thus spake drake: the walkmen

Showing posts with label the walkmen. Show all posts

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Now Downloading: New Releases 09.14.10

This week is the Super Tuesday of indie rock releases for 2010. The embarrassment of riches includes the latest from The Walkmen, Of Montreal, Weezer, Chromeo, The Black Angels, Black Mountain, J. Tillman, Junip, Azure Ray, Blonde Redhead, Crocodiles, Cloud Cult, a second round of Nick Cave's Grinderman plus strong returns for both Superchunk and The Vaselines.

Playlist: New Releases 09.14.10

Superchunk - Majesty Shredding
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

Don't call it a comeback, because the 'Chunk never left. Sure it's been nine years since their last release, but Merge Records' house band never called it quits, but instead were just taking their time. Musically, Majesty Shredding is a return to the spunky pre-Here's Where the Strings Come In days, before the days of embellishment (not that their later catalogue was bad, on the contrary). Throw in lyrics that folks in their 40s can identify with and it's the best of both worlds for an aging indie rocker like me.

Free AOL Album Stream
Download: "Digging For Something" [mp3]

Grinderman - Grinderman 2
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

Nick Cave's mid-life crisis disguised as a return to Birthday Party rawness back in 2007 gets a much welcomed sequel. More improvised lyrics over raw expositions result in another Nick Cave gem. He's notched three in a row (counting Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! w/ the Bad Seeds). Cave does the dirty old man bit to perfection.

Free AOL Album Stream
Download: "Heathen Child" [mp3]

Of Montreal - False Priest
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

Of Montreal has largely been a one-man effort over the years for Kevin Barnes, but False Priest sees the Atlanta native in a collaborative mood, with the band getting more credit along with some high profile guest stars. Jon Brion helps in production, while Solange Knowles and Janelle Monae join in for a couple duets. It's not as genius as Hissing Fauna..., but it's a step up from 2008's Skeletal Lamping.

Free AOL Album Stream
Download: "Croquette Croquette" [mp3]

The Walkmen - Lisbon
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

I've given up expecting The Walkmen to write another "The Rat," the best thing they've ever done. A funny thing happened on the way to waiting for another burner like "The Rat" to come along -- the band got better at writing spare and powerful songs that don't require the guitars at 11. Album highlight "Angela Surf City" is as close as they get, and I'm alright with that.

Free AOL Album Stream
Download: "Stranded" [mp3]

Junip - Fields
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

Before Sweden's Jose Gonzalez achieved solo success, he was the frontman for this act. Reforming the band, you'd think that this would sound more like a band and less like a slightly more rocking Gonzalez solo release. Of course, that's a welcome outcome as well, and there's plenty to like here, especially if you're already a Jose fan.

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The Vaselines - Sex With an X
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

Part of the magic in all these reunions is a return to youth, but sometimes you can't go back. Glasgow's The Vaselines were at their best juxtoposing innocence and sexual honesty, and occasionally the combination works with Sex With an X -- their first album in 21 years -- but they're in their 40s now and that formula doesn't have quite the same magic anymore. Belle & Sebastian help out backing the band and a few sparks fly, but after 21 years of waiting, don't you want a little more?

Free AOL Album Stream
Download: "Sex With an X" [mp3]

Monday, August 09, 2010

Ear on TV: Week of 08.09.10: Arcade Fire

Arcade Fire will appear on The Daily Show, Thursday

There's no exaggeration in saying it's been a big week for Montreal's Arcade Fire. They released their third album (The Suburbs, which is expected to debut at the top of the charts), they play two sold out shows at Madison Square Garden and then they closed out Lollapalooza last night in epic fashion. Continuing their "Best Week Ever," Arcade Fire do what few bands have ever done: make an appearance on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Thursday).

In the six years since their debut release, it's been a magical rise for the band. I say "magical" as it's an apt description, fitting in with who they managed to pull in to direct a webcast for the second night at MSG: Terry Gilliam. Not that the director of films like Time Bandits and Brazil had any experience with directing a live concert, but the band and director seemed to hit it off in a way that showed up in the final product. Says Gilliam jokingly at one point during the pre-show, "I thought they were bringing me in the help a failing band, but it turns out they're the ones helping out a failing director." You can see most of the concert on Arcade Fire's YouTube site, including the funny pre-show bit, featuring Gilliam and future Spider-Man reboot actor Andrew Garfield attempting to 'boot up' the band:

Elsewhere, Portland's indietastic band Menomena makes their television debut on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Monday, freak folk goddess Joanna Newsom graces the Jimmy Kimmel Live stage on Wednesday, and The Walkmen preview a new song from their forthcoming release (Lisbon, due in stores September 14) on Jimmy Fallon Thursday.

