I'm always looking for new stuff, and luckily, you know more than I do. Have something to recommend? email me. Have a show coming up? Let me know: topomodesto[at]gmail.com
Are you kidding me? Out of nowhere, a duet of “Lost Coastlines” by Will Sheff with Carl Newman The New Pornographers. Will has performed a couple acoustic versions of this song recently, first on WOXY and then on NRK P3 (live from Norway), but I really think that having the second vocalist is half of what makes the song. I’m still a bit partial for their Motown-style bass and drums from the album version, but I dig the back and forth, and that Will switched places this time around. The original is below… How amazing is Jonathan Meiburg’s voice when he chimes in with that baritone “sit down?” The Stand-Ins, the appendix to last year’s The Stage Names, is out on September 9th.
I came really close to leading off this mix with Saloon’s cover of Pavement’s “Shoot The Singer” before I realized that I had rocked that track exactly a year ago. Man, I used to get away with barely a description back then. Well in honor of that (and my hectic workload), I’ll sign off and let this month speak for itself. Enjoy.
August 2008 Mix
01 Oxford Collapse - The Birthday Wars
02 Havergal - Drowned Men
03 Zykos - Race Rabbit
04 Superstar Quamallah - Love Has Madeus
05 Ed Laurie - Albert
06 Bill Fay - Pictures Of Adolf Again
07 Nathan Wilkes - Now That I’m Wise
08 Invincible (feat. Buff 1, SUN & PL) - Deuce/Ypsi
09 Shannon Wright - Everybody’s Got Their Own Part To Play
10 The Helio Sequence - Shed Your Love
Mark Abraham of Cokemachineglow has very quickly become my new favorite music reviewer. After first blindsiding me with his thoughtful and engaging (and 2,359-word) review of an album that I otherwise wasn’t too interested in, and then the ‘No Big Hair’-awarded review of Shapeshifters by Detroit-by-way-of-Ann Arbor rapper, Invincible. Being a longtime lover of Detroit (I don’t want to give up to much personal information, but about 6 years ago I did a lengthy study on the exact issues that the above video for “Locusts” touches upon), I have long had an affinity for all things Detroit and, in particular, Detroit hip-hop. I never ended up moving there, but as guest rapper Finale explains towards the beginning of the track, “D speaks to me.”
It is my assumption that most of the country understands there is something odd about Detroit. I recall that the 2006 Superbowl offered a brief glimpse to the rest of what had become of the city that had had the collective back of the entire country turned on it. I would argue that, at least before Katrina, it most clearly exemplified problems of urban decay and suburbanism in the United States - particularly in how they relate to class and race. But at the same time, I always saw something there unique and beautiful - not only the city itself - but also in the community that remained after the suburban ‘white flight‘ as a matter of pride in the face of a intended and racist attack on its culture. And it is this attack upon the city, both in the historical sense and again today as the city seeks to rebuild and redevelop Detroit. Finale kicks the track off on this note, saying:
Condos remodel my gold turf
For what its worth soul got left in the earth
On the search I stood in front of Compu
Where the Hudson builders spoke first
And said, “I was here”
For the most part the song speaks to the specific issues of Detroit. But within the greater context of Invincible’s album, it continues a thematic criticism of disenfranchisement and attention to the processes of change. What I am most impressed by in the way she addresses such a complex topic is that she avoids a typical preservationist argument - that cities need to be protected from change, like plastic wrap over your living room couch. Cities are not stagnant and within them change is not only necessary but inevitable. But finding a means of enacting a conscious and positive change is what is important for preserving culture and communities. Repeating elements of her track on Palestinian displacement, “People Not Places,” she is focused on the culture of Detroit rather than its buildings. She is concerned by demolition within the city, but specific to how it affects residents:
It’s serve and removal
Of residents, with urban renewal
The reverend is the realtor
Here to save and heal you
Invincible and Finale weave together historical fact with reports on the current state of Detroit seamlessly, but if I had one criticism of the track it would be the ’stay focused’/'never let the locusts approach us’ suggestion of the chorus to simply avoid development and real estate developers. This shortcoming picked up by documentary/music video though, both in providing additional historical background, as well as in answers and solutions to the problem.
