Fishpork’s 10 Favorite Shows of 2009
It was another full year of remarkable live shows in 2009, which was also not immune to a few train wrecks (Enon, Dan Deacon). Whether it was a cold and rainy night in Philly to see White Lies overcome a historically shitty venue to play a show for the ages or a late night train ride to the East Village to see Karin Dreijer Andersson’s Fever Ray outfit put on a visually stunning performance, this past year reinforced our music fandom. Here’s a list of our favorite shows of 2009:
- White Lies @ First Unitarian Church
- Grizzly Bear @ Trocadero
- Fever Ray @ Webster Hall
- Tapes N’ Tapes @ Johnny Brenda’s
- Animal Collective @ Bowery Ballroom
- Morrissey @ Carnegie Hall
- Vic Chestnutt & Elf Power @ Bowery Ballroom
- Autolux @ Johnny Brenda’s
- Built to Spill @ SIREN Festival
- Monsters of Folk @ United Palace
Least Favorite:
Fishpork’s 100 Favorite Tracks of the 2000s
This is an attempt at the impossible. Here are our 100 favorite songs of the past decade (featuring multiple tracks from Animal Collective, The Knife, Radiohead, and Elliott Smith). Our top two choices are more like 1a and 1b. Be patient, as the page needs to load the embedded songs.
1. Panda Bear - “Bros” (2007)
2. The Knife - “We Share Our Mother’s Health” (2006)
3. Animal Collective - “For Reverend Green” (2007)
4. Grizzly Bear - “While You Wait For The Others” (2009)
5. The Knife - “Heartbeats” (2003)
6. Grizzly Bear - “The Knife” (2005)
7. LCD Soundsystem - “Someone Great” (2007)
8. TV on the Radio - “Staring at the Sun” (2003)
9. Crystal Castles - “Crimewave” (2008)
10. Beirut - “Ciloqut” (2007)
11. Thom Yorke - “Harrowdown Hill
12. Animal Collective - “Derek” (2007)
13. Nine Inch Nails - “Me, I’m Not” (2007)
14. Beck - “Lonesome Tears” (2002)
15. At The Drive-in - “One Armed Scissor” (2004)
16. Animal Collective - “Grass” (2005)
17. Deerhunter - “Nothing Ever Happened” (2008)
18. Atlas Sound - “Recent Bedroom” (2008)
19. Panda Bear - “Comfy in Nautica” (2007)
20. System of a Down - “Chop Suey” (2001)
21. Animal Collective - “Peacebone” (2007)
22. Battles - “Atlas” (2007)
23. Error - “Jack the Ripper” (2004)
24. Enon - “Pleasure and the Privilege”
25. Elliott Smith - “Son of Sam” (2000)
26. Animal Collective - “Did You See the Words” (2005)
27. The Knife - “Marble House” (2006)
28. LCD Soundsystem - “All My Friends” (2007)
29. Thom Yorke - “Analyse” (2006)
30. The Flaming Lips - “Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell” (2002)
31. Girl Talk - “Smash Your Head” (2006)
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32. A Perfect Circle - “Judith” (2000)
33. Radiohead - “Idioteque” (2000)
34. Tapes N’ Tapes - “Manitoba” (2006)
35. TV On The Radio - “I Was A Lover” (2006)
36. Radiohead - “Reckoner” (2007)
37. Fever Ray - “Coconut” (2009)
38. Animal Collective - “My Girls” (2009)
39. Built to Spill - “Things Fall Apart” (2009)
40. Wilco - “I’m Trying to Break Your Heart” (2002)
41. Modest Mouse - “Tiny Cities Made of Ashes” (2000)
42. Animal Collective - “Leaf House” (2004)
43. Modeselektor - “Happy Birthday” (2007)
44. Arcade Fire - “Wake Up” (2004)