Playlist: Picks for the week
Monday, August 9
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Bettye LaVette (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Vampire Weekend
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Mike Posner
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Menomena
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Mishka (REPEAT)
TBS: Lopez Tonight: Har Mar Superstar
Tuesday, August 10
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Steve Winwood (REPEAT)
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Midnight Juggernauts
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Meat Loaf
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Slayer
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Surfer Blood (REPEAT)
VH1: Purple Rain: Prince, The Time
Wednesday, August 11
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Joanna Newsom
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Eminem (REPEAT)
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Here We Go Magic
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Los Lobos
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: JP, Chrissie and The Fairground Boys
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: The Living Sisters (REPEAT)
Thursday, August 12
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: The Dead Weather (REPEAT)
COMEDY CENTRAL: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Arcade Fire
FUEL: The Daily Habit: U-N-I
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: The Whigs
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: The Walkmen
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Never Shout Never (REPEAT)
Friday, August 13
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Dolly Parton (REPEAT)
NBC: The Today Show: Ke$ha
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Alejandro Escovedo
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: La Roux (REPEAT)
Saturday, August 14
BBCAMERICA: The Graham Norton Show: 50 Cent
NBC: Saturday Night Live: MGMT (REPEAT)

Friday, February 20, 2009

Friday Night Lights - Hole in the Bucket

After last week's 'meh' episode, FNL gets back on track this week with "It Ain't Easy Being J.D. McCoy," a solid hour that felt like hanging out with good friends. "Good times," as Riggins might say, with actor Taylor Kitsch channeling David Wooderson (Matthew McConaughey) from Dazed & Confused, and a majority of Riggins time we get this week (especially the great tour of Dillon) felt a lot like Richard Linklater's wonderfully lazy classic.

That's not to say that nothing happened, because Matt and Julie finally got down and did the dirty(!) The whole scene was shot with such reverence for the act that we saw nothing, instead were left to figure it out from Aimee Teagarden's impressive acting of the morning after. First checking herself out in the mirror (I'm a woman now!) and then with the smiling furtive glances she exchanges with Matt later at church. So she got the flower last week (tatoo on ankle,) and now Matt hath plucked it.

There's a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, there's a hole
"Well, fix it!" - Coach Taylor

While there wasn't much for Coach (Kyle Chandler) to do this week, his presence was felt pretty much everywhere. Take for instance the J.D./Riggins storyline. Now that J.D. is QB1, we anticipated seeing more of him, but few figured on seeing all of him -- via the time-honored tradition of the Naked Mile. Coach recognizes J.D.'s like an exchange student on the team (thanks to his stage mom of a father) so having the team drunk take him under his wing was like tossing him in the deep end to get him swimming with the rest of the team.

Meanwhile, Street and the strange house flip storyline move to its inevitable FUBAR moment, hilariously played like a Flip This House episode gone horribly wrong. Billy shooting himself with the nail gun after boasting of his construction experience (backed by Jay Reatard's "See-Saw") made this head scratching plot all worth it -- especially with the bloodstained note on the wall that greets Jason later ("WE'LL FINISH IN THE AM!") Coach steps in and throws some water on Street's pity party. It all gives Scott Porter's delivery of "There's a Hole in the Bucket" to his son over the phone a touching moment that's well earned.

Meanwhile, the rodeo clown Cash continues to befuddle this season's version of Tyra. If the character wasn't transparent enough, the music that plays whenever Cash talks with her at Applebees* is always about lying. Last week it was The Walkmen's "If Only It Were True," and this week it's the Eagles of Death Metal song "Now I'm A Fool" that clues us in that he's a phony. Meanwhile, this episode marks the beginning of FNL's attempt to bring the great Evan Johns to the world. A legend in his former haunts of both D.C. and Austin, Johns has three songs in this episode, and, I'm told, even more to come in future episodes.

*NBC's product placement of Applebee's was especially oderous this week

Speaking of music, I can't believe I've waited this long to say how excited I am that Landry's band Crucifictorious is back, and better than ever. Thanks to a lineup change, the promising freshman Devon takes over at bass, the band appears to be giving up on their Christian Death Metal approach and moving on to songs about heartbreak. Laments the band's former bass player, "I thought we were going to be bigger than Crimson Thorn!"

