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From the Vaults Friday: Galaxie 500, On Fire (1989)

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:00:23 +0000

The Year: 1989
The Album: Galaxie 500, On Fire
Who It Influenced: Low, The Clientele, British Sea Power, Beach House, Xiu Xiu, Deerhunter/Atlas Sound

This week, indie legends Galaxie 500 announced their three magnificent, magical albums �1988's Today, 1989's On Fire, and 1990's This Is Our Music� were being fancily reissued (for the first time ever!) at the newly-established Galaxie 500 web-store.

One of the great cult acts in alternative music history, Galaxie 500 were only around for four years, but crafted a perfectly self-contained discography of near-perfect albums. All recorded by producer/svengali/bong-enthusiast Kramer, the albums find the trio tentatively stepping through a sweet, swirling, psychedelic haze; a melancholy pop-band lost in a daydreamy sound steeped in the Modern Lovers, Velvet Underground, Television, and The Feelies.

In his refreshingly frank memoir, Black Postcards, Galaxie 500 frontman Dean Wareham, in a punk-rock way, peels away the mythologies of music-making, and revels in its mundanities. Knowing, then, that Wareham wrote lyrics whilst watching Kojak, or about a Star Trek episode, or about a bad house-party the band was dragged to should, then, make Galaxie 500's music seem less mysterious, less wondrous, less otherworldly.

But listening to On Fire is a special experience; one that circumvents those parts of your mind. Every time I hear the band slip into "Decomposing Trees" �Naomi Yang's bass warm like a hug, Wareham's guitar milling like clouds, his voice falling like a sullen, lazy rainshower� it's vivid and evocative; music that drowns the dreary narrative of conscious thought in tumbles of emotion and swirls of kaleidoscopic visions.

Full review: Galaxie 500, On Fire
Interview: Dean Wareham

Modest Mouse Tour, Hawk New 7"

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:00:47 +0000

Indie-rock colossus Modest Mouse started off making limited-edition singles for Northwest labels like Up and K, and, recently, they've been returning to those roots. After recently releasing the "Satellite Skin" 7" (initially intended for Record Store Day, though it arrived a little later than that), just this past week Modest Mouse issued another 45: "Autumn Beds" b/w "Whale Song."

In celebration of such, Isaac Brock and crew are doing something almost as old-timey as pressing up a phonographic record: touring! Modest Mouse's traveling roadshow will roll through North America in Late August, Early September, though, this time, without the added old-man bonus of legendary Smiths six-stringer Johnny Marr on guitar.

They Paid for Gas to Drive Around:
August 17: Halifax, Nova Scotia - Forum Multipurpose Room
August 19: Montreal, PQ - Metropolis
August 20: Kingston, ON - Ale House
August 21: Toronto, ON - Sound Academy
August 24: Columbus, OH - Lifestyle Pavilion
August 25: Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom
August 28: San Diego, CA - Street Scene
August 30: San Francisco, CA - Outside Lands
September 1: Salt Lake City, UT - In the Venue
September 2: Denver, CO - Fillmore Auditorium
September 3: Billings, MT - Alberta Blair Theater
September 4: Missoula, MT - Wilma Theater
September 5: Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory
September 7: Seattle, WA - Bumbershoot

Spiral Stairs Finally Finishes Off First Solo Album

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:00:09 +0000

Last year, when I interviewed Spiral Stairs �AKA Scott Kannberg, the founding guitarist of slacker kingpins Pavement� he told me that he had his first-ever 'solo' record close to finished up.

Seven months later, and Matador Records have finally announced the looming release of The Real Feel on October 20. After releasing two albums under the name Preston School of Industry, it marks Kannberg's first release under his own assumed name.

Recorded with the members of power-pop perennials The Posies and including a guest spot from Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene, Kannberg calls The Real Feel his "Shoot Out the Lights"; a chronicle of his divorce patterned after Richard & Linda Thompson's breakup classic.

The first taste of the album, "Maltese Terrier," is waiting for you below...