The interviewees note that development has to come from within in order to maintain the character of the city. And in this regard, yes, Detroit’s developers are to blame. But development in America is simply an equation of profit margins and - with the exception of a few that put their interest in communities ahead of the bottom line - developers will always do the minimum amount that will provide the highest return. In this regard city government needs to set the bar for maintaining cultural heritage as well as to promote a positive change. Thus far in Detroit, the only solutions have been ‘get rich quick‘ schemes that Invincible & Finale reference: the aforementioned Compuware World Headquarters, the People Mover monorail, and a multitude of casinos - all foreign to the character of Detroit.
I don’t know that I could give the album - which is as much an exercise in cultural theory as it is a creative display of musical talent - enough of a plug. I haven’t even touched upon her flow, demeanor, or multisyllabic rhymes. Her voice really reminds me of someone but I can’t quite place it. Maybe Qwel? And you have to admit that House Shoes‘ beat is fantastic, vol. 3. The packaging comes with anecdotes about each track, and can be picked up from any good retailer and most of the online sources. Really, an astounding debut.
I love the video for The New Year’s “The End’s Not Near” probably even more than I liked the song in the first place. I know I’m sort of breaking my promise not to flood the site with Pitchfork.tv videos, but this one is worth it. I like the playfulness of the moving camera and bicyclist, but I think what really makes it is the color of the dawn sky over - what is it - an overgrown parking lot next to an out of use airport? Their website says they have a new album coming out in September. Happy 4th, kids.
I forget who was originally responsible for discovering them between us, but I’m willing to give Freed credit for turning me on to Blue States. This was probably in 2002, right around the time that a song of their found its way into the soundtrack for 28 Days Later. At the time they were recording pretty downtempo/electroinca-type stuff, so it hit me by total surprise when, after an apparent breakup and regrouping, their 2004 album, The Soundings, turned out to be a sort of M83-like take at guitar driven indie rock. It wasn’t well received (I don’t think it ever got a U.S. release…), but I loved it [And by the way, David - Oasis? Really?]. I wondered if the sound would stick, only to discover the band - apparently operating like a phoenix - had broken up and started over again. Scaled back to the solo act of Andy Dragazis, First Steps Into… sounds more like the cinematic electronica act that I had first encountered, with a bit of the pop sensibility from their previous incarnation. You can’t tell me that “Allies” wouldn’t fit perfectly into a movie soundtrack.
There are a couple of remixes on here, most notably this HEALTH track from the remix album, DISCO, that they put out after apparently realizing that the average listener prefers the dancey stuff to the mass of noise that they usually record. There’s another Under Electric Light track on here, this one from their earlier Blue EP, and a TV On The Radio cover from Ned Collette that I stole from a Cokemachineglow podcast a couple years ago. Ned sounds like an Australian Nick Drake or Bill Fay, and his songs have a sweet Bon Iver-ness to them that works well both on lazy summer weekends, as well as late-night driving. I think there’s something special about music that can do that.
PS - This Joan Of Arc track is a three and a half minute masterpiece.
July 2008 Mix
01 Blue States - Allies
02 HEALTH - Tabloid Sores (Nosaj Thing Remix)
03 The Coast - Tightrope (Tokyo Police Club Remix)
04 Kevin Drew - Frightening Lives
05 Blind Willie McTell - Little Delia
06 Under Electric Light - Sitting Here
07 Ned Collette - Hours (TV On The Radio cover)
08 Close Lobsters - Just Too Bloody Stupid
09 Nina Simone - Do What You Gotta Do
10 Joan Of Arc - Ne Mosquitos Pass
I only just listened to one track so far, but it sounded like the Girl Talk that I wanted to hear. If you really need arm twisting (you can always just pay $0 for it if you really want to), Pitchfork has a sample.
I just can’t help but take a moment to note the difference in journalistic approaches between Cokemachineglow’s and Pitchfork’s reviews of Wolf Parade’s latest offering. One, thoughtful and effective in contextualizing an album that might not represent the most approachable of big name releases this year; the other reactionary and predictable. Amanda Petrusich’s review for Pitchfork reads almost as if it came from their news department - it makes sure to report on the assumed conflict between two band members who have successful side-projects, and makes full use of the press release in noting the difference in production credits from their first album. Then there is Mark Abraham’s strategy to address the persona conflict but understand the greater context that is the root of Dan vs. Spencer-ism. His opening anecdote is as much a critique of modern memes as it is a summation of Wolf Parade’s thematic aspirations. It’s a review that takes the discussion beyond the flavor-of-the-month hype-fest and spotlights the conflicting and united visions that give Wolf Parade’s music depth worthy of attention. Oh, and he also threw in this gem:
We’re so hard-wired as humans to define ourselves through the shit we buy […] that we produce alternative consumer cultures where the objects we own mean what we want ourselves to mean and then we turn around and say we live a different way than our parents.
