Album Review: The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion

Dredg explores some new ground with old formulas on their impressive new release, The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion. Their former record and my personal favorite, Catch Without Arms, disappointed some hardcore fans who were expecting another Leifmotif or El Cielo. The album took a complete 180 from previous work and explored more accessible and pop-driven areas of Dredg’s creative palette. This time around, the format is similar to El Cielo, as the record includes an epic 18-tracks. Just as El Cielo segued with instrumental interludes labeled as “Movements,” Dredg calls these interludes (there are vocals) “Stamps of Origin” this time. The segues on El Cielo were often very strong additions to that record and served well as the glue tying the concept and cohesiveness of the album as a digestible whole. That’s not the case as much with The Pariah. The band’s sound is not much different than the previous effort, Catch Without Arms. Although this record is not as instantly impressive as that release, there is much here to like.

Dredg has left major lable Interscope and releases their new album on indie outfit Ohlone Recordings. The album cover takes the form of a letter, including concept-related postage. Dredg has always been a bit “out there” with the themes of their records. El Cielo was inspired and based entirely on the painting “Sleep Paralysis” by Salvador Dali. The effort resulted in 16-tracks that used sleep paralysis as the central theme. This time around the inspiration is a Salmon Rushdie essay, entitled A Letter to the Sixth Billionth Citizen. The album was dedicated to Deftone’s bassist Chi Cheng, who was in a serious accident during the time Dredg was recording. As of today, Cheng is still in a coma.

The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion starts off strong with the melodic and guitar-driven track “Pariah.” The song begins with the sound of children singing a harmony over a repeating piano rhythm but quickly turns to heavy guitar riffs and off-beat drumming. The song finally progresses to Dredg’s signature anthemic vocal chorus. One of the album’s two instrumentals follows with “Drunk-Slide”. However, the second instrumental, “Long Days and Vague Clues” is an epic track and album highlight, deserving of Grammy consideration for best instrumental at year’s end. A track that Dredg has been playing for sometime now live, “Ireland,” follows. The ballad-like track brings Dredg back to their El Cielo era with majestic guitars and a sweeping chorus.

Additional album highlights include “The Information,” Dredg’s most accessible song to date. “Saviour,” the album’s first single exhibits a louder, guitar-heavy sound more reminiscent of Dredg’s earlier recordings. “I Don’t Know” is another pop-friendly track that features spiritual overtones and revisits Dredg’s El Cielo sound. “Mourning This Morning” is funk-inspired guilty pleasure similar to “Zebraskin” off of Catch Without Arms. The album’s most unique and impressive track takes the form of “Quotes.” The song clocks in at at epic six minutes and takes more musical tangents than a Girl Talk track. The lyrics of lead singer Gavin Hayes are a standout here:

Our sobriety will diminish
Discriminate we fade slow, fade slow
These drugs will expand us
United we will grow

The overall critical response to The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion has been mostly positive and deservedly so. One of the few problems with The Pariah is its length. El Cielo was a excellent but tedious listen, as is this album. The Stamp of Origin tracks do not tie everything together as neatly as they did with the former and seem more like intermissions than interludes. Although the album does contain some filler, the majority of the record does support the fact that Dredg is still an important and relevant band. The band has scored a co-headlining tour with Rx Bandits and supporting act Zech Marchis (featuring Marcel Lopez-Rodriguez from The Mars Volta). Dredg has released a video for their latest single, The Information. You can watch it below:

http://www.dredg.com
http://myspace.com/dredg

Controlled Chaos: An Interview with Girl Talk

Greg Gillis (aka Girl Talk) has evolved from mash-up novelty to Pitchfork stud, performing over 100 shows a year to sold-out crowds. The 27-year old released Feed the Animals, his fourth album, earlier this year and has just finished up an intense leg of his current international tour. The album appeared on countless end-of-the-year lists, including #11 on The Fishpork 20. We called up Gillis earlier this week to find out what’s next. The former biomedical engineer who takes fair use and copyright to its limits talked about the dark process of creating Feed the Animals, the controlled chaos at his shows, and his yearning to try something different for his next release.

Fishpork: First of all, congrats on making all of those end-of-year lists.

GG: Thank you, man. I appreciate it.

Fishpork: When I talk to people or read about reactions to your music, specifically with Feed the Animals, it seems that they either love it or hate it. Comments on music bogs are usually something like, “I’m glad Girl Talk is finally getting respect on this list,” or “Girl Talk is on the top ten, that’s a joke.” Do you pay attention to music bloggers?

“I try to be able to take a step back, and I would rather be a polarizing figure and kind of push people one way or the other, rather as something that slips by as just another musician.”

