It's been a long time coming, but Wayne and the boys have finally completed their epic film, Christmas On Mars. Originally aired at the Sasquatch! Festival in May, the film is now set to be released on DVD in time for Christmas 2008. We're not sure that the whole plot element is really the point, but here's the description:
"The long awaited feature film by the Flaming Lips is set in outer space on the surface of Mars. The double failures of a clunky old oxygen generator and an exotic but finicky gravity control pod have conspired to weaken the resolve and psychological judgment of the crew and the film's protagonist Major Syrtis. This means he has horrific hallucinations that are centered around the artificial birth of the Christmas baby. An alien super-being arrives and with his otherworldly powers fixes the oxygen generator but it's the station's genius mechanic who fixes the gravity problem."
Right. Anyway, there will also be a soundtrack accompaniment to the film which is sure to be just as bizarre and enjoyable. Here's the trailer:
Minor White was an American photographer whose work in the '50s and '60s remain as immaculate testaments of how the mundane - if tweaked just right - can elicit the strongest emotions. He is quoted as saying that a photograph could "...yield an image with specific suggestive powers that can direct the viewer into a specific and known feeling, state, or place within himself."
Without a doubt, music holds that same power, and Pennsylvania boys, The Minor White, are talented purveyors of its spirit. Self-described as "something of a noisy country jazz quintet, I guess" they have been compared by others to Elliott Smith, Wilco, and Dr. Dog. Their 2007 EP, Daily Vacation, was an eclectic mix of folk, waltzes, and guitars that adds up to all things Americana.
They've now completed their full-length debut, Old Theatrics, due out in October on Prairie Queen Records. Consisting of a pair of brothers - the Williams (frontman Roy and keyboardist Kevin) and the O'Haras (drummer Shane and bassist Ian) - and one guitarist/vocalist/co-lyricist in Kyle Wall, The Minor White have crafted ten tracks of American music that is timeless and universal. Again, tweaking the mundane to create that old familiar feeling that seems specific to everyone. At its core, Old Theatrics is immediate, accessible pop music that is quite simply beautiful. The same way a black and white photo of a barn captured in the right light never ceases to captivate.
Around one month ago, Greg Gillis (aka, Girl Talk) released his latest mash-up masterpiece, Feed the Animals, via the whole digital-name-your-price venture. Get your own copy at Illegal Art. Here at the middleCoast, we've been hooked to the GT ever since the gruff, sinus-filled voice of late great Notorious B.I.G. could be heard over "Tiny Dancer" . After naming our (undisclosed) price for Feed the Animals, realizing and appreciating its merits upon a few repeated listens, we also noticed a definite fatigue setting in. Fact of the matter is, it's kinda difficult to listen to a full album of Girl Talk mash-ups because of the very reason they are brilliant - each song is simply too dense, too schizophrenic, perhaps, to be able to absorb more than a few songs' worth at one time. Really we're just too slow to be able to keep up with so many samples.
Thankfully, someone with way too much time on his hands is here to help. Pairing the original video clips with the sampled tracks, the music video for "Still Here" is like a Cliff's Notes to the song. Now you can use your eyes and ears to pick out each of the obscure riffs and beats. And there really is nothing quite like seeing Thom Yorke at a microphone singing while hearing the hook from "No Diggity".
Apparently, the man with too much time on his hands is YouTuber Bunny Greenhouse, who has a few other GT video mash-ups posted if you enjoyed that one.
Be sure to catch Girl Talk in Chicago at Lollapalooza August 3rd.
While we at The middleCoast pride ourselves on staying current with the best new music, we frequently miss remarkably talented acts, failing to bring you, the reader, necessary knowledge. Of course, if you really wanted to stay completely current with the best new music, you'd be reading Pitchfork right now instead of The middleCoast. Nevertheless, we present a new feature for the times artists slip through the cracks: Under the Radar.