Talk about getting into the mindset of the band you are reviewing.
On a complete and unwarranted side note, I know they pushed themselves in a different direction on Mount Zoomer, and I can certainly appreciate that… but I still want to hear “Cathedral Bells” as a b-side or something.
Rounding out a string of radio session posts, and fresh from watching The Go-Getter, here’s She & Him’s Steve Lillywhite session for NPR. With due credit to the Lillywhite/NPR, sounds a lot better than the sessions they did for KEXP and KCRW. They perform 3 songs, which are interspersed with a short interview, where they talk about hooking up (musically) after their duet that played over the end credits in The Go-Getter.
It is abundantly obvious that Zooey Deschanel has a fantastic voice. And Matt Ward makes a good companion, supplying the production know-how and vintage take on folk and wall-of-sound pop to support her voice. I don’t find their album especially inspired; they pull off some songs well in a nostalgic manner, with fine effort but without the thoughtfulness that makes Cat Power’s latest an engaging take on standards (and non-standards), or the inventiveness that is embodied by the artists that they are approximating. In the end, despite a number of original compositions, the album comes off as a karaoke performance: it is an enjoyable display of talent, but for the most part I would rather spend my time with a Patsy Cline album. Or one of Neko Case’s, for that matter.
That aside, Zooey (and her voice) is a gem and, save the omission of album standout, “Sentimental Heart,” these are three of the best tracks from the album. In this stripped-down format, “Change Is Hard” might even come off better than the studio version.
Last month M83performed live with Southern California “edgey” and “eclectic” music stalwart Nic Harcourt on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic. The performance, surprisingly well-mixed for a live radio recording, reinforces Anthony Gonzalez’s return to his shoegazer roots. The five tracks selected, four off the new album, Saturdays = Youth, released April 15th on Mute Records and one off the 2005 release Before Dawn Heals Us, blend almost seamlessly. Recording credits for the recent release go to Ken Thomas (known for his work with Sigur Rós, The Sugarcubes, Boys in a Band, Cocteau Twins and Suede), Ewan Pearson (who has also produced for Tracey Thorn, The Rapture and Ladytron) and Morgan Kibby (of The Romanovs, and Morgan and the Hidden Hands).
The tracks are a nice compilation of the best material since Nicolas Fromageau left the band after the stunning 2003 release Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts. Arguably, Gonzalez has not been able to match that finally crafted sophmore release, but this collection has certainly come close.
Because I use this site more to recommend upstart bands and forgotten favorites, I’ve spoken more in private than on here about my affinity for Okkervil River. I was excited when Pitchfork reported that, just as Black Sheep Boy merited an Appendix of excellent tracks that were brushed aside in crafting the album, The Stage Names leftovers will take the form of The Stand Ins. The first hint at the new album came in their recent session for WOXY, which was kicked off with “Lost Coastlines.”
Among the reasons I love Okkervil River is the thought and effort that goes into the creation of their albums. People have focused on how much of a shift The Stage Names was from Black Sheep Boy, and what is surprising to me is how similar the approach is. Just as Black Sheep built off on the theme of a Tim Hardin ballad, The Stage Names showcases Will Sheff’s scholarly knowledge of music in an entire album built on influences of Joni Mitchell, John Cale, ? & The Mysterians, and The Beach Boys (amongst others). The difference this time around is that the point of departure was diverse, rather than singular - resulting in a more varied listen than the emotionally dark Black Sheep Boy. I also like the way that Okkervil uses their influences: it isn’t as simple as appropriating the sound of a band like Joy Division, they create a dialog with music history by appropriating lyrics and re-contextualizing them, a technique that is much more prevalent as a way of recognizing one’s elders in hip-hop than indie country, or whatever we are calling this genre these days.
In that regard, the interview (which I’ve omitted) is the highlight of the WOXY session; where we get Will’s explanation of the Golden Opportunities mixtape that the band released, footnoting with covers the songs that helped to shape The Stage Names. Still, the 4 songs they play (each from a different album), all presented without drums, are an interesting offset to their more upbeat and rocking album versions. “It Ends With A Fall” is my favorite.
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