Playlist: Friday Night Lights - Episode 3.06
1. "The Hump" - Heavy Trash - the naked mile
2. "Lessons That Burn" - Evan Johns and The H-Bombs - Eric catches a naked JD
3. "See Saw" - Jay Reatard - house flipping plans
4. "Now I'm A Fool" - Eagles Of Death Metal - Cash visits Tyra at work>
5. "Pain Of Love" by Evan Johns and The H-Bombs - Tim takes JD on a tour of Dillon
6. "Strung Out" - The Bacon Brothers - Tyra works on the decorations
7. "Where I Stood" - Missy Higgins - Cash's ex stops by Tyra's house
8. "Boudin Man" by Evan Johns and The H-Bombs - The Panthers win
9. "It's So Right" - Josh Rifkin - Tyra confronts Cash
10. "Black Dirt" - Bumblebeez - The school dance starts
11. "Orange Blossoms" - JJ Grey & Mofro - Tim & Lyla run into JD at the dance
12. "Safer When" - C'mon - Tim & Lyla take take JD to a party
13. "Spaceships" - Bumblebeez - Cash shows up at Tyra's house
14. "Remember When (Side B)" - The Black Keys - Tim & Lyla rescue a drunk JD
15. "Canadian Girl" - The Walkmen - Eric arrives at the dance

Previously: Flip This QB, Flip that House (Episode 3.05)

Friday, February 13, 2009

Friday Night Lights: Flip This QB, Flip that House

"When all the scared rats are leaving a sinking market, that's when a real entrepreneur steps in -- a true visionary." Tim Riggins echoing Buddy

Ok, I started commenting on FNL probably a week too late, as last week's episode ("Hello Goodbye") was probably the best since the first season, working well as a send-off for the Smash Williams character to ride off into the sunset. Mrs. Coach was finally back, and we also got to meet the Principal's husband, as Tammi and Eric got back on the same page. Maybe it's just the day (Friday the 13th), but this week's episode ("Every Rose has its Thorn") seems to catch FNL at its low point in the season, which makes me a true visionary, I guess, working in the pulled quote from above.

As if to clue us in early to the episode's problems, the Panthers are having trouble with their alternating set formations. Coach's indecision about who to go with for QB1 leads us to this near catastrophe, but both JD and Matt pull out the win in the end, thanks to the misdirection (and backed by the song "Game On" by Disciple, a musical callback to Matt running the offense from the season premiere). Matt wins the game, but as our frequently unreliable announcer tells us, JD McCoy has already been crowned QB1. Somebody better tell coach (and the rest of the coaches do just that).

Illustrating Coach and Mrs. Coach's once-again united front, this episode throws us some pedestrian drama for them to tackle in the form of a little tattoo on Julie's ankle. We haven't had a good Eric and Tammi vs. Julie issue this season, so in that regard, it was good seeing them work out the situation -- but over a tattoo? Really? On her ankle I detect neither rose nor thorn, which is surprising given the episode title. And then, in one of the few bright spots, Landry and Matt pull into school blasting a power ballad, but it's not the song from Poison we expect to hear. Instead, it's Skid Row's "I Remember You." The sad look Landry gives as he sees Tyra with Cash offsets the pain of hearing that song again.

We need to cut FNL slack, though, as this is a transition episode, as we move into the Jason Street four-episode arc. And with Street, thankfully, comes some more Herc. His demeanor before and after the baby arrives provides much needed comic relief. ("Babies love vaginas! They just took a great trip through one; it's like looking at a postcard.") And what a cute baby that is ... as much hassle as a baby would be to a storyline like Street's, I'm still going to miss him after only a few seconds of watching him sleep. Which brings us to the flipping house-flipping scheme. Maybe it's just the economy, but flipping a house seems like a terrible idea. Street (like Matt and Landry) is feeling inadequate as a provider, so it's understandable that he's willing to try just about anything, but the inclusion of the Riggins brothers make it a disaster waiting to happen, right? But if it means more scenes with Herc ("you don't know who Burt Bacharach is? What am I doing here with you!") than it's worth seeing it through.

Speaking of disasters waiting to happen, we almost forgot about Tyra and Cash. Sure, Cash had some nice things to say to Tyra at the restaurant, but did you notice the song playing in the background? That was The Walkmen's "If Only It Were True," providing some serious foreshadowing. "And now, you love me too? If only it were true."