GG: I try not to, but occasionally I’ll be sitting in a hotel after a show — I’ll be a few drinks deep — and I’ll just get real dark. I’ll look up negative press of myself. I think, on the whole, it’s better to ignore. I mean, I’m pretty hard on myself in terms of what I want to get out of projects, so reading stuff from bitter assholes spewing off negative stuff is valuable. It’s also probably in my best interest not to pay attention to it. So I try to ignore it, but I sometimes get into it. I try to be able to take a step back, and I would rather be a polarizing figure and kind of push people one way or the other, rather as something that slips by as just another musician.

Fishpork: Any reaction’s good, right?

GG: Right. I think when people are truly and passionately hating it, that to me means I probably did something good there.

Fishpork: Your live shows are becoming legendary. We saw you at Irving Plaza in 2006 with Peeping Tom, and the stage crowd was small. A few weeks ago at the Starlight Ballroom in Philly, there were well over 100 on the stage. How are the venues reacting to your open-stage policy?

GG: We’ve probably gotten a bit more organized with it, and that Philly date was the first show on that tour. I play shows all year round, but that was the first show with that crew. I had some extras there helping me out. I think we fine-tuned it a little bit. Back in the day, based on how this project developed, I wanted to keep it as raw as possible. I like the chaos. I like to be insane to a degree, but I’m not down really with people being hurt at a show. At some of the shows we’ve gotten to decide where. It’s just like when you’re playing for 2000 people you really just can’t have an open stage. It’s just gonna be too much. I’m kinda battling with that for a little while, and I think this tour proved to me that it’s not the worst thing in the world to get security organized to help stop people. Now, when I talk to venues, I explain to them that the majority of the audience is probably familiar with the style of show and are gonna want to get on stage. But we just kinda try to make an effort to limit it to some degree, keep it loose. I don’t ever like it to be an exclusive crew that gets to be up there, any sort of VIP club. I like it to just be people who hang out in the front row, who somehow get up there. So we’ve been a bit more organized after a few issues with too many people on stage, and this and that. So right now, I think it’s in a good place, definitely walking that line where it’s chaotic and where it’s fun. And that’s where I want to be.

Fishpork: There must be a level of trust you have with your audience to get that close to you during a gig. How do you remain focused during all that chaos?

GG: Yeah, that’s been another interesting thing as the audiences get bigger. Back a few years when you’d let people on stage, it was like, “Oh, well he is giving us this trust, and we’re going to give it back to him and help him out.” But as the size of the shows have gotten bigger, audiences have gotten more diverse — younger, older, people who are familiar with this style of show and people who aren’t. But along with that you get people who don’t really understand that level of support that I need. They’re kinda maybe thinking about themselves a bit much when they’re up there — when they’re kind of running into me, knocking things over or something. I mean, I kinda get in my own zone. And usually I find that the circle of people around me, regardless of whether they’ve been to a show or not, (that) over the course of the show understand that I need the support. They’re up there, and it does get a little chaotic. At most of the shows, the inner circle around me kind of becomes like the fence, where they’re hanging out dancing but also doing their best to protect what’s going on because the show can easily be stopped at any point. But during the show — it’s something where the set — it’s all very live, but the actual sample triggering and progress of the set are things I’ve gone over a lot. Those are the things I’ve gone over a lot, things I’ve worked on for hours in my house — so most of the set is kind of memorized. Even if I couldn’t see the screen, I would have an idea of different cues on the screen as far as which sample they are. So I’ve played over 100 shows a year for the past two years — so it’s just something where it’s become accustomed. I’m use to — all I need is my right hand. If I’m able to get a glimpse of the screen I can keep everything together.

Fishpork: What was the creative process like during the creation of Feed the Animals and how has it changed since your earlier albums?

GG: I think it’s pretty similar to my last few. The first one was really raw. Secret Diary back in 2002 was something where it was just me experimenting in my free time. I was going to college at the time. Something like — where I never sat down for a ten hour day to work on music. Whereas (with) the new one, I’m always coming up with new ideas to incorporate into the live show. This one came out two years after the one prior to it, and the editing took me about 3-6 months. It was like a year and a half of playing live shows. By the time I actually sat down to edit the album and put it together, most of the core ideas were already thought out. I kind of knew where it was going — knew where a lot of things were going to be. And then it’s just a matter of fine-tuning it. I would have to say that this album — I’m really happy with it and happy to be done. And to me it’s my favorite album I’ve done. But assembling it was kind of a dark process for me. I really locked myself away, and it was the first album where there was actual pressure.

A lot of people didn’t realize that I had been doing that for six years, and it’s just something that’s part of my life. And people thought is was a project that would die off. So on the new one, I really wanted to prove that this is my life — this is what I do.