The Acorn make music best described as: Of the Earth. Or, Earthy. Organic, if you will (but not in the annoying marketing-ploy version of the term). Their brand of Americana is admittedly eschew, as they hail from Ottawa, but like their Canuck compatriots - Broken Social Scene, Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade - their sound is small-scale epic, focusing on the specific to signify the universal. Simple melodies over chants, stomps, and dense (but balanced) arrangements featuring instruments from various regions, as well as field recordings, give them an all-natural vibe. The Acorn likely fit into whatever box you'd also categorize Fleet Foxes or Firewater or Beirut, but in the end they just happen to be really great indie rock.
Glory Hope Mountain is the latest release, out through Paper Bag Records. At heart it is a concept album from singer/songwriter Rolf Klausener about his mother, Gloria Esperanza Montoya (hence the album title). In a stunningly intimate portrait, Klausener tells of how Gloria was orphaned in her native Honduras - her mother's death in childbirth and her father's abuse - and her subsequent journey to Montreal in the '70s. Klausener's rendering of her life, however, is a subtle weave, and there is no heavy-handedness in the dealing of the material.
Check out the beautifully crafted video by director Christopher Mills for "Flood Pt. 1":
Unfortunately, The Acorn made their way through Chicago earlier this year, so it may be a spell before we get another chance to see them live. And if these tracks on HearYa.com are any indication, they give a masterful performance.
In case you didn't know just how unconventional Radiohead are, now they've made a music video. Nothing shocking about that, you say? Well this particular video was created without using two minor elements somewhat important to most film-making: cameras and lighting. The not-even-remotely-satisfying explanation that "3D plotting technologies collected information about the shapes and relative distances of objects" doesn't begin to click with us. But it sure looks cool:
Out of Tel Aviv by way of Paris comes the multi-talented Onili. Citing seemingly random artists, she describes her influences to include Prince, Bjork, Outkast, and Henry Rollins. Imagine Lily Allen meets Brazilian Girls, produced by Justice. In addition to producing and deejaying, Onili also fronts her band of the same name, and actually opened some European gigs for Allen last year. Now they are finishing up work on the debut LP, First Kiss.
The first single, "Games", is instantly catchy funk-pop that begs you to dance along. It has been floating around awhile, and its EP includes three remixes from Israeli producers Sabbo, KUTIMAN, and NDV, as well as an a cappella version. You can listen to samples and purchase the mp3s here on CD Baby.
Here is live video as they perform the original (did we mention Onili also happens to be quite nice to look at?):
The song on repeat in mC offices today, though, is the sultry "Sentimental". Is it me, or does she vocally riff like Anthony Kiedis circa Blood Sugar Sex Magik for a bit in this:
So we're hooked. If you want to hear more, both the band's website and myspace page are streaming more tracks. But with no release date announced we'll have to wait a bit longer for our First Kiss.
In 1980 the Dead Kennedys released their debut album, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables, giving Californians their own version of what it meant to be punk. With what came to be known as hardcore, Jello Biafra and the Kennedys dropped combative, left-wing lyrical messages saturated with wit and sarcasm over a sped up rockabilly and surf-rock sound. The result was nothing short of revolutionary, and the establishment they decried took notice.
It was the biting, satirical sarcasm that allowed the band to preach its anti-authority, anti-capitalism, anti-conservatism message without actually being preachy. Their album titles alone elicit chuckles: Plastic Surgery Disasters, Bedtime for Democracy, Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death. Underlying the humor, always, was a statement. And almost 30 years later, now, we could still benefit from paying attention.
The seminal track from that seminal debut is "Holiday In Cambodia". Yuppie-baiting lyrics set to an ominous sonic backdrop make it quintessential Dead Kennedys:
Lyrics:
So you been to school for a year or two And you know you’ve seen it all In daddy’s car, thinkin’ you’ll go far Back east your type don’t crawl Play ethnincky jazz to parade you snazz On your five grand stereo Braggin’ that you know how the niggers feel the cold And the slum’s got so much soul It’s time to taste what you most fear Right Guard will not help you here Brace yourself, my dear…
It’s a holiday in Cambodia It’s tough, kid, but it’s life It’s a holiday in Cambodia Don’t forget to pack a wife
You’re a star-belly sneech, you suck like a leech You want everyone to act like you Kiss ass while you bitch so you can get rich While your boss gets richer off you Well you’ll work harder with a gun in your back For a bowl of rice a day Slave for soldiers ‘til you starve Then your head is skewered on a stake Now you can go where people are one Now you go where they get things done What you need, my son…
Is a holiday in Cambodia Where people dress in black A holiday in Cambodia Where you’ll kiss ass or crack
Pol Pot, Pol Pot, Pol Pot, Pol Pot….