Playlist: Friday Night Lights - Episode 3.05
1. "Dimension" - Wolfmother
2. "Game On" - Disciple
3. "The Moon Is Down" - Explosions In The Sky
4. "An Ugly Fact Of Life" by Explosions In The Sky
5. "I Remember You" - Skid Row
7. "If Only It Were True" - The Walkmen
8. "Eyes Wider Than Before" - Scott Matthews

Previously: Clear eyes, full hearts and a money back guarantee (Complete First Season on DVD)

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Bumbershootin' - Wet, bloody and poopy

Well, the boys and I survived Bumbershoot.

It was during the Walkmen's set, during the great song "Louisiana," that it all sunk in. Frontman Hamilton Leithauser belts out the line "I've got my hands full," and I just had to laugh. Eli was nowhere to be seen, and Zane had a diaper full of poo, working it's way up his back. Minutes prior, Eli had bit his lip and bled like a stuck pig, so our towel we were sitting on was spotted with blood, and now with Zane's diaper change, it had sh*t added to the mix. Oh, yeah, and ketchup (from the curly fries).

It started how it ended. After playing in Seattle Center, we hung out at Fischer Green stage waiting for the great Darondo to come on. Zane, mobile for the first time, was uncontainable. Meanwhile, Eli was hiding a secret - he was working on a big shit. Darondo's backing band, Nino Moschella, started the set, as it was revealed that Darondo would come on later. Too bad... just like with Eli, it appeared that poop was preceding Darondo. 4 songs into their set, I get the cue "I have to poop!" and we're off to the races (just made it).

Then it was off to the fountain, which is where Zane was trying to walk/crawl to during the waiting for Darondo/Poop period of the program. Eli tore off all his clothes and it took some wrestling to get his boys in the shorts I packed before he disappeared into the heart of the fountain. Then I got the screaming and pointing Zane stripped to his diaper and he was off. Interpretive dancers showed up and danced around Zane before moving into some crazy water soaked routine. I finally find Eli when he sneaks up and steals the dancers' umbrella. He seems to have made some new friends and found a new family to hang out with. Makes it easier. Zane's knee is bleeding from crawling on the rocky surface. I can hear Darondo singing "Didn't I" in the distance, with the crowd loving it. Damn.

I finally negotiate Eli back into his clothes and the stroller and we're off to see The Walkmen. Perfect soundtrack to the blood, poop and ketchup stains to come. We may have been beaten up during the Walkmen set, but when Man Man followed, the kids rallied and danced their soggy bottoms off. When "Hurly Burly" came on, Eli recognized it from one of his mixes ("this is one of my songs!") and got his FREAK on, dancing, spinning and screaming with glee. Pretty soon he had his own audience. After the set, it didn't take any negotiations to get the kids in the stroller, and they passed out long before we got to the car. Perfect end to a successful wet, bloody, poopy and ketchup-stained day Bumbershootin'.

Friday, August 29, 2008

Man Man up for Bumbershoot, Day 1

For nearly as long as I've been alive, the end of summer in the Northwest has been shown the door by the Bumbershoot Arts Festival. The 3 (formerly 4) day festival starts tomorrow, and I'm heading in with a difficult challenge.

Remember my challenge of taking a three-year old to the Sub Pop festival? Well, I'm upping the ante and going solo with both my 3-year old (Eli) and my 14-month old (Zane) tomorrow. And, on top of that, trying to utilize a photo pass. I've had zero luck taking photos with Zane in tow, so if anyone's going tomorrow and wants to hold a baby for a couple songs, please contact me immediately. Seriously.

Every year, with kids, there's a list of "I wish I could see" and the more realistic, "I logistically could see." So while there's Beck, Band of Horses, New Faces, PWRFL Power, Neko Case, etc. and the THREE comedian stages, with kids you really have to pick one stage and park, and historically, it's the Broad Street Stage (this year called the 'Rockstar Stage'). So that means we're looking at Throw Me The Statue, Thao with the Get Down Stay Down, The Walkmen, Man Man and M. Ward, which is still pretty good. Of course, with a 14-month old, there's no way you can make it that long. So it gets whittled down even more, to probably The Walkmen and Man Man, and a hop over to see Darondo prior to those sets. So, with 40 acts playing tomorrow, I'm hoping to see three. I remember the days when I'd hop around and see nearly 10 acts a day... maybe when the rugrats are older, we can hop together (but not the little lady, boy does she hate to hop).

Playlist: Bumbershoot 2008 - Day 1