It’s my fourth album, but I knew people were going to treat it like a sophomore effort — because people weren’t as familiar with my earlier stuff. So going into this I felt like I just had something to prove almost — just in terms of when I knew when Night Ripper came out, a lot of people just kinda dismissed that as a novelty and this one time thing — and the shows with me and a laptop. A lot of people didn’t realize that I had been doing that for six years, and it’s just something that’s part of my life. And people thought is was a project that would die off. So on the new one, I really wanted to prove that this is my life — this is what I do. And I wanted to make an album that’s better than that. So, in sitting down to do it, I put a lot of pressure on myself, and basically stopped associating with anyone I know — just locked myself away. And my girlfriend got really annoyed, because it’s all I talk about — forced her to listen to all the time. So yeah, I was definitely a weird era. I remember staying up ’til 8 or 9AM everyday, then sleeping til the afternoon and just seeing very little daylight and literally just sitting in my bedroom/studio and just staring at that screen for hours and hours and hours.

Fishpork: It was definitely worth it, man. While your songs include a sprinkling of indie rock giants like Of Montreal and Yo La Tengo, rap and pop songs make up most of the album. Why do you think you are so well received in the indie rock scene?

GG: Um, I don’t know. Where it started was as more an electronic music thing. I was influenced by guys like Kid 606, Negativland, John Oswald, all those types. Those are my contemporaries, and that’s who I looked up to in the early days. I’ve played with a lot of rock bands, rap groups — whatever — but the scene that I was most attached to was the American underground electronic scene. I definitely think that Pitchfork (the web site) — when they review anything — all of a sudden, if they give anything a positive review, it gives them a new fanbase. If they give Lil’ Wayne a positive review, then, all of a sudden, there’s going to be a whole new crew of people who like Lil’ Wayne. I think that’s just kind of the nature of that thing. For me, I follow all sorts of music, and I sample what I listen to — so I’m mainly a fan of kind of Top 40 pop these days. But ultimately with the music, when Jay-Z samples the song from Annie, it’s like that song is huge in clubs and rap fans. It doesn’t mean that those people who like that song should necessarily like the soundtrack from Annie. If you’re truly making something transformative out of samples, then ideally it would exist in its own world. There is a lot of rap and pop elements to what I do — it’s the foundation. But I try to make it transformative, and I wanna make something new out of it. Even though it contains all of these elements of radio music, at the end of the day, I hope it’s not just a mix tape of pop songs. I hope that as a collage, it becomes something else. When people from the indie rock world kind of embrace it, for me, it’s a great thing. I feel that I have transcended the source material.

If you’re truly making something transformative out of samples, then ideally it would exist in its own world. There is a lot of rap and pop elements to what I do — it’s the foundation. But I try to make it transformative, and I wanna make something new out of it.

Fishpork: You’re frequently mentioned in discussions concerning the current state of the music industry. While more established bands like Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails have released their albums in groundbreaking fashion, do you feel an artist has to be established to release music in creative ways and be successful?

GG: I don’t think so. It depends what you want out of it. When I was starting out, I would make a song and put it on Napster immediately and try to get on a message board and push it on people. And I think a lot of people do that. There’s a whole community of people pushing their own material on message boards — just giving their stuff away for free. So I think the pay-what-you-want model — if you want to make money off of that — it would obviously be helpful if you’re an established artist. But I also think that’s a great way just to get it out there. If your band is starting out, then the ultimate goal should be just to expose yourself to as wide of an audience as possible. And in doing that, if you do the pay-what-you-want thing, and if no one’s ever heard of you before, most people are going to take it for free. But that’s just the nature of music. I don’t think it should be viewed as a negative thing. That’s how bands get big in the Internet age. People get into it, and all of a sudden, people are gonna start going to your shows and buying your t-shirts, and that can ramp up into something where you can sell some records some day. Again, I think that all depends on what you want out of it. The pay-what-you-want model is a very specific version of people offering up their music just straight up for free, which is what I would guess at this point is almost the most popular way for musicians to do it in the underground world. So many people just put their stuff out there. You put up a YouTube video or do this or that. That’s what it’s about now. It’s just about exposing yourself.

Fishpork: What’s up with the “Scentless Apprentice” Nirvana cover? Is that ever going to be recorded?

GG: I have a recording of it. I maybe wanna do it. One of my best friends who does music I’m a big fan of is in a project called Hearts of Darknesses, a guy named Frank Musarra, who I do remixes with under the name Trey Told ‘Em. And his Hearts of Darknesses project I toured with recently. They did play that Philadelphia show. He’s a guy I played with a long time. He did a cover of Nirvana’s “Beeswax” sometimes, and we were talking about doing a split 7″, which I would like to do. I love the Nirvana cover. I haven’t broken it out in a long time. I feel like it needs to be documented. So I would love to do just a limited edition 7″ of that or something, just because it’s been such a big part of the live show — at least in the past. I’d love to get that out there in some form.