Listen: Spiral Stairs, "Maltese Terrier"

Spoon Release Surprise New EP, Got Nuffin, Right Now

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:28:33 +0000

Today marks the sneaky release of a brand new EP for ever-popular Austin rockers Spoon. Late last week, word leaked out from Merge Records that a new, three-track work from Spoon would be rushed out with no promotional lead-up.

Spoon's first new material since 2007's much-acclaimed, Top 10(!) LP Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, Got Nuffin kicks off with its slinky title-track, and ushers in the beginning of a flood of new material.

In early July, Spoon have taken command of Stubbs Ampitheater in their hometown of Austin for three nights. Handpicking the supports for each night and turning it into a mini festival, SPOONX3, the band will unleash new material from their forthcoming album. Of which I'm guessing "Got Nuffin" is the first taste.

SPOONX3
July 9: Spoon, ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears
July 10: Spoon, Low, Dale Watson
July 11: Spoon, Atlas Sound, the Strange Boys

Introducing: Japandroids

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 08:00:43 +0000

Name: Japandroids
From: Vancouver, British Columbia
Story: Two dudes playing loud
Sound: Two dudes playing loud

There are only two dudes in Japandroids, but they play loud as many. When guitarist/vocalist Brian King and drummer/vocalist David Prowse got together at the University of Victoria, their goal was to make their two-piece sound like a five-piece band. Their debut album, Post-Nothing, accomplishes that: King's blazing riffs and Prowse's cymbal-smashing drumming turned up to, like, 12.

8 songs and 35 minutes long, Post-Nothing is stacked with amp-rattling anthems. Listen to "Young Hearts Spark Fire," below, and behold the wonder of their letting-it-all-hang out sound; where King screams "We used to dream!/But now we worry about dying!" like he's teetering on the brink.

After kicking around East Van dives for years, releasing a pair of self-made EPs (2007's All Lies and 2008's Lullaby Death Jams) along the way, the release of Post-Nothing has lead them into the spotlight. With positive press plaudits swamping the LP's initial, small-label run, Japandroids have become one the year's definite breakout acts.

The only thing that threatened to derail their ascending '09 ride was a perforated ulcer. This crazy medical condition befell King, who, in April, was hospitalized in Calgary, rushed into surgery, and laid up for two months; an entire North American tour (including a spot at Sasquatch!) cancelled. Now, convalescence has triumphed, and Japandroids are rolling out on the road for an entire July's worth of shows.

These lead up to the August 4 'wide release' of Post-Nothing. Polyvinyl Records (home of Of Montreal, Architecture in Helsinki, Joan of Arc) has primed the album for an official, stateside, on-180-gram-vinyl re-release; cementing Japandroid's status as band on the rise.

Listen: Japandroids, "Young Hearts Spark Fire"

Tour Dates
June 30: Omaha, NE - The Slowdown
July 1: Kansas City, MO - Record Bar
July 2: Nashville, TN - The End
July 3: Oxford, MS - Blind Pig
July 4: Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn
July 6: Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506
July 7: Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church
July 8: Washington, DC - DC9
July 10: Brooklyn, NY - Cameo Gallery
July 11: New York City, NY - Pianos
July 12: Boston, MA - Great Scott
July 14: Montreal, QC - Club Lambi
July 15: Ottawa, ON - Ottawa Blues Festival
July 16: Toronto, ON - El Mocambo
July 18: New York City, NY - Siren Music Festival
July 19: Chicago, IL - Pitchfork Music Festival
July 20: Des Moines, IO - Vaudeville Mews
July 21: Denver, CO - Hi Dive
July 23: Boise, ID - Neurolux
July 25: Seattle, WA - Capitol Hill Block Party
July 28: Portland, OR - Holocene
July 29: Sacramento, CA - Blue Lamp
July 30: San Diego, CA - Soda Bar
July 31: Los Angeles, CA - Spaceland
August 1: Visalia, CA - Howie & Sons
August 7: Vancouver, BC - Richards on Richards

From the Vaults Friday: Dinosaur Jr, You're Living All Over Me (1987)

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:00:11 +0000

The Year: 1987
The Album: Dinosaur Jr, You're Living All Over Me
Who It Influenced: Built to Spill, My Bloody Valentine, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, Modest Mouse

When You're Living All Over Me arrived on the desk of SST Records �the erstwhile punk-rock powerhouse that originally released the LP in 1987� the production manager, famously, thought that something was wrong with the master tapes. J Mascis's electric guitar playing was recorded so loud, and pushed up so high in the mix, that it started distorting, 'clipping' into fuzz when it got literally too loud for the tape to handle. Yet, Mascis explained, this was how he wanted it to sound; his vision.

