Fishpork’s 10 Favorite Shows of 2011
While 2010 may have been the year we got to see Jeff Mangum play five songs, who would have thought we’d get to see three full Mangum sets in 2011?! It’s hard to compare that experience even in a year that was loaded with unforgettable performances. We were also lucky to catch James Murphy bid farewell to LCD Soundsystem, Tapes N’ Tapes proved why they are one of the best live bands on the planet, and Portishead blew the roof off of Asbury’s Convention Hall twice in ATP headlining performances. ATP recently announced that it will be returning to Asbury Park next year for another round of I’ll Be Your Mirror Performances, a guarantee that 2012 will have much live music to look forward to. Until then, here is our very biased list of favorite shows of 2011:
1. Jeff Mangum @ Paramount Theater
2. LCD Soundsystem @ Terminal 5
3. Portishead @ Convention Hall
4. Tapes N’ Tapes @ Johnny Brenda’s
6. Avey Tare @ Johnny Brenda’s
8. Black Moth Super Rainbow @ First Unitarian Church
9. Amon Tobin @ Brooklyn’s Masonic Temple
10. Elephant 6 Holiday Surprise @ Knitting Factory
MP3: “Te Amo” by Atlas Sound
Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox will release his highly-anticipated third Atlas Sound solo record in November. You can listen to another new track from the album now. Download “Te Amo” by Atlas Sound here or stream it below:
Deerhunter @ Webster Hall
This was my sixth Deerhunter show, and I was curious to see how the Athens-based foursome would present their fuzz-laden pop melodies to a larger NYC venue. Webster Hall is nearly three times the size of the Music Hall of Williamsburg (Brooklyn), where I saw the band twice. Bradford Cox and company had played Webster Hall already last October, but this time it was the first of two sold-out shows. It was immediately obvious that the band was going to play off their recent indie stardom while they could. The band minus Bradford Cox came on stage and were greeted by anxious applause at around 10:30. They began playing an extended intro to “Basement Scene,” as Mr. Cox finally strolled out and caught a mic tossed by one of the stage techs. The crowd showed their appreciation for the frontman’s appearance, and he began humming the opening melody of the Everly Brothers-inspired track.
In the past, Cox tended to take a very reserved approach (post dress-wearing era, of course) to his live performances. Tonight was something different. Bradford appeared to be in full-blown rock star mode, and deservedly so. The singer/guitarist/effects manipulator added new lyrics and energetic sound effects throughout the setlist, and he wore his hair in either a classic or postpunk style (I couldn’t see it that well). All of this was even more impressive considering the band was severely jet-lagged following several international flights over the past week. Cox even admitted halfway through the set he was somewhat delirious, but that the effects were like a drug. Don’t be fooled by Cox’s new-found rock star energy; he is still the most polite and approachable musician working today.
The setlist contained mostly new tracks off of highly-acclaimed Halcyon Digest. Usually, a crowd is not as eager to hear the new stuff, but Deerhunter is just starting to reach a larger audience, and Halcyon is the album that is responsible. Unfortunately, the fairweather fans at last night’s show proved to be such, as many fled to the bars during the band’s more obscure songs like “Little Kids.” Longtime fans, of course, appreciated the balance of the set, and especially the new approaches to several tracks, including 10+ minute jam versions of “Nothing Ever Happened” and instant-classic “He Would Have Laughed.” The latter was one of the most creative variations of an already incredible song I have witnessed, and it was perfectly placed at the end of the band’s encore. Deerhunter announced that it would not return to NYC for some time. Fortunately, this gig will standout in our memories for some time.
Deerhunter – Webster Hall – August 22, 2011
Basement Scene
Desire Lines
Hazel St.
