MP3s: “Good Ol’ Boredom” and “Life’s A Dream” by Built to Spill

2009 started off strong with a handful of epic releases. However, the last six months have seen a saturation of forgettable albums. Built To Spill quickly changes the mundane musical landscape of the summer with their seventh album, There Is No Enemy. “Hindsight” was the first song from the album to see daylight. The track was a standard BTS song that didn’t excite or disappoint. Next, Stereogum premiered “Things Fall Apart,” a devastatingly perfect track that instantly jumps near the top of the BTS catalog. Two more songs have made their way into cyberspace and confirm the anticipation for one of the year’s best releases. There Is No Enemy comes out 10/6. You can download “Good Ol’ Boredom” and “Life’s A Dream” or stream them below:

“Good Ol’ Boredom”

“Life’s A Dream”

Animal Collective to Release MPP Two Weeks Early On Vinyl!

Animal Collective is set to release Merriweather Post Pavilion, their 9th full length album, two weeks early on double gatefold vinyl on January 6th.

No word if the rumors are true that the CD release date would be moved up a week.  As of now Domino Records still lists the CD & digital release date as January 20th.   No mention if the vinyl will come with a code to download FLAC or MP3s that many record companies have been doing of late. The early release makes this even less of a probability. (See update below)

With the recent leaks of two tracks ”Brothersport” and “My Girls” from MPP, the leak of the full release could come before the end of the year.  These leaks have without a doubt ramped up even more anticipation to what is already widely considered to be one of the best albums of 2009.

As of today the double vinyl is available for pre-order from Domino here for $22.99 and from Insound here.  If you order from Insound you will get this nifty 11″x17″ double-sided poster free:

Front:

Back:

**************UPDATE****************

Domino put out an official news release after our post and has confirmed that they will be including a album download card in WAV or MP3 format along with an album poster if you pre-order.  Peter Berard at Domino also confirmed that the album should make it to your mailbox by Jan. 6th with standard shipping.

To coincide with the early vinyl release Domino is throwing a series of release/listening parties across the country in conjunction with record stores and radio stations.  The release parties will take place at record stores or venues the week of the vinyl release.

Here’s an initial list of the cities:

Anchorage, AK - KRUA Presents*

Austin, TX - End Of And Ear Records & KVRX - Jan. 3 @ 6PM

Chicago - WHPK & WRDP present* -

Eugene, OR - KWVA Presents*

Lawrence, KS - Love Garden Sounds & KJHK - Jan. 6th

Los Angeles, CA -  Fingerprints Records & KXLU - Jan. 6th

Miami, FL - WRGP Presents*

New York, NY - Other Music Presents - Jan. 5th

Philadelphia, PA - WXPN Presents*

Portland, OR - Music Millennium - Jan. 3 @ 6PM

Raleigh, NC - WKNC Presents*

San Francisco, CA - Terrorbird Presents @ The Knockout - Jan. 6th, 7-10pm

Santa Cruz, CA - KZSC Presents*

Seattle, WA - KUPS Presents*

St. Louis - Vintage Vinyl & KDHX - Jan. 6th

Vancouver, BC - CFUV presents*

*Location & Date TBA

New Autolux Song; Album Delayed (Again)

Good news! Autolux posted a new song on their MySpace page. Bad news! Apparently, the new track will not appear on their anticipated new album, Transit Transit, which has now been delayed until after the new year. The new album, which Autolux is co-producing, is set to show off more vocals from ex-Failure/Lusk guitarist, Greg Edwards, and drummer, Carla Azar. Some tracks may even feature vocal harmonizing from all three members (including lead singer and bassist, Eugene Goreshter).

If Greg Edwards wasn’t my favorite guitarist on the planet, I’d probably have given up hope of another album release by the amazing Autolux. This is no surprise for Autolux, however, whose first album, Future Perfect, was severely delayed as well. Apparent battles wtith record labels seem to be the culprit this time around. The new record was supposed to be out over a year ago. A new MySpace post has explained that “Autolux is dealing with getting the business end of the music squared away” and promises a new web site as well. Haven’t we heard this before? In the meantime, the new instrumental track is called “Fat Kid” and explores the electronica genre. Autolux swears that the tuba/tympani sound is from Greg’s guitar. OK, I’ll wait a few more months … but that’s it!

You can stream the track on Autolux’s MySpace page here.

