MP3: “Attic Lights (Live @ Bell House, Brooklyn)” by Atlas Sound
Courtesy of our good friend nyctaper, we’re able to share a great live performance of the track “Attic Lights” by Bradford Cox’s (Deerhunter) solo moniker, Atlas Sound. The early part of the show was hampered by a failing looping sampler, but Cox continued on in gracious fashion to play a stunning version of this song from his 2009 Logos album (#6 on Fishpork’s “favorite albums of 2009″ list). Download “Attic Lights (Live @ Bell House, Brooklyn)” by Atlas Sound here or stream it below:
MP3: “When I Get Home” by Vic Chesnutt (Bradford Cox tribute)
For the second year in a row, Bradford Cox played a New Year’s Eve show as Atlas Sound in his hometown of Atlanta. This year he played mostly off of his excellent Logos release. The set started off with a tribute to Vic Chesnutt who passed away on Christmas after a successful suicide attempt. Bradford apologized for not being the guitarist that Vic was and admitted he couldn’t learn the song because it was too complex, so he just played the original for the audience. You can download Cox’s Vic Chesnutt tribute here or stream it below:
Download or stream the entire New Year’s Eve performance via Southern Shelter here.
MP3s: “Doctor” and “The Screens” by Atlas Sound
Bradford Cox continues his generosity by posting his 7th Virtual EP to his blog. You can download “Doctor” and “The Screens” or stream them below:
“Doctor”
“The Screens”
Album Review: Atlas Sound’s Logos
Fuck this shit. I can just make another album. [Logos is] not finished and now it never will be. It was also going to have a rad cover. I would describe it to you but that would be stupid. P.S. there are no vocals on “Quick Canal.” I never got the chance to record them. This record was not free to record, so if you’d like to pay for hearing it send a paypal donation to lastdeerhunteronearth@yahoo.com. I am not a fucking opportunist so don’t think I expect it.
And so goes the complicated and extroverted personality of Bradford Cox. Lucky for us, the Deerhunter frontman had second thoughts after fans begged and pleaded. He posted a follow-up with new intentions:
I have no idea what people want me to do. I’m not trying to be a cunt to anyone. I will finish the fucking album and stop bitching. I honestly really truly do not want attention from this. Sincerely. I wish none of this shit would have happened. I was just trying to give away another virtual 7″. Now everyone that reads this thing is going to think i’m a fucking lunatic. I just have nothing to do. I guess I’ll go clean my room.
But enough drama queen gossip. Is the album any good or what? No, it’s not. It’s incredible and well worth the wait (if you consider 20 months between albums a long wait). Our first taste of finished tracks beyond the original leak was the Noah Lennox supported “Walkabout,” which immediately raised the legitimacy of our BBQ playlists exponentially. Apparently, Panda Bear provided Cox with sampling lessons during their European tour together. The result was nothing short of a perfect, blissed-out homage to nostalgic summer jams. Surprisingly, “Walkabout” is not the best track on the album. It barely squeezes into the top 5.
Other standouts include the album’s centerpiece, “Attic Lights.” Here Bradford Cox is at his best with just an acoustic guitar and some minimalist percussion. The addictive chorus slowly builds into a payoff featuring a string section. Although Logos is much more accessible than 2008’s Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Hear, “Sheila” is a radio-friendly 60’s-style pop song featuring the juxtaposing lyrics, “Cause no one wants to die alone,” and “We’ll die alone together.” In the middle of this “pop” album is the eight and half minute ambient gem “Quick Canal.” When the unfinished version of the album leaked months ago, “Quick Canal” didn’t have lyrics. Here the song is polished with accompanying vocals by Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier. The song is an atmospheric and moody intermission that explores new ground for Atlas Sound. It certainly leads one to question where Bradford Cox will lead his Deerhunter alter ego next time around. Until then, Logos has provided us with one of the best albums of 2009.