Fishpork: That’d be awesome, because at the Peeping Tom show in 2006, the set kind of blew me away, and, all of a sudden, it ended with that song it just brought everything to a higher level. It was really intense.

GG: Yeah, I really loved performing that, because the whole show I wanna go nuts, but at bigger venues it’s dependent on how the show’s going down. It’s like I kinda get stuck, and I literally have to be clicking a mouse non-stop. So that Nirvana cover was always a great way of — musically it was good — and performance-wise, this was my five minutes to really get in the crowd and get nuts. So I used to love doing that. The shows these days have evolved into a bit more of a party and less controversial in a way that I feel that Nirvana could be a potential bummer — like after the ending of where the sets are now — maybe not. So I haven’t done it in a while, but it’s something I really — I mean I love Nirvana, and I enjoy doing that cover. So I’d like to document it.

Fishpork: Give us one sample you have stuck in your head that you are dying to use in the future.

GG: A Capella wise, my favorite song right now it Beyonce’s “Single Ladies.” So I’ve been working with that a lot. And instrumentally, I’m trying to think about something I’ve been using. I’ve been actually trying to use Led Zeppelin’s “Dazed and Confused,” but it’s not a 4/4 time signature. It’s like a 3/4 time signature, which makes it a little complicated when you’re using a lot of rap based on 4/4 things. That’s something I’ve been working with a good bit. What else? Grateful Dead, I keep jamming that at the live set, so I’m sure it’s going to pop up on something.

Fishpork: Are you always writing, Greg? It seems like the songs get mixed up here and there and your changing stuff, but are you continuously listening to the radio, just listening to things that are in your head?

GG: Yeah, I mean it’s everyday. It’s like — the day I finished Feed the Animals, my live sets probably heavily based around that. And as soon as the next day goes by and the next week, it’s like I start sampling new things. And all of a sudden, new remixes come out, ya know, new interpretations of previous material. So I feel like the album documents a specific era of the live show, but it continually — it keeps going. There’s even elements in Night Ripper that I’ve continually remixed and liked the new version better than what’s on the album. There’s never really a finalized, correct version. The show’s just a big collage. Smaller elements are always changing. Yeah, so everyday of my life I’ll sample something. On a good day, I’ll sit down for like 10 hours and fiddle around, and that will influence the next week’s worth of shows.

Fishpork: What can we expect from Girl Talk in 2009?

GG: I don’t know. I mean, right now I’m still playing shows. The Philadelphia show kicked off the most exhausting tour I’ve ever done — just really long with shows every day. And during that time period I didn’t get chance to work on too much. So now I’m kind of getting back into weekend shows and heading over to Australia and Europe over the first couple months of 2009. Yeah, just working on small things. I would like to mix it up a little bit. I have some friends I want to collaborate with. I’m proud of the last two albums, but I feel like I don’t want to repeat that album necessarily — maybe, depending on what comes up. I would be interesting in working on individual songs with repetition in the structure and maybe doing an EP or something. I have a friend out in Pittsburgh who records under the name Skymall — who uses samples. In a way, it’s a lot different than me, but I played with him a bunch. And he played the last Pittsburgh show with me. I’m a huge fan. We’ve worked on stuff together, but I even wanna maybe do a split EP with him to kind of get his name out there. I think people would really take to it.

I’m proud of the last two albums, but I feel like I don’t want to repeat that album necessarily — maybe, depending on what comes up. I would be interesting in working on individual songs with repetition in the structure and maybe doing an EP or something.

Fishpork: Please tell us you will be at the ATP Festival that the Flaming Lips are curating in the Catskills in September. Any chance you’ll be there?

GG: I haven’t heard anything. I know Wayne Coyne is a fan to some degree. He nominated Night Ripper for Shortlist Music Prize, some contest he nominated it for. I got a chance to play back-to-back with the Flaming Lips at a festival outside of Chicago. I went on before him, and it was more of a jam band sort of crowd. I don’t think a lot of people knew me, and it just finished pouring down raining. It was freezing out, and I took the stage. And people were kind of loosening up a bit. When the Flaming Lips play, they have a big truck that pulls in for all their props. And it’s just like a big open truck just sitting there by the side of the stage. And you can go and grab whatever you want, and people are coming on stage. Wayne Coyne came out during my set. And came out and started bringing out props that were going to be used during the Flaming Lips show and sorta gave my show an extra boost. People came out in costumes, and he has these giant hands. It was cool, man. He didn’t need to do that at all. It wasn’t like I requested it or wasn’t like the show was completely failing or anything like that. But he just stepped up and took it over the edge when he hit the stage. A lot of people who were standing there were waiting for the Flaming Lips. And, of course, they lost their minds. It was really cool, and I gotta chance to talk to him after the set. And he’s a really nice dude. So, I haven’t heard anything about the All Tomorrow’s Parties, but, yeah, I definitely think it’s a potential thing.

