam Roberts, Black Joe Lewis, Fitz & the Depressions, Moondoggies, Wheedle's Groove and more.
I don't know about you, but my back's aching from just recounting it all.
My Morning Jacket's latest release, Circuital, hit the shelves last week while I was delinquent in my 'new releases' post, so lets give the release some love. It ain't no Z, but still worthy of the words 'return to' following the slightl disappointment of Evil Urges.
Other items of not this week: Letterman is celebrating the first ever (and, I'm going to predict, last) Drum Solo Week, featuring some of music's best skin pounders. Late Show drummer Anton Fig starts things off Monday, and he's followed by Sheila E. on Tuesday; the legendary jazz drummer Roy Haynes goes on Wednesday; and Rush's Neil Peart brings bangs too-many-piece set on Thursday.
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson welcomes The Goldberg Sisters, which is notable in that it's actor Adam Goldberg, featuring help from Flaming Lips' Steven Drozd among others.
Wolf Parade play to a packed main stage, mid-afternoon.
Day 2 photos and recap is finally up over at Bumpershine. I know it's late, but I've been BUSY. Job interviews, crisis at my kid's school, Doe Bay Festival lineup announcement party to attend -- I've got to be one of the busiest cats on unemployment right now.
Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters at Sasquatch!, May 27, 2011
The 10th Sasquatch! Music Festival happened this past weekend, and I was there with a long and expensive (rented) lens on a starter SLR camera... like monster truck wheels on a Honda Civic. The first day was really just the night, with the reunited Death From Above 1979 and headliners the Foo Fighters (pictured above).
Anyway, you can read and peruse the first batch of photos over at Bumpershine.