Animal Collective’s “Brothersport” Leaks

A studio version of “Brothersport,” the last track on Animal Collective’s forthcoming Merriweather Post Pavilion album, has appeared on the file hosting site zShare (first reported by The Fader). As Pitchfork Media has reported, the MP3 seems to be edited from a French podcast called LesInRocks.com. A blog on Fact Magazine’s web page had also posted excerpts from studio versions of different tracks on the album but was asked to take them down. Fact Magazine says the band has made Panda Bear the focus for the new album and is calling Merriweather Post Pavilion Animal Collective’s best:

We were asked to take the links down. Which, of course, is totally understandable. Apologies. What we will say is that Merriweather Post Pavilion is almost certainly the best thing Animal Collective have ever done, and that if 2009 produces one song better than ‘My Girls’, then we’ll be happy pandas indeed.

The first leak of a new song off a new Animal Collective album is big news. What’s even more important to consider is that this begins the official countdown to the entire album leaking. As a hardcore fan, I plan on purchasing the CD (and possibly the vinyl), and I already have my ticket to their January 20 show in NYC. If you decide to listen to the leak that is sure to come, make sure you also purchase a legit copy as well. They don’t make this beautiful music for free.

The zShare file for “Brothersport” can be downloaded here.

www.myspace.com/animalcollectivetheband

Deerhunter @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

Last year at this time, a talentless music blogger named Jeff Weiss from L.A. wrote about Deerhunter being the worst live band he’s ever seen:

Deerhunter’s live show reminds me of the first scene in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, where Bill and Ted awkwardly flail at their instruments while bitching elliptically about the necessity of making a triumphant video to get Eddie Van Halen to teach them how to play guitar. Nowadays, you don’t even need a triumphant video, you just need a good Pitchfork review, which is what the Atlanta noise-rock outfit Deerhunter got earlier this year. Suddenly, in an Emperor’s New Clothing–esque turn, a group whose biggest discernible talent is its knack for self-promotion became one of the biggest buzz bands in indie rock. Let’s hope that, in the span between now and the Fuck Yeah Fest, George Carlin can drop down to Earth in a phone booth and teach them how to no longer be bogus.

Mr. Weiss represents the only reason Fishpork exists. Sure, it’s a great place to keep a journal of all the great shows and records I listen to. However, music is subjective and ALL reviews are ultimately meaningless. The only thing that interests me is writing about things I enjoy. For those bloggers who choose to write about how bad they think a band sucks, I feel bad for your shallow personalities and outlook on the world. Music can heal you. And if you were part of the crowd on Friday night at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, you experienced this first hand. I recently read a review of Deerhunter that stated the band can only be listened to in a state of intoxication (with your drug of choice). This statement is rather offensive to me. Deerhunter makes music that replaces your drug of choice. Their songs, especially when played live, are a revelation and are changing the way I perceive music.

Peter and I arrived at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn toward the end of New Times Viking’s opening set. They sounded great, but we were experiencing too much anticipation to fully comprehend. As the set ended and the techs began to set up for the headlining act, we made our way to the front of the stage. This was a completely different experience than the previous night at the NIN show at the House of Blues in Atlantic City. At that show, we were in the midst of the most obnoxious crowd of all-time. Nine Inch Nails’ fans are notorious for booing opening acts, and this was no different. It was a shame that a very good live band like Health had to deal with a crowd (only there to hear “Closer”) with absolutely no taste in music. Fortunately, Trent Reznor’s knack for choosing opening acts has been a major source of discovery for me, including TV on the Radio, Autolux, Saul Williams, Crystal Castles, and most recently Deerhunter on the first leg of his current tour. Enough about how much NIN fans suck.

Before Friday night I suspected that Deerhunter was less about Bradford Cox than I originally imagined. That inclination was squashed immediately after the ubiquitous frontman took the stage. Cox has been known to occasionally wear dresses on stage, a habit he admits was picked up from Kurt Cobain. “Krist Novoselic and Kurt Cobain kissed, and Kurt wore dresses. There’s no way to overestimate the influence Nirvana had on me,” he admits. The Deerhunter frontman was the center of attention, not because of his extroverted personality, but because of his play on his heavily reverbed and distorted lead guitar, xylophone, and drowned out vocals. Cox even sang the lyrics and played lead guitar on “Agoraphobia,” which features guitarist and Cox’s best friend, Locket Pundt, on vocals on the album.

The show included an epic performance of new fan favorite “Nothing Ever Happened,” which included a mind-numbing guitar solo from Cox and impeccable attention to detail by the rest of the players. The three guitar arrangement on many of the songs creates a sound that relies on noisy, droning textures and borrows from bands like My Bloody Valentine and Liars. But Deerhunter avoids what has already been done and creates their own sound. The soundscapes they create contain other elements not present in those bands.