Fishpork: Did you get a chance to talk to Mike Patton?

GG: I did, because we actually shared a dressing room. I can’t remember how that worked, but it was like me, Diplo and Patton all in the same room for a minute. He was cool, ya know. I just rapped with him for a few seconds, and he was there pretty early, so we had a chance to chat. And he’s always like — seems like a  really down-to-earth guy. Actually, when Feed the Animals came out, the Wall Street Journal entertainment section, which I didn’t even realize existed, did a story where they reached out to a bunch of artists I sampled, almost trying to be an expose sort of thing — like “are you gonna sue this guy or what?” And they went up to Patton, and they were like, “how do you feel about this?” And he said, “it’s a honor to collaborate with Busta Rhymes.” Everyone else they interviewed was like, “yeah, blah blah blah.” Patton was the one guy who was like, “ya know, it’s really cool.” So, yeah, that got me pumped.

http://www.myspace.com/girltalk
http://www.illegalart.net

Fishpork’s Ten Favorite Shows of 2008

As a collective, Fishpork attended 15 live shows this year (and there are still two more: Of Montreal tomorrow and Crystal Castles on New Year’s Eve, both at the Music Hall of Williamsburg). Unfortunately, a band does not have complete control over how well received their live performance can be. This was the case with all bands that played in our least favorite venue of 2008: The Electric Factory in Philadelphia. Although Animal Collective managed to overcome the venue’s sound limitations the best, others were not so lucky (The Mars Volta, TV on the Radio, Of Montreal). Unless Jeff Mangum announces a show here, Fishpork will avoid it at all costs in 2009. Highlights of the year included an intoxicating performance by Deerhunter, a sweaty dance party curated by Girl Talk, and a 3am secret show by Modest Mouse. These were our favorite shows of 2008:

1. Deerhunter @ The Music Hall of Wiiliamsburg
2. Girl Talk @ Starlight Ballroom
3. Enon @ Hiro Ballroom
4. Modest Mouse @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
5. Built to Spill @ Terminal 5
6. Animal Collective @ Electric Factory
7. Nine Inch Nails @ Wachovia Center
8. Radiohead @ APW Festival
9. Saul Williams @ The Trocadero
10. Battles @ Johnny Brendas

Honorable Mention:

Holy Fuck @ Johnny Brendas
Crystal Castles @ Webster Hall
Health @ House of Blues
TV on the Radio @ Electric Factory
Of Montreal @ Electric Factory

Least Favorite Show of 2008

The Mars Volta @ Electric Factory

Favorite Live Venue of 2008

Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA

Least Favorite Venue of 2008

Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA

The Fishpork 20: Favorite Albums of 2008

Remember this era in music. It’s a special one. We’re going to look back and talk about it like we talk about the 60s or 70s. I used to miss all the great bands that came out of the 90s, but my longing for the hay days of grunge and industrial has since dissipated. Go ahead and disagree, but this is a renaissance period for music. This year was no exception. In fact, it served as an endless discovery period of great bands and classic albums. However, our favorite album of 2008 was not a difficult choice at all. Here is our list of favorite albums of 2008:

1. Deerhunter - Microcastle/Weird Era Cont.
2. Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
3. Of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping
4. TV on the Radio - Dear Science
5. Eric Avery - Help Wanted
6. Elf Power - In a Cave
7. Guns N’ Roses - Chinese Democracy
8. Nine Inch Nails - The Slip
9. Tapes N’ Tapes - Walk It Off
10. Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel
11. Girl Talk - Feed the Animals
12. Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts I-IV
13. Portishead - Third
14. Sigur Ros - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
15. Vic Chesnutt & Elf Power - Dark Developments
16. Ladytron - Velocifero
17. The Notwist - The Devil, You + Me
18. First Wave Hello - God Bless, Devil You
19. Fuck Buttons - Street Horsssing
20. David Byrne & Brian Eno - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
    

Honorable Mentions:

• Dub Trio - Another Sound is Dying
• Amanda Palmer - Who Killed Amanda Palmer
• Health - Disco

Most Disappointing Albums:

• Beck - Modern Guilt
• SexTapes - SexTapes
• UNKLE - End Title . . . Stories For Film

Most Overrated Albums:

• Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
• Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
• Cold Play - Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends

Fishpork will post our favorite songs and live shows of the year next week. Check back soon!

Of Montreal’s Skeletal Lamping: Georgie’s Sexual Revenge

Kevin Barnes has created a indie-pop masterpiece that picks up where Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? left off and grows new limbs in a genre that is ripe for something original. Barnes wrote everything on the album and plays most of the instruments in his studio, which is located in the attic of his Athens home.  His touring band consists of musicians and visual artists that include painters, and sculptors for the elaborate stage show.