And it’s a holiday in Cambodia Where you’ll do what you’re told A holiday in Cambodia Where the slums got so much soul
For fans of absurdity, check out this video below. It's The Foo Fighters performing the track with Serj Tankian on vocals at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. They actually do a really fantastic job with the song, but you'll notice it appears that all but approximately four members of the in-studio audience are completely oblivious to (a) who the Dead Kennedys are, (b) that the song is essentially making fun of them, or (c) who Pol Pot is. I really hope Biafra hasn't ever seen this...
Stereogum reports on the VH1 Rock Honors episode coming up this Saturday in which bands like The Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, and mC faves The Flaming Lips pay tribute to one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) rock 'n' roll bands of all time, The Who. They even have this great footage of the Lips practicing for the performance (stick around as it gets really good at about the 3:20 mark):
The free mp3 of the day at Spinner is Chromeo, "Bonified Lovin" (Yuksek's Remix).
And don't forget that KEXP will be live in Chicago next week, broadcasting from Engine Studios. You can sign up here to see a live performance from the likes of Mahjongg, The Watson Twins, and The M's. John and Cheryl will then be broadcasting live from Pitchfork Music Festival's ridiculously good lineup next weekend.
Way back in March, we told you all about how Fleet Foxes were poised to become the next great indie darlings. Their EP, Sun Giant, was absolutely beautiful, and their eponymous debut LP is rightly regarded as one of the best releases of the year. In the UK, this Seattle quintet has blown up beyond your blogospherical atmosphere and into the real world, competing with Coldplay for tops o' the charts. Just the other day Chicago's WXRT fit the Foxes into a rush hour lineup (somehow, breaking into F.M. radio seems like a measure of success, assuming you're an indie band and not a Disney-backed starlet).
Here they are with a startling claymation video for "White Winter Hymnal":
And a Black Cab Session performance from Robin Pecknold of a deep track - Judee Sill's "Crayon Angels":
The Silent Years certainly garnered their share of attention in 2006 and 2007 with their self-titled debut LP. Thanks in large part to the single, "Someone to Keep Us Warm", Spin named them Underground Artist of 2007 (whatever that means) and CMJ named them an artist to watch as well. Now the band is generously letting fans download the album for free - get it here.
With their sophomore album, The Globe, due out in August, The Silent Years are about to get even bigger. This latest effort is a cohesive collection of densely layered tracks produced by Chris Coady, who has worked with the likes of TV on the Radio, Grizzly Bear, and Blonde Redhead. The Globe is a thing of beauty, nearly perfect on so many levels. Hailing from Detroit, The Silent Years are no Rock City garage band, more likely honing their craft in the attic or on the roof. Their songs reach gloriously upward, and The Globe progresses in that direction with shades of a concept album. The lush compositions are themselves grand assertions, and Josh Epstein’s lyrics and vocals follow suit. The album title is the metaphor at play, a symbol of scale in each direction, and the songs shift naturally from the microscopic to the universal. As detailed over on Daytrotter, Epstein describes the premise of the new album:
“We were watching the film 'Powers of 10' which they used to show in middle school science classes. In the film, the camera starts out, framed on a couple having a picnic. Every 10 seconds, the field of view expands by a power of ten — the picnic becomes Chicago, Chicago becomes North America, and soon you’re seeing the Earth in the context of its solar system. This got us thinking about the similarities between mankind and all other components of the universe. An atom is to a cell, as a cell is to a man, as man is to the Earth, as the Earth is to the universe, etc.”