45. Autolux - “Blanket” (2004)
46. MGMT - “Time to Pretend” (2007)
47. Built to Spill - “Conventional Wisdom” (2006)
48. Wilco - “Side With the Seeds” (2007)
49. Elliott Smith - “Happiness/The Gondola Man” (2000)
50. Avey Tare - “I’m Your Eagle Kisser” (2007)
51. Department of Eagles - “Waves of Rye” (2008)
52. Animal Collective - “Summertime Clothes” (2009)
53. Radiohead - “2+2 = 5″ (2003)
54. Dredg - “Sang Real” (2005)
55. While Lies - “Farewell to the Fairground” (2009)
56. Grizzly Bear - “Ready, Able” (2009)
57. Matisyahu - “King Without a Crown” (2005)
58. Modest Mouse - “Paper Thin Walls” (2000)
59. Dillinger Escape Plan - “When Good Dogs Do Bad Things” (2002)
60. Elliott Smith - “Twilight” (2004)
61. Deerhunter - “Flourescent Grey” (2007)
62. Holy Fuck - “Lovely Allen” (2007)
63. LCD Soundsystem - “Never As Tired As When I’m Waking Up” (2006)
64. The Notwist - “Boneless (Panda Bear Remix)” (2008)
65. Liars - “Nothing Is Ever Lost or Can Be Lost My Science Friend” (2004)
66. The Mars Volta - “Inertiatic E.S.P.” (2003)
67. The Notwist - “Solitaire” (2002)
68. Of Montreal - “The Past is a Grotesque Animal” (2007)
69. Queens of the Stone Age - “Tangled Up in Plaid” (2005)
70. Radiohead - “Jigsaw Falling Into Place” (2007)
71. Saul Williams - “Raised To Be Lowered” (2007)
72. Autolux - “Great Days for the Passenger Element” (2004)
73. Sigur Ros - “Untitled 8″ (2002)
74. Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs - “Maps” (2003)
75. Portishead - “Threads” (2008)
76. Sufjan Stevens - “Chicago” (2005)
77. Ugly Casanova - “Things I Don’t Remember” (2002)
78. Animal Collective - “Brothersport” (2009)
79. Radiohead - “Pyramid Song” (2001)
80. Nine Inch Nails - “Only” (2005)
81. El-P - “Flyentology” (2007)
82. Queens of the Stone Age - “No One Knows” (2002)
83. Ghostface Killah - “Shakey Dog” (2006)
84. Modest Mouse - “Missed the Boat” (2007)
85. UNKLE - “Persons and Machinery” (2007)
86. Amon Tobin - “Verbal” (2002)
87. The White Stripes - “Denial Twist” (2005)
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88. Tomahawk - “Captain Midnight” (2003)
89. Modest Mouse - “Bukowski” (2004)
90. Sigur Ros - “Hoppipolia” (2005)
92. Fuck Buttons - “Sweet Love For Planet Earth” (2008)
93. Bon Iver - “Skinny Love” (2008)
94. Built to Spill - “In Your Mind” (2001)
95. The White Stripes - “Icky Thump” (2007)
96. Does It Offend You, Yeah? - “We Are Rockstars” (2008)
97. Dub Trio - “Not Alone” (2006)
98. Modest Mouse - “The World At Large”
99. The Walkmen - “In the New Year” (2008)
100. Nine Inch Nails - “The Great Destroyer (Modwheelmood Remix)” (2007)
Fishpork’s Favorite Albums of the 2000s
Compiling a list of your favorite albums for an entire decade is quite the challenge, especially when that decade was as strong as the 2000s were. Six of our favorites come from two bands (Animal Collective and Radiohead), and two were from this past year (Veckatimest and Merriweather Post Pavilion). This list is by no means a definitive statement of the best music from last decade. Instead, these are our favorite albums that were on heavy rotation in our iPods and scrobbled endlessly on Last.FM.