As good as Deerhunter are and as inspired as they are to release meaningful music, it’s important to keep in mind how young they are (Cox is 26). That youthful exhuberence showed Friday as Cox joked all night, especially with new guitarist and old high school friend, Whitney Petty. Cox asked the audience if they’d rather see Whitney play the blues on her guitar or do a hand stand (Petty was a cheerleader in high school and has been known to wear her uniform during shows). Before the crowd could respond, she was in the middle of the stage on her hands. Petty then snuck up behind Cox and played a blues riff on his guitar. The antics hit their climax when Petty proceeded to lift the lanky Cox on her shoulders, as the crowd stood by and admired.

A highlight included Cox taking two song requests to end the show. The band played the first song shouted from the crowd, which was “Heatherwood,” from their second album Cryptograms. Kudos to the tech crew and sound mixers at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. The sound was perfect, and the band sounded as close to the album as one could hope. Cox’s lyrics were completely distinguishable from the guitar twangs and light percussion, as he repeated the song’s chorus, “was not seen again.” The band was not actually planning on taking another request, but Cox coaxed his band mates into it. At one point, he approached drummer Moses Archuleta and practically begged him to play another song. The second request came from a guy standing right next to me, and he must have been reading my mind. After a false start, Cox admitted the band was unprepared to play the song but soon began an amazing rendition of “Operation.” Cox spit out the agonizingly dark lyrics, “Cover your ears, you’re not gonna like what you’re gonna hear, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you.”

Deerhunter’s show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn on Friday night was the best concert I’ve attended in my lifetime. Although I probably go to upwards of twenty shows a year, I honestly don’t think anything else has come close to that musical experience. Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs was quoted as saying Deerhunter’s live show borders on “a religious experience,” and I agree. Doesn’t this speak volumes about how music is a personal experience?

Mr. Cox responded to Mr. Weiss’ blog post with an exchange that was too priceless not to include here:

it’s bradford! from deerhunter! i was just wondering if maybe you
could give us some quick EMERGENCY lessons on our instruments
before our set sunday. we are kind of nervous… you know L.A. = big
city = could be our big break. we don’t want to look stupid so if you
could just teach the guitar players some basic power chords or
something it would really help us out. i’ll be busy giving blowjobs to other
more talented (notable) music journalists so as to keep those good reviews
rolling in.

look forward to seeing you this weekend
your pal,
brad

The entire exchange is worth your time and can be read here. Although he’s freaked out by dissonant hipsters in the front row of shows, Bradford Cox is inspired by kindness and doesn’t care what you think about his music. “I don’t give a fuck what they say about me, because I’m a white-trash queer who might live to be 30 if I’m lucky,” says Cox. Although Cox’s lyrics are often used as therapy for an ostracized childhood, some of the motivation behind the music is physical healing (see Fishpork review of Microcastle/Weird Era Cont.). He makes music for fans who need a soundtrack to cope and is just trying to make as much of it as he can while he’s still alive. This is good news for the music world!

Rolling Stone has uploaded an exclusive acoustic performance of Bradford Cox singing “Never Stops” outside of a convenience store in Brooklyn hours before the show: http://www.rollingstone.com/videos/video/24261318/breaking_deerhunter.

http://deerhuntertheband.blogspot.com
http://myspace.com/deerhunter

Animal Collective To Release New LP on Jan 20th

Animal Collective’s website has been putting up some artsy, mysterious messages since Oct 3rd.  Today, however, the message got a little clearer about their semi-announcement of the new LP.  Fishpork got word of the January release date back in August at the All Points West festival when Panda Bear spilled the beans.   The January listing on their site confirms that to be true.   This picture below is a snapshot of what the site looks like today:

Still unknown is the actual title of what has been referred to as “LP9″ in the past. The lead message says ”Merriweather Post Pavilion” which is an arena near their hometown of Baltimore, It’s uncertain if this could really be the title or another message pointing to the actual name.  If you click on the lettering today a multi-distorted voice says “Tracklisting” and a handheld DV camera pans around a room and ultimately down to a listing of the tracks:

01 “In The Flowers”
02 “My Girls”
03 “Also Frightened”
04 “Summertime Clothes”
05 “Daily Routine”
06 “Bluish”
07 “Guys Eyes”
08 “Taste”
09 “Lion In A Coma”
10 “No More Runnin”
11 “Brothersport”

If you click on the bands name this image appears:

We will await an official announcement from Domino on how much of this is factual, but the track listing looks legit.

**UPDATE**

Domino records made an official announcement on Oct 11th.  And the title of the New LP is indeed Merriweather Post Pavilion and it will be released on January 20th, 2009.  The LP was recorded at Sweet Tea Recording Studio in Oxford, Mississippi under the guise of Ben Allen. The album will be available on CD, 2xLP and digital formats.   Great news, indeed.