Here are a couple of standouts from the upcoming release:
I guess there is just something about über-hipster frontmen of wildly popular Brit-pop bands that makes solo and side projects somewhat an inevitability. While the smoky-voiced Londoner Damon Albarn made a name for himself leading Blur before going on to front super-groupThe Good The Bad & The Queen and two hip-hop infused Gorillaz albums, the smoky-voiced Sheffielder Alex Turner established his rep with Arctic Monkeys and is now lending his vocals to mini-super-group The Last Shadow Puppets and the hip-hop talents of Dizzee Rascal.
Turner and Miles Kane, of up-and-comers The Rascals, released their first album as The Last Shadow Puppets, The Age of the Understatement, in May on Domino. Their vocals meld perfectly, and it's often difficult to tell which one of them is singing at which point. The 1960s throwback sound of lush, symphonic orchestration somehow still remains simplified as pop, and the arrangements give the feel of spy movie mystery. While the Arctic Monkeys do what they do and do it well, this album (produced by James Ford, of Simian Mobile Disco fame) may alter the Monkeys' sound altogether, as Turner seems to be channeling Bowie and enjoying every minute.
Here is the title track:
Fellow Brit, Dizzee Rascal, released his critically acclaimed, Maths + English, earlier this summer as well, and Turner makes his appearance dropping the hook between Dizzee's grime-laden verses.
Fortunately for us, Turner is only 22 years old; considering what Albarn is still accomplishing at the age of 40, Turner is poised to dominate popular British music for decades to come.
As you loyal mC readers know, we love discussing band names. Like a first impression on a blind date, a band name subconsciously establishes a positive or negative connotation for the audience right off the bat. A great band name can bring in a crowd strictly on comedic curiosity (I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness), while a band with a poor name has to work that much harder to prove its worth (Chin Chin). So once again, we give props to the bands with the best names making their way through the Middle in the coming months:
*Full disclosure: Dr. Acula not only made the list but jumped directly to numero uno because we were under the impression that the name is a direct reference to the '80s classic film, Monster Squad, in which Dracula is disguised as a friendly neighbor, Dr. Acula. However, our memory is for shit, and that may not actually be the case - it may have just been that the letters D-R-A-C-U-L-A were jumbled in some way to create a phony name, and then the kid has to descramble them to decipher the true persona. Nevertheless, since the band name made us think of the movie at all, it remains number one. In related Monster Squad news, you can buy the two-disc 20th anniversary edition on DVD for 15 bucks, or watch the whole thing in six-and- a-half minute chunks on YouTube for free. By the way, if you're really only interested in viewing the famous "Wolfman's got nards" scene, go straight to segment 9.
ANYWAY, numbers 2 and 3 on the list are really great up-and-coming acts. Here's a sampling:
Thao With The Get Down Stay Down, "Bag of Hammers"
Head on over to Pitchfork.tv for a one-week-only, chapter-by-chapter screening of Screaming Masterpiece, an in-depth look at the music scene and history of Iceland. Filmmaker, Ari Alexander Ergis Magnusson, has created a fascinating exploration into the sonic landscape that so appropriately matches its geographic landscape. Björk and Sigur Rós are the most recognizable artists included, but their countrymen and peers provide some brilliant insight along with their own musical talents.
In 1995 music videos were still relevant as ways to hear new music and get to know your favorite musicians a little better. Few made better videos than Radiohead, and few came close to the paranoid brilliance of "Just":
When OK Computer blew up everyone's mind two years later, the accompanying videos for "Paranoid Android" and "Karma Police" definitely aided and abetted.
But when Thom Yorke joined forces with the rest of U.N.K.L.E. a year later, the video for "Rabbit In Your Headlights" seemed to flow from the same determined madness of the protagonist in the "Just" video. Present in both is a realization so profound that it shatters reality. Listening to Radiohead has this same feel - that if you listen closely enough, the epiphany will become clear, and all else falls away.