1. Strawberry Jam (2007) - Animal Collective
2. Silent Shout (2006) - The Knife
3. The Moon and Antarctica (2000) - Modest Mouse
4. Kid A (2000) - Radiohead
5. Figure 8 (2000) - Elliott Smith
6. Veckatimest (2009) - Grizzly Bear
7. De-Loused in the Comatorium (2003) - The Mars Volta
8. Future Perfect (2004) - Autolux
9. The Eraser (2006) - Thom Yorke
10. Person Pitch (2007) - Panda Bear
11. Return to Cookie Mountain (2006) - TV on the Radio
12. Sea Change (2002) - Beck
13. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002) - Wilco
14. High Society (2002) - Enon
15. The Loon (2006) - Tapes N’ Tapes
16. Microcastle (2008) - Deerhunter
17. Feels (2005) - Animal Collective
18. Sound of Silver (2007) - LCD Soundsystem
19. In Rainbows (2007) - Radiohead
20. Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009) - Animal Collective
MP3s: “Untitled 1 (Live)” and “Untitled 2 (Live)” by Panda Bear
This weekend’s Flaming Lips-curated All Tomorrow’s Parties show in the Catskills (in the same location as the resort in Dirty Dancing) featured a strong and eclectic lineup over three days (Animal Collective, Atlas Sound, Deerhunter, Autolux, Sufjan Stevens, etc.). Panda Bear played a solo set on Friday night which featured two new songs. The entire set can be downloaded here. You can download “Untitled 1 (Live)” and “Untitled 2 (Live)” or stream them below:
“Untitled 1 (Live)”
“Untitled 2 (Live)”
Autolux @ Johnny Brenda’s
Autolux’s Future Perfect may be my favorite album of the decade, so I’ve been looking forward to seeing them live for quite some time. The band opened for Nine Inch Nails a few years back, but we caught Queens of the Stone Age as the opener for the NIN shows we attended during that tour. This time around Autolux was headlining their own small clubs tour, so we hit up 2008’s favorite venue, Johnny Brenda’s. Brenda’s is unique in that bands usually hang out by the bar before shows. This was no exception as we enjoyed a few of Philly’s best microbrews next to Greg Edwards. Although Edwards is the creative genius behind Autolux, he is better known for his tenure in the criminally underrated 90s band Failure. If you don’t know Failure, check out their 1996 magnum opus Fantastic Planet. Edwards was also in Lusk, an even more obscure and underrated project with Guns N’ Roses keyboardist Chris Pitman and ex-Tool bassist Paul D’Amour. Check out 1997’s Free Mars here. Edwards is no longer a contributing player as he was with Failure and Lusk. His mountain of guitar pedals is front and center in Autolux.
Autolux took the stage after two opening acts, Mini Mansions and Sleepy Sun. They played a setlist that included an even balance between songs from their critically acclaimed first album, which was released on the filmmaking Coen Brother’s DMZ label, and the yet-to-be-released Transit, Transit. Although the band tore through the sonic soundscapes of their set, the sound at Brenda’s couldn’t seem to handle the complexity of Edward’s distorted guitar feedback. A drowned out mix made the vocals of bassist Eugene Goreshter nearly inaudible. Although Edward’s guitars are what make Autolux go, Goreshter’s vocals juxtapose perfectly against the reverbed chaos. Drummer Carla Azar was actually the highlight of the night, as she pounded her skins perfectly on percussion-heavy tracks “Turnstile Blues” and “Robots in the Garden.” Highlights of the night included Future Perfect centerpieces “Blanket” and “Capital Kind of Strain.” “Great Days For The Passenger Element” was suspiciously absent from the setlist. While the four new songs the band played didn’t instantly impress the crowd of 200, they played an unknown Transit, Transit track as a encore. It was an epic and highly distorted composition that fit well within the band’s catalog.
Autolux supposedly finished their follow-up effort two years ago and have been dealing with relationship nightmares on the business side. Once advertised to be released in Fall of 2008, Transit, Transit is now set for a January 2010 date. I’m not sure if we can count on that, especially since the band remains unsigned with a future that doesn’t seem so perfect.
Setlist:
Chasing the Dreaming California: An Interview With Friday Nights
May 16, 2009 by Mark
Filed under Interviews
The Ken Andrews and Matt Mahaffey (Self) influences are obvious on the debut record from Los Angeles-based Friday Nights. With sonic guitar work and infectious pop hooks, Friday Nights put their own spin on the alt/pop formula perfected by their contemporaries. The result is a collaboration between two veteran musicians, Mike Castillo and Shon Kornfeld, about to burst onto the scene with their latest musical incarnation. Fishpork got a chance to talk to Mike about the band’s musical tastes, having Ken Andrews mix their record, and what else can be expected this year.
Fishpork: How did you guys meet up and form Friday Nights?
Mike Castillo: Shon and I met ten years ago at a little hole in the wall called Cafe Tara. I was 17 and played bass in a band called “Burning Owen”. Shon played guitar in an awesome melodic hardcore band called “Helen 55″. I fell in love with his band…I even roadied for ‘em for a while. We kept in touch over the years. We both were doing solo stuff and in ‘05 Shon offered to record my “best song” for free at his home studio, Moai Sounds, which he had just put together. We recorded demos for the four songs that I had written. Shon also had a bunch of cool songs that he was working on. We both really dug each other’s material so we decided to combine it and form “Friday Nights”.