Mike Patton and Serj Tankian Collaborate on Film

Avant garde superhero, Mike Patton, and System of a Down frontman, Serj Tankian, have collaborated on a track for the soundtrack to the upcoming major motion picture, Body of Lies. The film stars box office giants Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe and is directed by 70-year old Ridley Scott. Marc Streitenfeld (world famous film composer) was also involved in the writing process for the song, which will appear throughout the film, as well as the end credits. Body of Lies hits theaters tomorrow and is practically a shoe-in to reach blockbuster status.  The track is called Bird’s Eye and can be heard on Serj Tankian’s MySpace page. The trailer can be seen here:

New Of Montreal LP Leaks

Skeletal Lamping, one of the most anticipated indie records set to release this Fall, has leaked to torrent sites all over the Internet. Of Montreal falls under the extended family of Jeff Mangum’s Elephant 6 music collective from Georgia. Led by pretentious indie pop maestro Kevin Barnes and his inner demons, Of Montreal reached unanimous critical acclaim with their last effort, Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? That album contained some of the catchiest indie pop hooks ever recorded. More interesting were its lyrics. Barnes had just separated from his wife and was overcome by antidepressant medication and suicidal thoughts. The concept album was the first citing of his glam rock alter ego, Georgie Fruit. This guy’s the most pretentious artist working today, but he does put out great records. He described the new album on his MySpace page recently:

it is possible to view this album as one long composition, with lots of different movements, or just as a collection of pop songs. i wanted to make an album that was unpredictable and, at times,startling, yet always hummable and catchy. some of the transitions are intentionally awkward. i did this to keep the listener off guard and to dismantle people’s perception of how an album is supposed to be constructed. i am so bored with art that makes sense and “works”. i wanted to do somethings that didn’t “work”. very few things pique our interest while they are working as we expect them to, things are far more interesting when they are not working. shocking people though, just for the sake of it, is so mundane. nothing on Skeletal Lamping was intended to shock. i just feel that,in most contemporary songs, you can basically finish the artist’s sentences,musically and lyrically. i wanted to make an album where that was not possible.

Due in October, Skeletal Lamping has leaked almost two months early. You can find it on almost any torrent or file sharing site you look. Full review coming in the next few weeks.

http://myspace.com/ofmontreal

Neutral Milk Hotel To Release New Double Record!

Well … a new record of old songs, but great news nonetheless.  According to Neutral Milk Hotel’s offical website, there are currently plans to release a two-volume set of early NMH. This will include music from the early, self-released cassettes, live performances, and unreleased recordings that are currenlty traded on Ebay and scattered across torrent sites.  The band wants to do this because of the excessive prices at which bootlegs are currently selling online and elsewhere. They will be available from Orange Twin, Jeff’s label that he has released his Orange Twin Field Works Vol. I, a series of musical/sounds and noices that take you into areas of Bulgaria and the surrounding regions, as well as Jeff’s now classic acoustic performance Live At Jittery Joe’s.

The actual release date is unknown. Therefore, this could be relased in three months or three years. But it’s still good news for NMH fans, as it opens the possiblity that a few jems might still be on Jeff’s eclectic shelf of cassette tapes. The news posting also goes on to mention that Jeff has been working on a collection of short stories and joined the circus and wants to make a movie about snails, so take the news for what its worth.  However, with NMH news as rare as a Jeff Mangum sighting, this is big news.

Failure Gets “Undone”

Pop Up Records is releasing a Failure tribute album, which sees the light of day on September 9, 2008.  The only source of information is a random MySpace page that popped up recently providing all the details (don’t worry — it’s also listed on the record company’s official release schedule). The album will be titled The Nurse Who Loved Me and will feature covers of well-known and obscure tracks from Failure by bands who cite an influence. Notable contributors include Paramore (”Stuck on You”) and ORION (”Another Space Song”).

An additional note: the drummer from ORION did the artwork for the album, as well as t-shirts that will be available upon release.

Here’s the full tracklisting (minus Paramore):

ORION “Another Space Song”
Stemage “Undone”
Evangelos “Saturday Savior”
B.L. Barakus “Pro-Catastrophe”
Tablets Of Orion “Petting The Carpet”
30 Fathom Grave “Wet Gravity”
Solare “Daylight”
The Revolution Smile “Wake Up”
Ambulance Shotgun “The Nurse Who Loved Me”
Planet ID “Muffled Snaps”
Exeter “Smoking Umbrellas”
Catch The Sun “Blank”
Offender “Heliotropic”
Sex Club Reject “Solaris”
Beta Lyrae “Pillowhead”
Cave In “Magnified”

http://www.myspace.com/failuretribute