Mascis formed Dinosaur (as they were originally called, only adding the Jr later for legal reasons) in 1984 with the idea of making 'ear-bleeding country.' Having grown up playing hardcore but loving Neil Young and Led Zeppelin, Mascis played tuneful, twangy, heartfelt songs that blasted out at crazy volumes; his virtuoso guitar-playing spilling out in layers upon layers of noisy, squalling lead-breaks and overdriven solos.

22 years later, the recently-reunited original band are back in fine form with this week's release of the really great Farm. But You're Living All Over Me is their definitive work; the album on which Mascis founded the sound for which he'd grow to be famous. Even when placed against their shiny new disc, it still sounds wholly unhinged; still crazy after all these years.

Full review: Dinosaur Jr, You're Living All Over Me

Bon Iver Side-Project, Volcano Choir, to Release Debut in September

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:00:37 +0000

There were few human who owned 2008 so thoroughly as Justin Vernon. The bearded Bon Iver bard released one of 2008's best albums, For Emma, Forever Ago, worked with indie-rockers Land of Talk, and even took the time out to talk hoops with me.

2009 got off to a pretty fine start for Vernon, too: with his latest EP, Blood Bank, debuting at #16 on the Billboard chart. Now, Vernon's officially unveiling his latest project, Volcano Choir. A collaboration with members of Wisconsinite post-rockers Collections of Colonies of Bees, Volcano Choir is, apparently, something resembling a choir.

The debut Volcano Choir LP, Unmap �recorded over a weekend in November 2008 in Fall Creek, Wisconsin, at the farmhouse studio owned by Vernon and his brother, Nate� finds Vernon, and the entire COCOB lineup (Chris Rosenau, Jon Mueller, Jim Schoenecker, Dan Spack, Thomas Wince) in full-throated, experimental voice.

Thus far, Unmap's contents are a closely-guarded secret, but, come September 22, the album will be released on Jagjaguwar for all to hear.

Unmap Track List:
1. "Husks And Shells"
2. "Seeplymouth"
3. "Island, IS"
4. "Dote"
5. "And Gather"
6. "Mbira In The Morass"
7. "Cool Knowledge"
8. "Still"
9. "Youlogy"

Ra Ra Riot on the Road

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 08:00:22 +0000

Ra Ra Riot's frontman Wes Miles is riding high with LP, debut album for his Vampire Weekend-associated side-project Discovery, but that doesn't mean his put his main band on the back-burner.

In support of the debut RRR LP, The Rhumb Line (which I thought one of 2008's best albums), Miles and crew have spent seemingly all of the ought-nine thus far on the road. And there's more to come.

First come a run of summery supports for Death Cab for Cutie; some of which will also include Andrew Bird and/or the New Pornographers on the bill. Ra Ra Riot follow these with a few choice festival dates, then roll out for a solid month of shows traipsing cross-country through the North American fall...

First Class Riot:
July 8: Interlochen, MI - Interlochen Center For The Arts
July 10: Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
July 11: Berkeley, CA - Greek Theatre Berkeley *
July 12: Reno, NV - Grand Sierra Resort & Casino *
July 13: Salt Lake City, UT - Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre *
July 14: Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre *
July 16: Vancouver, BC - Pacific Coliseum *
July 17: Troutdale, OR - Edgefield Amphitheater *
July 18: Redmond, WA - Marymoor Park *
July 19: Redmond, WA - Marymoor Park *
July 25: Tulsa, OK - D Fest
July 31: Liberty State Park, NJ - All Points West Festival
August 9: Chicago, IL - Lollapalooza
August 29: San Diego, CA - San Diego Street Scene
September 10: Ithaca, NY - Castaways
September 11: Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace
September 12: Pittsburgh, PA - WYEP's Rock The Block
September 13: Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
September 14: Columbus, OH - The Basement
September 17: Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater
September 18: Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon
September 19: Urbana, IL - Krannert Center
September 20: St. Louis, MO - Firebird
September 21: Lawrence, KS - The Bottleneck
September 23: Dallas, TX - Granada Theater
September 24: Austin, TX - Emo�s
September 25: Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
September 26: Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon
September 27: Birmingham, AL - Bottle Tree
September 29: Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
September 30: Carrboro, NC - Cat�s Cradle
October 1: Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
October 2: Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero
* with Death Cab for Cutie