FP: What was the song writing process like on the album?
MC: The main bulk of the material had already been written before Shon and I started working together. For the most part, Shon’s stuff had didn’t have lyrics or melodies written yet and my stuff needed to be “produced” and arranged. For my songs, I’d basically show Shon how to play the basic song on acoustic and then let him run with it…a few days later he’d send me something back with full guitars, harmonies, bass and a basic drum machine track and I’d be like, “Fuck Yes!”. For Shon’s songs, he’d give me the demos to write lyrics and melodies to. Most of the time they had no vox but if he had an idea where he wanted to go with something, he’d lay down a scat track or a keyboard playing the melody.
FP: What bands did you guys grow up on? Who served as inspiration for Friday Nights?
MC: Everything from pop to obscure indie rock. Hum, Failure, Swervedriver, My Bloody Valentine, Autolux, Self, Fountains of Wayne, The Police. We like the spacey rock a lot but we’re also suckers for a good pop hook. We’re huge fans of Steely Dan. They served as a big influence for how we do business as a band. 2 guys writing everything…any other musicians are hired or invited as needed. Fewer egos to deal with and it’s nice to have options. Sometimes one drummer sounds better on one track and another sounds better on a different track, ya know? My favorite band as a kid was Soundgarden and I’m pretty sure Shon’s was Jane’s Addiction.
FP: In an age when digital distribution is king and CD packaging is usually minimalistic, your new album’s packaging looks great. What made you guys go with that presentation?
MC: We’re still stuck in the 90s, I guess….hahahaha! We found a picture that a guy named John Watson took of the 91 freeway and we really liked it. Shon met a guy named Brad Chancellor who does killer design stuff and it just kinda came together. It was originally going to be a simpler thee panel layout but we couldn’t fit all of the lyrics and credits. The weird thing is we’ve sold about five times as many CDs as we have of the digital version. It’s had us kinda scratching our heads. We released the digital copy first and we kept getting responses from people saying “Cool! I’m waitin’ for the CD, though!”
FP: Getting recognition for a new band can also be a struggle in a saturated market. What are you guys doing to promote yourselves?
MC: Since we’re really just two guys and we have to pay other musicians to play live, we’ve had to go about things a little bit differently. We’re just now about to start to play shows. Originally the band was going to be more of a recording project than anything. We mainly use sites like MySpace, Last.FM and thesixtyone.com to find our audience. We look for people who we think might be feeling the material and just send them a message asking them to take a listen
FP: How do you think MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and other social networking tools play a role in promotion these days?
MC: Well for one, free music hosting! When MySpace first came out, I remember being STOKED that you could put your music up for free! They also help you find your audience, which is important.
FP: One of our all-time favorite artists, Ken Andrews, mixed your debut record. How did you guys meet up with Ken and what was that process like?
MC: We just kind of sent his management the songs and asked if he’d be into it and crossed our fingers. We were pretty thrilled when he said yes. We never actually met up with Ken in person, even though he lives really close. He’s a really busy guy, so we’d just send the songs over with kind of an idea of what we wanted and he nailed it for the most part. Anything that he didn’t nail he’d revise for us.
FP: Were you guys fans of Ken’s former bands (Failure, On, Year of the Rabbit)?
MC: Oh yea, definitely. We’re bigger Failure fans, though.
FP: What can we expect to see in the live incarnation of these songs? When do you guys plan to tour?
MC: We’re playing our first 2 shows in June. We’ve got a great lineup of musicians, right now. We don’t have any solid plans to tour, yet. If there’s enough of a demand, we will. Otherwise, we’re just havin’ fun.
FP: What bands are you guys currently listening to? Favorite album of 2009 so far?
MC: We’re listening to a lot of And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. Their newest album Century of Self is disgustingly good. We’re also in love with the new The Life and Time record Tragic Boogie.
FP: What can we expect from Friday Nights for the rest of 2009?
MC: MORE MUSIC! We’re already starting the demo process for our next EP Saturday Mournings. All of the material’s done. We’re really stoked on that. After that, we’ll probably go right into the next LP.
http://fridaynightsmusic.com
http://myspace.com/fridaynightsmusic
MP3: “Call Me” by Naked Hearts
The Naked Hearts formed in New York City in January 2008. Their unique brand of pop combines the grungy, stripped down style of early 90’s bands such as The Breeders and The Lemonheads with the structured elegance of bands like Blonde Redhead and Autolux. Download and listen to the debut by Brooklyn duo. The release, These Knees is available on 12″ vinyl and digital download only.