This week seemed like as good as any to devote entirely to Radiohead. Few, if any, other bands can justify the grandiose hyperbole that Radiohead elicit from fans and writers and fellow musicians. Phrases like, "most influential" or "the greatest album of...", get thrown around loosely and liberally as though they're in reference to The Beatles or The Who. Or Beethoven. And yet it all seems appropriate - not enough, even. Radiohead command a reverence rarely granted to musicians (at least, to musicians of the still-making-music variety). They have achieved a status that few in the pop culture machine have - they are capital-A Artists. They make Art - Art that will be rightly studied for generations to come, not solely for their cultural significance, but for the complexity and brilliance of their compositions. And so this week we dedicate all (or maybe, probably all) posts to Radiohead.
To get you in the mood, here are Weezer and a room full of backing guitarists, violinists, percussionists, singers, and random-people- not-contributing-at-all-for-reasons-we-don't-understand (sing along already!) performing the track that made us all pay attention to Radiohead in the first place, "Creep":
If that just makes you (like us) want to hear the original, here's the video or the mp3.
Last month the boys over at The Hood Internet released their greatest mash-up opus yet: The Hood Internet Vs Chicago. Hood Internet house deejays, STV SLV and ABX, put together a 24-track mix of all artists Chi-city; highlights include Kid Sister vs Walter Meego, Rhymefest vs The Changes, and Common vs Bang! Bang!. And at about the 12-minute mark, listen for "Superbowl Jesus" - Kanye West vs Wilco vs The 1985 Chicago Bears. Find the full track list and sick artwork pulling off visual mash-ups to accompany the sonic mashes here.
Sonic Youth are arguably the original indie rock band in terms of what we talk about when we talk about indie rock, and Daydream Nation is arguably the greatest indie rock album of all time. Twenty years later and it still sounds brand new. Kids that were just toddlers when the LP was released continue to study it, digest it, absorb every sonic explosion and sudden drift of noise that two decades ago redefined the parameters of rock. After seven years and five albums of honing their avant-garde post-punk sound, Sonic Youth matched the art and talent present in the free-form noise experimentation of their predecessors and major influence, The Velvet Underground, with Daydream Nation.
Likely the most accessible track, "Teen Age Riot" opens the album in rare rock-anthemic form, a call to arms for disillusioned and disenfranchised underground youth everywhere. What follows in Daydream Nation is nothing short of the invention of a new genre, the modern-day hipster's bible, and very little since its release has come anywhere close to being as ground-breaking.
You can watch the video with its tinny sound and abbreviated format in what looks like a production budget of approximately $47 (granted, it does feature appearances from the likes of Patti Smith, Iggy Pop and The Beach Boys), or check the mp3 here:
Lyrics:
[Kim] You're it No, you're it Hey, you're really it You're it No I mean it, you're it
Say it Don't spray it Spirit desire (face me) Spirit desire (don't displace me) Spirit desire We will fall
Miss me Don't dismiss me
Spirit desire
Spirit desire [x3] We will fall Spirit desire We will fall Spirit desire [x3] We will fall Spirit desire We will fall
[Thurston] Everybody's talking 'bout the stormy weather And whats a man do to but work out whether its true? Looking for a man with a focus and a temper Who can open up a map and see between one and two
Time to get it Before you let it Get to you
Here he comes now Stick to your guns And let him through
Everybody's coming from the winter vacation Taking in the sun in an exaltation to you You come running in on platform shoes With Marshall stacks To at least just give us a clue Ah, here it comes I know it's someone I knew
Teenage riot in a public station Gonna fight and tear it up in a hyper-nation for you
Now I see it I think I'll leave it out of the way Now I come near you And it's not clear why you fade away
Looking for a ride to your secret location Where the kids are setting up a free-speed nation, for you Got a foghorn and a drum and a hammer that's rockin' And a cord and a pedal and a lock, that'll do me for now
It better work out I hope it works out my way 'cause its getting kind of quiet in my city's head Takes a teenage riot to get me out of bed right now
You better look it We're gonna shake it Up to him
He acts the hero We paint a zero On his hand
We know its down We know its bound too loose Everybody's sound is 'round it Everybody wants to be proud to choose So who's to take the blame for the stormy weather You're never gonna stop all the teenage leather and booze
It's time to go 'round A one man showdown Teach us how to fail
We're off the streets now And back on the road On the riot trail
Okay, so Dr. Dog has been around for a minute now, but surely it's time for them to blow up. Opening shows for the likes of My Morning Jacket and M Ward have certainly helped garner deserved attention, but their latest release, Fate, due out July 22nd on Park the Van Records, should push them over the threshold to become a household name (at least, in indie rock kid households). The Philadelphia quintet's psychedelic pop is as good as it gets on this latest effort, seamlessly blending elements from obvious influences The Band, The Beach Boys and The Beatles, as well as the more recent developments of The Flaming Lips and Pavement. The bittersweet and earnest collection has a timeless and universal feel and appeal. Let's just hope they don't need to sell a track to "Grey's Anatomy" to get noticed.