Skeletal Lamping is the ninth studio album by Athens, Georgia-based band. Kevin Barns’ Athens roots goes back to when he shared a house with Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel and Will Hart and Bill Doss from Olivia Tremor Control. One can only imagine what that must of been like in the early days of what would become the Elephant 6 Recording Company. Barnes began to break away from his Elephant 6 roots with Of Montreal’s 2001 release Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies before completely reinventing his sound with 2004’s Satanic Panic in the Attic. The latter showed Barnes’ new affinity with an electronic funk sound infused with a greater touch of lyrical flamboyance that would reach maturity with Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?.

This record follows the exploits of Barnes’s alter ego Georgie Fruit. Georgie is a black she-male and has gone through multiple sex changes (from a man to a woman and then back to a man). Georgie is Ziggy Stardust meets Brian Wilson on ecstasy. The album follows his travels though a perverse world littered with perilous lust and glee.

The title of the album is from a lyric on Hissing Fauna’s “Faberge Falls For Shuggie.”  When asked about the title, Kevin Barnes said:

“This record is my attempt to bring all of my puzzling, contradicting, disturbing, humorous…fantasies, ruminations and observations to the surface, so that I can better dissect and understand their reason for being in my head.”

Lyrically, this album teeters on the dark side of Barnes’ inner consciousness and sexual fantasies while keeping the listener unaware of what is coming next. The vocal rich songs follow the sexual exploits of Georgie Fruit as he/she contemplates sex or suicide. Kevin Barnes pens the lyrics of the year with, “We can do it soft-core if you want, but you should know I take it both ways.” The genius of the lyrics is Barnes ability to write in a way that will purposely confuse so that you have no idea what will follow. A perfect example is “St. Exquisite’s Confessions” which starts off with the smooth soul sound of one of Barry White’s ‘I want to make love to you all night’ songs. And the lyrics juxtapose this soulful style when Barnes opens the song with “I’m so sick of sucking the dick . . . of this cruel, cruel city.” And later “Maybe I’ll blow you . . . what ever kind of kisses you want, because you’ve got so much in common with my big cock creator.” Barnes seems to have traded in most of his depression and angst for sex and lust — and it works, although songs like “Touched Something’s Hollow” are dark enough to make that jump from the 31st floor look inviting.

After a tour with MGMT, Barnes and Andrew VanWyngarden began work on a side project called project called Blikk Fang that might see light of day in early 2009.  When VanWyngarden was asked about Kevin Barnes writing skills he commented:

“Kevin is constantly pushing the boundaries of pop, which is inspirational to slackers like us. He’s making the Black Albums and Station to Stations of today.”

Influences are wide open on this release. The opening track “Nonpareil of Favor” contains an Animal Collective type of a repeating drum (noise) beat, while songs like “Wicked Wisdom” could of been a b-side to Prince’s Purple Rain. The best way to describe this is fractured indie-pop. There are songs that contain more than five different key changes and numerous tempo diversions, yet it all works. While fifteen tracks are listed, there are really about thirty songs assembled together that create the sonic power of The Beatles’ Revolver with the party-like composition of Girl Talk’s Night Ripper.

Ultimately Skeletal Lamping displays the genius of Kevin Barnes as both a modern day songwriting virtuoso and lyrical mastermind. He has created an epic record here that will, without a doubt, stand the test of time. It is the quintessential psyche-pop record if you had to stuff it into a genre box.  This is a serious contender for album of the year along side TVOTR’s Dear Science and Deerhunter’s Microcastle/Wierd Era Cont.

Track listing

1. Nonpareil of Favor – 5:48
2. Wicked Wisdom – 5:00
3. For Our Elegant Caste – 2:35
4. Touched Something’s Hollow – 1:26
5. An Eluardian Instance – 4:35
6. Gallery Piece – 3:48
7. Women’s Studies Victims – 2:59
8. St. Exquisite’s Confessions – 4:35
9. Triphallus, to Punctuate! – 3:23
10. And I’ve Seen a Bloody Shadow – 2:23
11. Plastis Wafer – 7:11
12. Death Isn’t a Parallel Move – 3:01
13. Beware Our Nubile Miscreants – 4:52
14. Mingusings – 3:01
15. Id Engager – 3:24

How To Assemble the Skeletal Lamping CD Packaging

Of Montreal @ The Electric Factory

Most indie rock fans and critics agree on one thing: Kevin Barnes has lost his fucking mind. He has transformed himself into the lovechild of David Bowie and Prince. The problem is that some embrace the path he has chosen to move in (heavy on the dance and soul with stage persona Georgie Fruit, a black transvestite), while others long for the days of Cherry Peel (acoustic, lo-fi diddies). Although I appreciate both phases of Barnes musical career, I must admit the new Barnes has made a much bigger fan out of me. And, for the record, I do think he’s more talented than both Bowie and Prince. I love Bowie, but his most recent solo tour is marred at the bottom of my list (and my list is long) as painfully boring. Of Montreal is currently on tour supporting their dance-heavy, sex-oriented ninth studio album, Skeletal Lamping. I was lucky enough to score tickets for the Electric Factory in Philly on Halloween!