MP3: “Attic Lights” by Atlas Sound
Atlas Sound’s highly anticipated Logos album has leaked almost two months before its October 20 release. If you decide to listen early, please make sure you support Bradford on his Fall tour and pick it up on vinyl over at Insound.com. It’s easily one of the year’s best releases. In the meantime, we get to hear “Attic Lights” early. The song instantly represents one of my favorite tracks of the year. Right now it’s a toss up between this and Grizzly Bear’s “While We Wait For The Others.” Cox (Deerhunter) writes some of his most personal lyrics to date, which is hinted by the inclusion of his sunken chest on the album cover. Download “Attic Lights” by Atlas Sound here or stream it below:
Amazon Previews Atlas Sound’s Logos
If you stroll over to Amazon.com, you can search and find a page for the digital download of Atlas Sound’s highly anticipated sophomore album Logos, which is due to release on October 19 on Kranky. The page includes short previews of the albums eleven tracks. The track listing is somewhat different than the version that Bradford Cox accidentally leaked last Fall on his Deerhunter blog. The early Amazon page leads one to believe that the album is set to leak any day. If it does, make sure you support a great musical talent. Until then, the previews from Amazon indicate that Logos will surpass the critical acclaim that Bradford’s first solo effort received early last year. Here’s the link to the Amazon album previews. Stream “Walkabout (featuring Noah Lennox)” from the upcoming Logos below:
MP3: “These Are My Twisted Words” by Radiohead
Yes, out of the blue, a new Radiohead song has leaked. It’s rumored that this may be the song the band (or Thom Yorke) wrote for the upcoming sequel to Twilight. If that’s the case, I’m looking more forward to hearing what Karen O and Bradford Cox came up with for the score to Spike Jonze’s Where the Wild Things Are. Nonetheless, this is Radiohead, and it’s absolutely brilliant as always. You can download “These Are My Twisted Words” here or stream it below:
MP3: “Walk A Thin Line (Fleetwood Mac cover)” by Atlas Sound
Bradford Cox continues to generously give away freebies via his Deerhunter blog and Mediafire downloads. This week, an MP3 of his Atlas Sound cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Walk A Thin Line” serves as a means to hold us over until the new Logos EP is realeased via Kranky in the next few weeks. The track is top notch and highlights Cox’s talents on an acoustic guitar. You can download “Walk A Thin Line” here or stream it below:
Dan Deacon/Deerhunter/No Age @ Flying W Airport and Pool
As the crowds at All Points West waited in endless lines for a subpar bill, a few hundred lucky fans were treated to the down home amenities of the Flying W Airport and Pool Resort in the ultra-suburban town of Medford, NJ. The weather was perfect, the pool was blue and the tiki bar served ‘em up cold. The stars were aligned, and everything was in place for this to be the show of 2009 . . . then the music started. As a concept, the idea of a round robin concert where bands take turns playing their own songs seemed exciting. Rumors were swirling, and many were under the impression that the bands would collaborate on each other’s songs. R5 Productions, the promoters of the show, even advertised it as such.
We called Deerhunter’s performance last year at the Music Hall in Williamsburg, as well as the astonishing Microcastle LP, as our favorites in 2008. As huge fans of Deerhunter, it was a no-brainer that Fishpork would attend the festivities in Medford, especially after last year’s debacle at All Points West. In all fairness, APW did feature a breathtaking performance by Radiohead. This year’s lineup featured the geriatric-fied Beastie Boys (later replaced by Jay-Z), Tool and Cold Play, and we weren’t ready to spend $100 on a 20-minute Crystal Castles set.
At the Flying W, the problems arose with the incompatibility of the bands’ setlists and discographies, as well as the inaudible and raucous noise by the overrated and overweighted Dan Deacon, who seemed lost without his backing band. Unfortunately, this will most likely go down as the worst show of 2009. A good show exhibits a sense of flow and chemistry. Developing an effective set list is a skill. Songs need to fit together and feed off one another. Three distinctively different bands taking turns playing tracks from three distinctively different music vaults felt forced and unnatural. Upon experiencing the mellow sound of Deerhunter’s title track from Microcastle, the head-pounding, cocaine-induced “Snookered” by Dan Deacon broke down that previous exaltation and had me feeling confused and uncomfortable.
The bands also lacked chemistry with their verbal communication throughout the show. In between a double shot of Deerhunter tracks, Bradford Cox began telling a background story but was interupted by both bands. “This is the part of the show that only the artists enjoy,” joked Dan Deacon. “This is where you play a song, Bradford” was shouted from the No Age stage. At that point, I felt lucky to have only paid $12 for my ticket. It wasn’t until Dan Deacon decided to command his drug-induced followers to march to the parking lot in a single file line that we decided the gimmick was overpowering the music. At that point, I wondered if APW was still serving Longhammer or if Tool would be playing anything new. We left early.
Atlas Sound: Time Warp Virtual 7″
Bradford Cox has posted another free virtual 7″ under his Atlas Sound solo project. The two-song offering comes just days after the announcement of Rainwater Cassette Exchange, Deerhunter’s latest EP. This is the second virtual 7″ that Cox has posted to the Deerhunter blog in the past two months, keeping up with the prolific music-making pace that he’s been known for. Time Warp Virtual 7″ can be downloaded here.