Don’t Cry
Revival
Little Kids
Memory Boy
Nothing Ever Happened
Spring Hall Convert
Cover Me (Slowly)
Agoraphobia
Green Fuzz (by The Cramps)
Encore:
Helicopter
He Would Have Laughed
{Photos by Tom Choi]
Fishpork’s 10 Favorite Shows of 2010
2010 will be remembered as the year we saw Jeff Mangum play five songs. It’s hard to compare that experience even in a year that was loaded with unforgettable performances. Deerhunter solidified themselves as Fishpork elite, Arcade Fire showed why some consider them the best band on the planet, and James Murphy all but burned down NYC. Here’s is our very biased list of our favorite shows of 2010:
1. Jeff Mangum @ Le Poisson Rouge
2. Deerhunter @ Starlight Ballroom
4. LCD Soundsystem @ Terminal 5
5. Arcade Fire/Spoon @ The Mann Center
6. Tobacco @ First Unitarian Church
7. Atoms For Peace @ Roseland Ballroom
8. Owen Pallett @ Bowery Ballroom
9. Modest Mouse @ Williamsburg Waterfront
10. Faith No More @ Williamsburg Waterfront
The Fishpork 20: Favorite Albums of 2010
We’re wondering if the end-of-the-year list makers have actually listened to Sufjan’s Steven’s The Age of Adz more than once (or even at all). It’s truly and unquestionably our favorite release for 2010. While we enjoyed some of the popular choices (This Is Happening, Halcyon Digest, The Suburbs, etc.) just as much as the next guy, there were some less popular albums that we really appreciated over the past 12 months (Down There, DISCO2, Shame, Shame). And is there any reason why a soundtrack cannot get some love? Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross may be the reason why The Social Network wins a Best Picture Oscar this year! Here are our favorite 20 albums of a tremendous year for music:
1. Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz
2. LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening
3. Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles II
4. Caribou – Swim
5. The National – High Violet
6. Avey Tare – Down There
7. Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
8. Owen Pallett – Heartland
9. HEALTH – DISCO2
10. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
11. Yeasayer – Odd Blood
12. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross – The Social Network
13. Jonsi – Go
14. Dr. Dog – Shame, Shame
15. Girl Talk – All Day
16. Vampire Weekend – Contra
17. The Magnetic Fields – Realism
18. Holy Fuck – Latin
19. The Walkmen – Lisbon
20. Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
Honorable Mention:
Seven Fields of Aphelion – Periphery
Most Disappointing Albums of 2010:
Elf Power – Elf Power
MGMT – Congratulations
Of Montreal – False Priest
Fishpork’s 50 Favorite Tracks of 2010
2010 started off strong, producing some of our favorite tracks off the summer playlist. As the weather heated up, things fell into a summer doldrum. Now, as we develop our end-of-the-year lists, we’re finding the year coming to a conspicuous end. Similar to 2009, the list is somewhat album-heavy, as we were drawn to several stand-out records among our favorite artists. Here is our very biased list of our 50 favorite tracks from 2010 (give the page a minute to load the SoundClouds):
1. LCD Soundsystem – “Dance Yrself Clean”
2. Caribou – “Odessa”
3. Sufjan Stevens – “I Walked”
4. Deerhunter – “Helicopter”
5. HEALTH – “USA Boys”
6. LCD Soundsystem – “I Can Change”
7. Crystal Castles – “Empathy”
8. Avey Tare – “Laughing Hieroglyphic”
9. Broken Social Scene – ‘World Sick”
10. Owen Pallett – “Lewis Takes Off His Shirt”
11. The National – “Afraid of Everyone”
12. Autolux – “Transit, Transit”
13. Sufjan Stevens – “Impossible Soul”
14. Jonsi – “Boy Lilikoi”
15. Arcade Fire – “The Suburbs”
16. Sufjan Stevens – “Vesuvius”
17. Caribou – “Jamelia”
18. Crystal Castles – “Not In Love (feat. Robert Smith)”
19. Beach House – “Norway”
20. Arcade Fire – “We Used To Wait”
21. The Black Keys – Tighten Up
22. Yeasayer – “Mondegreen”
23. Deerhunter – “He Would Have Laughed”
24. Owen Pallett – “Midnight Directives”
25. The National – “Bloodbuzz Ohio”
26. Crystal Castles – “Vietnam”
27. How To Destroy Angels – “Fur-Lined”
28. The National – “Terrible Love”
29. Sufjan Stevens – “Too Much”
30. White Lies – “Bigger Than Us”
31. Panda Bear – “Slow Motion”
32. Avey Tare – “Lucky 1″
33. Liars – “Scarecrows on a Killer Slant”
34. Dr. Dog – “Jackie Wants A Black Eye”
35. Ratatat – “Party With Children”
36. Tobacco – “Lamborghini Meltdown”
37. The Walkmen – “Angela Surf City”
38. Middle Class Rut – “New Low”
39. HEALTH – “Before Tigers (Gold Panda Remix)”
40. Four Tet – “Plastic People”
41. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – “Bright Lit Blue Skies”
42. Jonsi – “Tornado”
43. Menomena – “Five Little Rooms”
44. Yeasayer – “ONE”
45. Of Montreal – “Like a Tourist”
46. Matthew Dear – “You Put a Smell On Me”
47. Delta Spirit – “Bushwick Blues”
48. Avey Tare – “Oliver Twist”
49. MGMT – “Flash Delirium”
50. Flying Lotus – “…And The World Laughs With You (Ft. Thom Yorke)”
Fishpork’s 10 Favorite Videos of 2010
MTV might not play them anymore, but that doesn’t mean the music video is dead. 2010 saw a resurgence of the art form. While there were a ton of worthy videos this year, we narrowed down a list of ten favorites. Featuring two videos from iconic director Spike Jonze, an homage to the French horror scene, and a web exercise that places the memories of the viewer into the experience, these are Fishpork’s 10 Favorite Videos of 2010:
10. Flying Lotus – Kill Your Co-Workers (Directed by Mike Winkelmann)
9. Holy Fuck – Red Lights (Directed by Brian Borcherdt & Michael LeBlanc)
8. Deerhunter – Helicopter
7. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs (Directed by Spike Jonze)
6. Nosaj Thing – Us (Jon Hopkins Remix) (Directed by Anthony Ciannamea & Mark Wisniowski)
5. Amon Tobin – Esther’s (Directed by Charles De Meyer)
4. How To Destroy Angels – The Space In Between (Directed by Rupert Sanders)
3. LCD Soundsystem – Drunk Girls (Directed by Spike Jonze)
2. HEALTH – We Are Water (Directed by Eric Wareheim)
1. Arcade Fire – We Used To Wait
http://www.thewildernessdowntown.com/
Atlas Sound Releases 41 49 Tracks In Three Four Days
Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox is hands down the most prolific songwriter of this generation. In addition to releasing a Deerhunter and Atlas Sound record each year (it’s actually seven albums in less than six years), Cox continues to share additional music on his blog. The only difference between these tracks and what other bands may categorize as demos or leftovers is the fact that most of what he shares is studio-worthy. This week, Bradford was especially generous for the Thanksgiving season, releasing three volumes of Atlas Sound tracks. He’s calling them Bedroom Databank Vol. 1, 2, and 3. The tally so far is 41 songs, and who knows if tomorrow will bring more. All three volumes are worth your time (haven’t skipped one track yet) and can be downloaded for free here. Get a taste of “Mona Lisa” from today’s Vol. 3 below. Enjoy!