Here is the first release from Fate, "The Old Days"
Sometimes a pop song is so good that every other artist wants to try their hand at recreating it. Don't think that this is a bad thing, either, or else we would've never gotten Hendrix's version of Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower". When Architecture In Helsinki released Places Like This last year, something clicked with "Heart It Races". The good folks over at Pitchfork deftly described the original track as such:
A van carrying a college acapella group collides with the tour bus of an African percussion troupe, the twisted metal hybrid sweeps up a guy jamming on a beatbox and a brother-sister folk duo and comes to rest at the foot of a living-room organ, and a new Architecture in Helsinki song is born.
With a most entertaining video accompaniment, here is Architecture In Helsinki, "Heart It Races":
When Polyvinyl Records released the single, it was already accompanied by two covers and two remixes. The latest IMEEM search turned up eight different covers or remixes. The song continues to inspire artists to put their own stamp on it. Here are a couple of the best:
There is just something universal in the track, something so familiar in the sugary pop sound that mingles with the steel drums and genre-melding rhythms that pulls people in for the trip. It's a rare experience, and another signifier of the power of music. Enjoy.
New releases Tuesday today, and a couple of good ones to check out...
Though technically not for release until July 15th, The Hold Steady dropped the digital version of Stay Positive (Vagrant Records) through iTunes today. The follow-up to 2006's critically-acclaimed Boys and Girls in America has Craig Finn and America's Bar Band back to their boozy ways again, picking up where The E Street Band left off. Here is the instant classic, "Sequestered in Memphis":
Party with The Hold Steady at Pitchfork Music Fest July 19th.
The members of Wolf Parade have been busy since 2005's Apologies to the Queen Mary with side projects (see: Frog Eyes, Handsome Furs, Sunset Rubdown). Fortunately they've recently gotten around to producing a follow-up, At Mount Zoomer (Sub Pop). We brought you "Call It a Ritual" a month or so ago, and now here is album opener, "Soldier's Grin":
Don't forget to check out Wolf Parade at House of Blues in Chicago July 8th.
Anyone that's ever clicked around over at Pitchfork knows how much the taste-makers are pushing for David Berman's Silver Jews. Perhaps it's because Berman was arguably a founding member of Pavement, or perhaps simply because the singer-songwriter has some of the most poetic lyrics indie rock has to offer. Either way, Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea (Drag City), is an inviting effort from a talented band poised to steal some attention away from Malkmus and his Jicks this year. Check out the gorgeous "My Pillow Is the Threshold":
Man, I got Summer hating on me cause I'm hotter than the sun Got Spring hating on me cause I ain't never sprung Winter hating on me cause I'm colder than ya'll And I would never, I would never, I would never Fall I'm being hated on by the season So fuck ya'll who hating for no reason
That'd be from the Just Blaze-produced, "Mr. Carter", which also features the other greatest rapper alive: Jay-Z.
Oh, and that cover art is pretty f-ing great too, to be honest.
On the unsigned-hype, local hip-hop front, friend-of-the-middleCoast, Hum-V, has put together a fantastic DIY video for his track, "Back in the Day". Sometimes, like he say, reminiscin' ain't hurtful.
So the schedule for Lollapalooza is available now, again allowing you to create your own agenda for each day. The following is just one of the many options (albeit, this one is mC-recommended) for the three-day festival, once again justifying two bills you'll drop just to get through the gates.