Download the full EP here.
Download “Call Me” here or stream is below:
Album Review: Merriweather Post Pavilion
Does the most anticipated album in recent memory live up to the hype? With unfair expectations, Animal Collective may have just pulled it off. Yes, it’s the favorite for album of the year on day six of 2009, but we won’t rush into any sort of ceremonial crowning just yet. Last time I checked, Autolux and Arcade Fire were in the studio recording new material. And Panda Bear could still upstage his bandmates once more with a release later this year. However, it will take an undeniable masterwork from any band to compete with the divine Merriweather Post Pavilion (or score more tracks on our summer 2009 BBQ playlist).
The album was officially released today on vinyl after leaking to the Internet on Christmas Day. Some are arguing that Domino Records was behind the leak. If that’s true, it’s an interesting turn of events, especially in light of all the Web Sheriff antics over the last few weeks. Many believe that it was all part of a marketing scam (with Grizzly Bear and Bradford Cox in cahoots). Whether or not it was an elaborate ploy to get fans excited about the release is not important anymore. The album is here! The vinyl release shipped early from many online retailers and includes some pretty amazing artwork, as well as an explanation of the record’s title.
Track-by-track analysis:
In the Flowers (Pete): The album opens with a pounding distorted heartbeat that pumps in demented rhythms until fading into a subdued harpsichord arpeggiated melody. This contrasts the voice of David Portner aka Avey Tare as he sings, “Met a dancer, who was high in a field | From her movement, caught my breath on my way home.” As the verse ends, signaled by hand claps and the sound of crickets, Avey Tare sings, “I walk out in the flowers and feel better | If I could just leave my body for the night,” as the songs takes off into a direction 36,000 miles above the earth with a dynamite burst of a full noise marching band orchestra. This culminates with the manta of “To hold you in time.” The running water samples that are prevalent throughout the LP makes the listener fell as if one is floating on a river of clouds.
My Girls (Pete): Formally known as “House” and “Material Things,” this song was my favorite of all the pre-MPP tracks that they played live on the Strawberry Jam tour last year before hitting the studio. The recorded version is mixed to perfection. Beginning with the casino-sounding bells, the off beat rhythms of this song are only outdone by Panda Bear’s vocals and backed up by Avey Tare’s background repeating of his words in his style. Both harmonize the chorus. This begins the theme of personal lyrics for Panda bear, here he sings about the simple things he wants in his life in Portugal for his daughter and wife.
Also Frightened (Pete): Starting with a sort of American Indian chant, the vocals swarm your ears with harmonized vocals, becoming an instrument in itself. This song continues some of the best minimalist lyrics the band has written (“And asking the question: Are you also Frightened? | No one should call you a dreamer”). The song ends with vocal harmonies that push to disable any labels put on the band after each of their albums. The boundaries that categorize Animal Collective as psyche/freak folk (or whatever they are categorized in a given year) should now be dismissed.
Summertime Clothes (Mark): This is the best track on the album (fomerly “Bearhug”). It’s the sound you would hear approaching the gate’s of heaven (if believe in that kind of thing); an ethereal soundtrack of the gods. The song starts with a pulsating (and rather mechanical) back beat that quickly turns into an exercise in melodic lyrical exchange between Avery Tare and Panda Bear. The interplay between Animal Collective’s dual lyricists brings the album to its high point, especially when the dual vocals are overlapped, harmonizing during the end of the choruses. It creates an absolutely beautiful effect and sound. The repeating verse, “when the sun goes down, we’ll go out again,” is the most addicting moment on the record.
Daily Routine (Mark): This track sounds like it could fit on Strawberry Jam (and that is a very good thing). The song starts with what sounds like a recording of the manual programming of the song’s repeating samples (similar to that of the live version of NIN’s “Echoplex”). It sounds like you can actually hear Brian “Geologist” Weitz’s fingers turning the knobs on his dual BOSS SP-505s to program the sequence. The sequence repeats faster and faster, until the song hits its final pace and Panda Bear’s vocals begin. The melodic delivery of the lyrics coupled with a techno-like back beat makes the first half of this song a real treat. The song then slows down to the album’s slowest and most drawn out point. The song structure is similar to Strawberry Jam’s “Chores” but never picks up again. “Chores” is a better song, but “Daily Routine” is a welcome retread to the style of the new album. Animal Collective have created their most diverse record yet.