Photo � Sarah Cass

Mount Eerie to Release 'Black Metal' LP in August

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:00:08 +0000

When Phil Elverum released his awe inspiring Mount Eerie album, it felt a little like a black-metal record. Epic, conceptual, referencing classic literature and snow-drenched, windswept nature; telling a tale of man questioning spirituality, seeking to understand the cosmos. After he made it, Elverum even retreated to a cabin in remote, Northern Norway during an Arctic winter, plunging himself into literal isolationism.

Okay, maybe Mount Eerie lack'd the logo and facepaint and could've done with a lot more tinny treble, but, hey, work with me here. The album served an obvious landmark in that, to that point, Elverum had recorded as The Microphones, but after it he begun calling himself Mount Eerie.

The latest LP from the prolific, ever-traveling songsmith fulfills this surmised black-metal promise. Wind's Poem, the third 'official' Mount Eerie album, is a record inspired by time Elverum spent in the Northwest Washington woods, listening to the wind; album channeling black-metal's wind-blown sound and Twin Peaks' "mystery of the woods." The owls, indeed, are not what they seem.

Elverum describes Wind's Poem as a work of "impermanence, dark change, destruction, temporary blossoming, mortality, and an immense river of air tearing through the world." It shall be released August 18 on his own P.W. Elverum & Sun label, and will be supported by a fall tour in which Mount Eerie will function as a full band featuring "two drummers, some gongs, and a wall of amps." Heavy.

Interview: Mount Eerie

Wind's Poem Track List:
1. "Wind's Dark Poem"
2. "Through the Trees"
3. "My Heart Is Not at Peace"
4. "The Hidden Stone"
5. "Wind Speaks"
6. "Summons"
7. "The Mouth of Sky"
8. "Between Two Mysteries"
9. "Ancient Questions"
10. "(something)"
11. "Lost Wisdom Pt. 2"
12. "Stone's Ode"

Introducing: Shannon Stephens

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:00:14 +0000

Name: Shannon Stephens
From: Seattle, Washington
Story: The long-awaited return of Sufjan's old foil
Sound: Graceful, downcast singer-songwriter-ism

These 'introducing' pieces are usually a place where you can make the acquaintance of brand new bands. But this week's introductee, Shannon Stephens, has been around a long time. Or, perhaps that should be: has been away a long time. The Seattle-based songstress released her first, self-titled solo album, in 2000, back when Bill Clinton was US President and Fred Durst was famous. Since then? Crickets.

All that will change September 8, with the arrival of Stephens' second album, The Breadwinner, on the Asthmatic Kitty, the label founded by Sufjan Stevens. Stephens and Stevens (no relation, obviously) share a long history: in the '90s, as students at Hope College, the pair were the driving forces behind the indie-folk outfit Marzuki. The band went their separate ways in 1999, and shortly thereafter Stephens released her debut.

In the time it's taken Stephens to get around to her follow-up, her old Marzuki band-mate has released six albums and one Christmas-themed box-set, and become one of the biggest of all names out the indie universe. Stephens, on the contrary, has laid low in her Seattle home, playing the role of wife and mother. Drawing on those experiences, The Breadwinner is an album of domestic devotionals, hushed and intimate.

On "In Summer in the Heat," the song being advance-previewed by Asthmatic Kitty, Stephens hums a sweet lullaby about sweaty summer nights pressed against the skin of your lover. It's an incredibly tender tune that, for those who missed Stephens the first time around, serves as a perfect introduction.

Listen: Shannon Stephens, "In Summer in the Heat"

Photo � La Luz Photography