Several web sites have posted pictures of shows from this tour. And the extravagant stage production really peaked my interest. There was no excuse for a live show performed by the band of one of our favorite albums of the year to come and go without our attention. For the most part, the excitement of Skeletal Lamping transferred well to the stage. However, the sound at the Electric Factory is as bad as it gets and has been almost inaudible during many shows I’ve attended there. This night was no different. The opening band, Gang Gang Dance was mixed as poorly as I’ve ever heard. From what I did hear, I enjoyed their tribal dance arrangements. I did feel bad for singer Liz Bougatsos who’s experimental chanting vocals were completely drowned out by the venue.

Of Montreal took the stage about 30-45 minutes after Gang Gang Dance’s set. The crowd responded well to the dimming lights, as the band members took the stage wearing superman costumes. Barnes was the last to enter, as he was escorted onto stage Egyptian style, within a small carriage covered by curtains and lifted by several of his “slaves.” To the crowd’s surprise (and delight) Barnes crawled out also dressed in Superman attire, although his suit contained (fake) muscles. Even before he exited his royal carriage, the opening howls of the band’s latest single, “Id Engager,” could be heard. The crowd immediately recognized the track, and all hell broke loose.

The show, much like Skeletal Lamping, headed right into schizophrenia. Barnes’ latest compositions are rather disjointed, with many comparing the structure to that of a Girl Talk record. You never know when one song ends, and the next begins. This works better on an album than it does live. The band’s style has changed between albums before, but nothing as dramatic when comparing the last three releases to earlier albums in the discography. The transformation is so startling, that it’s hard to believe Barnes and company are still technically part of Jeff Mangum’s Elephant 6 Collective. Highlights of the show included Barnes sitting on a throne with sultry nuns at his feet, walking around as a minotaur (half-man/half-bull), and appearing almost nude with his “dick in a box.” Barnes ended a night at the circus with his rendition of Nirvana’s immortalized “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” The ending seemed a little out of place, but the crowd appreciated the homage.

Setlist:

1. intro
2. Id Engager
3. So Begins Our Alabee
4. Triphallus, to Punctuate!
5. She’s A RejecterFor
6. Our Elegant Caste
7. Touched Something’s Hollow
8. An Eluardian Instance
9. Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse
10. Gallery Piece
11. Wraith Pinned To The Mist (And Other Games)
12. Women’s Studies Victims
13. St. Exquisite’s Confessions
14. Superman
15. Nonpareil Of Favor
16. October Is Eternal
17. Wicked Wisdom
18. Disconnect The Dots
19. And I’ve Seen A Bloody Shadow
20. Plastis Wafers
21. Beware Our Nubile Miscreants
22. Mingusings
23. “Lavender Dick Rub”
24. A Sentence Of Sorts In Kongsvingerencore

ENCORE:

1. Day ManGronlandic Edit
2. Oslo In The Summertime
3. Smells Like Teen Spirit

The entire show is available in high-quality FLAC format here.

Girl Talk @ Starlight Ballroom

I was first introduced to Girl Talk just two years ago when he was the first of two opening acts for Peeping Tom, one of Mike Patton’s numerous side projects. As a skinny white guy with a laptop walked on the stage and stuttered into the microphone, “Hi my name is Girl Talk, I just play some party jams,” I didn’t expect much. As he began to tinker on his PC, the sounds that blared from the speakers peaked my interest immediately. I heard the beats from pop songs, the guitars from Indie classics, and the lyrics from hip hop jams, ALL AT ONCE!

The term mash-up refers to the mixing of the elements of two or more songs and has been around for years now. Girl Talk (aka Greg Gillis) takes this concept to the next level (see Fishpork review for Feed the Animals). Girl Talk has released four albums, and each one is more complicated than its predecessor. His latest features 264 samples of songs from all genres, and it’s meant to play as one continuous track at a party. For the most part, it holds up well on most listens. However, it works best in a party atmosphere. And it will not sound better than when Gillis manipulates his laptop live.