Friday, August 1
12:15 PM Black Lips (Bud Light)
1:15 PM Rogue Wave (MySpace)
2:15 PM Yeasayer (AT&T)
3:15 PM The Kills (MySpace)
4:15 PM The Black Keys (Bud Light)
5:15 PM Mates of State (MySpace)
5:45 PM Grizzly Bear (Citi)
6:15 PM The Raconteurs (Bud Light)
7:15 PM Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks (MySpace)
8:00 PM Radiohead (AT&T)
Saturday, August 2
11:45 AM Does it Offend You Yeah? (PlayStation)
12:30 PM De Novo Dahl (Bud Light)
12:45 PM The Ting Tings (AT&T)
1:30 PM Dr. Dog (MySpace)
2:30 PM The Gutter Twins (AT&T)
3:30 PM MGMT (MySpace)
4:30 PM Explosions in the Sky (Bud Light)
5:30 PM Okkervil River (PlayStation)
6:30 PM Broken Social Scene (Bud Light)
7:30 PM Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings (PlayStation)
8:30 PM Wilco (Bud Light)
Sunday, August 3
11:15 AM Ha Ha Tonka (BMI)
11:30 AM Office (PlayStation)
1:15 PM The Whigs (MySpace)
2:15 PM Brazilian Girls (AT&T)
3:30 PM Black Kids (Citi)
4:15 PM Iron & Wine (Bud Light)
5:00 PM Saul Williams (Citi)
6:15 PM Gnarls Barkley (AT&T)
7:15 PM The National (PlayStation)
8:15 PM Kanye West (AT&T)
That's 31 bands in three days - and a helluva three days, at that. No doubt Lolla has truly become the premier music festival in the country.
This morning alone I have encountered enough music by myriad artists to fully comprehend the undeniable and inexorable influences of Fleetwood Mac and Steely Dan upon modern-day musicians. Though it may have begun with a sense of irony, there exists now an entire sub-genre of indie rock that can trace its roots directly to these two pioneering acts. The resurgence of late in this style of jazzy rock saturated with multiple vocals harmonizing effortlessly is a bit puzzling. My question is whether this is simply a passing trend (shall we call it The Fleetwood Dan Influence? The Steely Mac Influence? No, I've got it...), or if The Steelwood Man Influence is here to stay.
I'm not sure who to hold responsible for originally utilizing the sounds of Fleetwood Mac or Steely Dan. Given their own profound influence in the past decade, however, I'm going with Pharrell Williams and his cohorts in The Neptunes and N.E.R.D. - specifically Chad Hugo. With the latest N.E.R.D. album, Seeing Sounds, dropping yesterday, this seems as good a place as any to start. Even though the vast majority of Neptunes' work in the mainstream is known for its minimalist beats (think Clipse, pre-Timbaland JT), the side project of N.E.R.D. has always incorporated a strong Steelwood Man Influence in addition to soulful Motown sounds. More Steely Dan than Fleetwood Mac, check out 2002's "Run to the Sun":
It's practically a remake of "Ricky Don't Lose My Number". Maybe not exactly, but you get the idea. Seeing Sounds gives us plenty of beat-filled dance-jams, but it also gives us the vibraphonic, "You Know What", another undeniable Steely Dan throwback:
Following along the same lineage are Next Big Thing, Chin Chin. The band's own Myspace page describes their sounds as "Brass Construction doing New Edition covers arranged by Steely Dan for Dick James Enterprises". In case the Dan influence wasn't obvious on "You Can't Hold Her":
Clearly Steely Dan have left their mark. Before moving on to Fleetwood Mac, let's first enjoy this classic from The Royal Scam:
Now, the Fleetwood Mac influence upon modern artists is confounding, as their soft rock sound is so iconic to a very specific time period. Female vocalists have been attempting to mimic Stevie Nicks for years (a couple of them recently - Neko Case & Rose - getting very close). But the artists I've heard this morning alone, as I mentioned at the start, are all young up-and-coming indie acts spanning the country, yet all integrating complex harmonizing into their songs.