EDIT: Cox posted Vol. 4 yesterday. Could there be a Vol. 5?
Deerhunter @ Starlight Ballroom
Although the bathrooms at the Starlight Ballroom were once referred to as “the apocalypse” by Grizzly Bear frontman Ed Droste a few years back, some of my favorite shows have been performed here (TV on the Radio, Girl Talk, etc.). Deerhunter had no issues overcoming the elements of the world’s end and gave the most inspired performance of their four shows I’ve attended. The varied setlist and extended jams were a nice surprise for longtime fans but may have confused new fans looking for only straight performances of new and highly accessible songs like “Revival” and “Helicopter.” Thankfully, Deerhunter aren’t ready for mainstream radio just yet.
Frontman Bradfox Cox was extraordinarily enthusiast most of the night. The usually reserved Cox (at least since the days he wore dresses opening up for Nine Inch Nails during the Cryptograms era) could be found headbanging during guitar solos and adding new vocal melodies to various songs. The energy was appreciated by some in attendance, but Philly proved to be a disappointing crowd. I don’t care if this show was a weekday makeup for a weekend pool party from the summer. I will never be able to understand how lines at the various bars at the Starlight Ballroom could file in during extended jam sessions for “Nothing Ever Happened” and “He Would Have Laughed,” both approaching the 10-minute mark. Shame on you, Philly!
“We need your youth energy and your youth culture so that we can survive. The median age of this band is 87 years old. We’re looking for a new vessel … you know like in Being John Malkovich … it’s a movie.” – Bradford Cox (disappointed by the reaction).
This was the first Deerhunter show I’ve attended where guitarist Lockett Pundt sang live. He’s recorded vocals on several albums, but Cox has usually taken on those duties live (at the previous three shows I’ve attended). Pundt sang lead vocals for two songs, “Desire Lines” and “Fountain Stairs.” He did admirably on the first track, and the band extended the performance of the song into a highlight-worthy jam session, which they did for several songs in the set. His vocals for “Fountain Stairs” were not nearly as impressive.
Another highlight of the set was some kind of live, 80s-style reinterpretation of “Rainwater Cassette Exchange.” The new arrangements were inspired. When the show ended, Cox and company revisited the stage for an encore that included “Memory Boy” and “Fluorescent Grey,” and Cox jokingly introduced each song as the other. Overall, it’s just not possible to get better than this for a $15 ticket. Deerhunter may be the best live band that cannot sell out a small club. Go check them out now before they turn into Arcade Fire.
You can check out a high quality stream of the previous night’s show in Washington, D.C. by NPR’s All Things Considered here.
Album Review: Halcyon Digest
Deerhunter will never again reach the heights of Microcastle in my eyes, not because they suffer from a demise of talent but because of a reinvention of style. Cox has said he’s no longer interested in the sound of Microcastle and Cryptograms. Halcyon Digest is an attempt at a more straightforward approach to paying homage to the band’s influences. Cox seems to be trying too hard at times to conjure up formulas from different eras and genres (“Basement Scene” recalls the best of the Everly Brothers). The layers of fuzz and effects are stripped away to reveal slightly less interesting storytelling. Cox still puts his voice through some filters which adds a welcomed eeriness to tracks like “Don’t Cry.”
None of this should deter you from embracing Halcyon Digest as an impeccable collection of gems from a band that may be as consistent as any active band today. It’s just this author’s personal preferences of style and genre. We have Cox’s Atlas Sound project to cling to for his experimental compositions. Nonetheless, there is a lot to get lost in here, including the dream pop standout “Helecopter,” “Coronado,” which features a 180-degree shift in style featuring saxophone, and the (live) sample- and effects-heavy “He Would Have Laughed.” The latter is my favorite track off the album and the best closing track the band has written to date. Halcyon Digest is certainly on the short list of best albums of 2010.