The live show is something you have to experience to fully understand. On Thursday night at the sold-out Startlight Ballroom in Philadelphia, everyone in attendance was treated to Girl Talk’s musical canvas. Hundreds of fans were invited on stage to surround Gillis, as he filled the room with his non-stop, postmodern tour of pop culture. Playing mixes from his last two (and most popular) albums, Girl Talk delighted the crowd with each new track. Part of the experience is recognizing the layered sounds in each track as the heavy bass fills the venue. Each song contains 20-30 samples and is best served with 1,000 of your closest friends in Philly.

At the last Girl Talk show I attended, Gillis limited the amount of people on stage. I would guess that about 30-40 were allowed to join him at that NYC gig. Throughout the night, Girl Talk slowly stripped down to only his boxers. This time around, Gillis sported long, hippie-like hair with a bright yellow shirt and a white, oversized bandana. Well over 100 people were on stage (including myself and friends), a presence that grew throughout the night. One single security guard stood behind Gillis and didn’t exactly keep the hoards of fans from accessing his space. However, there seemed to be an understanding that encroachment would only interfere with the party. Fortunate for him, Girl Talk kept his clothes on.

Girl Talk: Who Let the Animals Out?

Girl Talk is breaking all the rules with his latest full-length album. There is not one original beat, note, or lyric on the mash-up star’s fourth LP, and lawyers are standing by. This time around Greg Gillis (aka Girl Talk) asked his record label, appropriately named Illegal Art, what the boundaries were this time around. The label came back and demanded that he make the record he wants to make. Any issues that arise will be dealt with later. Gillis did just that, as the number of samples used in each of his songs have reached an all-time high. One track even mashes an impressive 35 songs in less than four minutes.

Feed the Animals features 14 obnoxious tracks that defy genre and push the limits of art. Gillis is the most talented artist who does what he does. These songs aren’t exactly mash-ups in the original sense. They are musical and lyrical collages of popular culture. Although there is not one original note, each song sounds fresh and new, as if you never heard it before. Gillis has a real gift for choosing which songs to mix/overlap/mash. His creations have gotten more complex and dense. I recall hearing elements of up to five songs all at once. The beauty of the track was that all of the songs were completely discernible.

Feed the Animals features several standout mash ups. Highlights of the album include Jay-Z rapping ‘Roc Boys’ over the dense guitars of Radiohead’s ‘Paranoid Android’, Kelly Clarkson singing ‘Since You Were Gone’ over Nine Inch Nail’s Grammy-winning track ‘Wish,’ and Ton Loc spitting out ‘Wild Thing’ to the melody of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Gypsy.’ The funny thing about the latter is that ‘Wild Thing’ is a sampled song in itself, creating a paradoxical wormhole of a mash-up that defies all convention.

The album is not perfect and will lag at times during songs you are not necessarily a fan of. That does not prevent admiration of the skill that goes into the process. The album immediately revealed something very obvious to me upon first listen: the quality of hip hop music is at an all-time low. You could even say the same about pop. No wonder Gillis does what he does. Some of the songs cannot stand up on their own. Mixing the best elements of each song with the lyrics and beats of others actually improves the quality. You have to hear it to believe it.

Greg Gillis is breaking rules with Feed the Animals. Maybe the album’s title is a reference to this, referring to feeding the animals although the sign at the zoo forbids it. If that’s the case, Gillis is not just feeding the animals, he is letting them out of their cages to roam free. An incredible fan video cutting up the videos from each song referenced in the track, ‘Shut Down the Club, can be seen here:

The entire album is currently being streamed on Girl Talk’s MySpace page.

July’s Fresh Pork Cuts!

Pete’s:

• Silver Jews- My Pillow is the Threshold
• The National - Mistaken For Strangers
• MGMT - Pieces of What
• The Helio Sequence - Lately
• Eric Avery - Philo Beddoe

Mark’s:

• Crystal Castles - Air Wars
• Sigur Ros - Gobbledigook
• Ladytron - Ghosts
• Fuck Buttons - Ribs Out
• Girl Talk - Set It Off

[audio:setitoff.mp3]

Girl Talk “Does a Radiohead”

Gregg Gillis, better known as Girl Talk, decided to drop his latest record, Feed The Animals, (ala Radiohead/Trent/Saul) as a “pay what you can” download. The Pittsburgh native is the master of mash up and has been dropping hits since his 3rd release “Night Ripper” dropped in 2006 on the Illigal Art label.

Regardless of what you pay, you get a zip file of the entire record as 320kb mp3s. If you pay five bucks or more, you can download uncompressed FLAC files. $10 gets you the files and a copy of the CD when it comes out in September. If you choose to pay zero dollars, you are prompted to choose a reason. Here are the options from the website:

– I may donate later
– I can’t afford to pay
– I don’t really like Girl Talk
– I don’t believe in paying for music
– I have already purchased this album
– I don’t value music made from sampling
– I am part of the press, radio, or music industry
– Other reasons

Well worth the price!

Steal it here.