Bluish (Mark): Formerly known as “From a Beach,” this was immediately one of my favorite tracks on the album. We get more water samples! The band seems to be obsessed with them lately. The song starts with a slow repeating drone and a toned-down Avery Tare (this is the antithesis of Strawberry Jam). The track gets all Panda Bear on us when piano samples kick in with Brian Wilson-esque vocals. I think this is what the Beach Boys would sound like if they recorded Pet Sounds under water. This is the prettiest track on the album and maybe the most accessible, especially for someone who writhes at the sound of pretentious masterpieces like “Peacebone” or “Cuckoo Cuckoo.”
Guy’s Eyes (Mark): Another “pop” song? If you say so. This song was formerly called “Song For Ariel,” and fans are relieved that it made the cut. Some prefer the folky version that Panda Bear has played at his live shows, and the addition of grinding synths turns it almost into a dance song. I, too, prefer the minimalist version. The song is still one of my favorites on the record and is further proof that Panda Bear was more of a driving force in the creative process on this record than on Strawberry Jam. I guess he just lost the argument with Geologist over the final version.
Taste (Pete): This song changed the most from the live version that AC played last year and while many fans write how much they miss the old version’s lyrics, the new ones fit perfectly into the album’s form. Again the harmonies are magical and bring the vocals a sonic quality not heard on Strawberry Jam or its predecessors. The lyrics get deep, as they ask the question: “Am I really all the things that are outside of me?”
Lion in a Coma (Pete): From the opening jungle sample the track is one of the strongest on the LP. Avey Tare’s fast spoken lyrics that were more prevalent on tracks from Sung Tongs return here with a chorus full of jarring tones that bounce off the walls. A subtle sample of a Jew’s harp is credited to an artist named Mpahleni Manquin Madosini, from her track titled “Yitileni.” She is even given writing credits on the song. Vocals from Avey Tare are strong here and create a beutiful balance of music and lyrical tones. The outro ends with the clever lyrical pun, “Don’t keep lying in a coma.”
No More Runnin’ (Pete): This laid back track has the vibe of “Seal Eyeing” from their Water Curses EP, only upping the bar with subtle tranquility. Again, Avay Tare uses minimalist lyrics to heighten the mood when he pens, “‘No more Runnin’ says my mind.” This track leaves the listener with a lasting impression that Animal Collective may have pushed the psych/experimental limits with Strawberry Jam and blown away any label of their music with this song alone.
Brothersport (Mark): Obviously, this the most danceable track Animal Collective has ever conceived. Imagine yourself at a rave where Bob Marley is the DJ. My 2-year old son loses his mind when I play this song. He immediately stops what he is doing, puts his head down, and bobs up and down like he’s been doing that dance for years. I recorded him doing yesterday without him knowing. Domino has claimed rights over the video recently, stating they can put ads on the YouTube watch page if they want. Although “No More Runnin” feels more like an album closer, “Brothersport” closes the album with an intoxicating track that will likely be one of the first singles released.
Animal Collective is playing a short list of major city shows shortly, including two NYC gigs that Fishpork will attend. The band has also been in the studio recently recording music for a film-project that has limited details so far. Avery Tare was quoted recently by Billboard: “It’s something new for all of us. It’s been a work-as-we-go process.” He calls the project a “visual record.” Animal Collective has released nine albums in less than nine years. Based on that track record, we can expect a release sometime in the near future. As with LPs in the past we might get a 12″ single that perhaps could give us one of the tracks that did not make the cut on MPP. Live favorite “Grace” was one of those that many were hoping would be on MPP, but as “Safer” was a welcomed treat on the Peacebone 12″, we may still get more cut MPP tracks over the next few months. And if that’s not enough for you, Panda Bear is set to release his next solo record sometime this year.
New Autolux Song; Album Delayed (Again)
December 2, 2008 by Mark
Filed under Experimental, News, Upcoming Releases
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.
Deerhunter @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
November 13, 2008 by Mark
Filed under Shows, Upcoming Releases
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