What's most interesting is that these are modern bands making new music that sounds new, but The Steelwood Man Influence is unequivocal. As these artists continue to make music, and as they continue to garner press and media attention, their own influence will propagate. As a result, the jazz-infused neo-psychedelic blues-rock of the late 70s is poised to stick around. Let's just hope the accompanying fashion statements of the epoch aren't resurrected as well.
As summer has finally broken in Chicago, the city resurrects with live music. Leading up to venerable festivals Pitchfork and Lollapalooza, here are a few shows in what's left of the month of June to get you geared up.
Who: Oxford Collapse When: June 12th Where: Empty Bottle Price Tag: Free! (Seriously, it's free! Part of the Bottle's free concert series, so you should totally go!) For Fans Of: Sub Pop Records, Brooklyn Indie Rock raised on '80s movies What To Wear: Comfy shoes - the Gang of Four influence will be noticed as you find yourself unable to keep from dancing BONUS: Scottish pop-rockers, Frightened Rabbit, opens! Listen:
Who: Billy Bragg When: June 14th Where: Park West Price Tag: $27.50 (get tix) For Fans Of: British troubadours, left-wing politics, Wilco What To Wear: "Impeach Bush" tee-shirt, free trade garments Listen:
Who: These New Puritans When: June 14th Where: Subterranean Price Tag: $12.00 (get tix) For Fans Of: High fashion, The Fall, numerology What To Wear: Movado timepiece, chainmail hoodie Listen:
Who: Ladytron When: June 17th Where: Vic Theater Price Tag: $24.00 (get tix) For Fans Of: Gorgeous Bulgarian vocalists, jet-setting Best Comparison Quote: "A teasing glimpse of how Britney Spears might have sounded, had she been born in the GDR and a heroin addict." BONUS: Norwegian electro-poppers, DataRock, open! Listen:
Who: Crystal Castles When: June 18th Where: Double Door Price Tag: Free! (Seriously!?! Two free shows in six days?!? You know where to find middleCoasters this week...) For Fans Of: She-Ra, Atari, Digitalism What To Wear: All American Apparel, all the time Listen:
Who: The Black Angels When: June 20th Where: Logan Square Auditorium Price Tag: $15.00 (get tix) For Fans Of: Psychedelia, The Doors (the band), The Doors (of Perception) What To Wear: Velvet Underground tee-shirt, beard Listen:
Hipsters have been wearing Converse All-Stars for, well, for forever it seems. Or at least since The Ramones started playing CBGBs. Though it seems rather unnecessary now (don't all hipsters and hipster-wannabe's already have their Chuck Taylor's?), the marketing execs at Converse have employed the register of Pharrell Williams, Julian Casablancas, and Santogold for their new promotional campaign: Three Artists, One Song. The result is "My Drive Thru", a frothy pop jingle that is pretty much exactly what you'd expect from these three artists. The gang over at Stereogum are streaming the mp3 of the track - click here to check it out.
The bigger question in my mind, though, is who exactly are Converse marketing to with this campaign? Is this just a big Thank You Nod to all the hipsters out there that have been sporting Chucks all these years, creating a mini little super-group as a show of gratitude? Or are they really trying to go (even more) mainstream with the product? If so, Converse may want to be careful - hipsters have a tendency to immediately shy away from things once the coolness factor becomes too easily accessible. Now that Target is hawking the Converse OneStar brand, it's not unlikely that it won't be long before your mom is rocking All Stars while working in the garden.
KEXP needs our help once again. It's the time of year for the Summer Pledge Drive. Click on over to KEXP and give what you can. They are consistently one of the best sources in the US for finding new music of all genres. And they happen to be one of the few ways to hear music for free without advertising interruptions. So please help keep it that way. This is important.
I believe we have actually mentioned Next Big Thing Yeasayerbefore on mC. Here they are performing instant classic "2080" for Pitchfork.tv's "Don't Look Down" series, from atop a hometown Brooklyn rooftop.
You can also see them perform "No Need to Worry", "Wait for the Wintertime", "Final Path", and "Sunrise" here.
