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 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)
MP3: “Our Elegant Caste (Depressed Buttons Remix)” by Of Montreal
Of Montreal’s latest single, “Our Elegant Caste,” comes with several versions of the highlight track off of Skeletal Lamping. In addition to a stripped down acoustic version, The Faint reconstructed the song, putting their signature electro-funk spin on it. Download the track here or stream it below:
Controlled Chaos: An Interview with Girl Talk
December 19, 2008 by Mark
Filed under Interviews
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.
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Of Montreal @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
As Of Montreal wrap up their current tour of 2000+ seat venues in North America before heading over to Europe and Australia, a spot on Letterman brought Kevin Barnes and his troupe of musicians and actors to the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn for a small club performance. The Music Hall show was announced only a few days prior to the on-sale date, and it sold out in less than 45 seconds. The 550 or so die-hard fans that were lucky enough to hit refresh on their keyboards fast enough to get their tickets and stood through about thirty minutes of a backstage DJ set (as the Of Montreal prepared to take the stage).
Four golden Buddhas took the stage around 11:15pm and stood motionless for a few minutes before keyboardist Dottie Alexander, guitarist Bryan Poole (aka The Late B.P Helium,) multi-instrumentalist Jamey Huggins, bassist Davey Pierce and Drummer Ahmed Gallab took the stage. As the opening “Id Engager” bass line started (from their most recent LP Skelatal Lamping), Barnes threw open the back stage door and screamed the opening high-pitched “Ahhhhhyeaahhhh!” It was an non-stop party from that moment on.
Kevin Barnes wrote and played just about every note on his last two records, mostly recorded in the attic of his Athens, GA home (with the rest done in Norway). His dark, sexual brand of melodic pop translates perfectly to the stage. Every song had sketches to accompany them, involving a troupe of ninja actors with ever changing costumes and art props. If Barnes wasn’t stripping down to his gold-colored vinyl underwear held up by an over-sized purple belt, he was wearing a half fur coat or clergy dress.
A large projection screen was filled with the familiar artwork from Kevin Barnes’ brother David, with images that have graced the covers of this records and the six foot horse collages that accompany the Lamping vinyl. If that wasn’t enough, at one point during “Gallery Piece,” when he sings the line “I want to be your what’s happening,” Rerun and Raj from the 70s sitcom of the same name show up on the back screen to a roar of laughter from the crowd. It was just impossible not to be entertained by this show.
During “Plastic Wafers” the four actors with Buddha heads returned with sponges of washable red paint in their hands and began to lather up a near naked Barnes until he was entirely covered. As the song continued, the Buddhas turned to the audience and lathered up the faces of everyone that was up near the front of the stage (myself included). Audience participation was not optional and that continued until they closed their set with “A Sentence of Sorts in Kongsvinger”
When Kevin Barnes is on stage half naked or wearing his blue eyeshadow and matching sequence shirt over his white blouse, it’s easy to forget the early Elephant6 days where Barnes would sheepishly hide behind his acoustic guitar and sing his power-pop songs. I can only imagine what it must of been like in the Athens house that Barnes shared with Jeff Mangum, of Neutral Milk Hotel, and Will Hart and Bill Doss, both of Olivia Tremor Control. When Barnes finished writing 2004′s Satanic Panic, his breakaway from the traditional Elephant6 sound, he even considered changing the band name to close that chapter of music but decided it would be more interesting to carry a catalog that was more diverse. Diverse it is.
The sound was mixed well and warm tones were crisp. Barnes’ guitar playing was on point and the entire band was tight. As expected, the set was very Hissing Fauna are you the Destroyer? and Skeletal Lamping heavy with a few tracks off Sunlandic Twins and Satanic Panic. The show was a non-stop 2-hour set that featured a mind-blowing 30 songs.
Barnes would run off stage every 3rd or 4th song for costume changes (after throwing his outfit he was wearing into the crowd) and fans fought over a white mink, a pair of blue glasses or a sequenced jacket. For the last few songs he wore what looked like an old-time diner waitress uniform with a large “K” embroidered near the left shoulder. As Barnes walked off stage the audience waited for him to fling it into the audience as well, but as he walked off he smiled and commented “I just bought this one today, so I’m going to break it in a little.”
Of Montreal came out for a three song encore with a great version of “Gronlandic Edit” and “Oslo In The Summertime.” They have been closing with a different cover almost every show on this tour, and we were treated to a Barnes interpretation of Tom Petty’s “American Girl.”
One moment that sums up the Of Montreal experience happened in-between songs when Barnes looked around for his cup of vodka and orange juice that was poured for him during one of the background performances. He found it laying near the drum kit where much of the stage performance action was going on. He looked into it then pulled his mouth away from the cup. He then asked the crowd, “who here is 21?” A fever of hands raised up, and he walked over and gave his cup to an enthusiastic fan. As the kid took a sip, Barnes commented, “I hope you like the taste of silver sparkles.”
Kevin Barnes channels the over-the-top transsexual/she-male Georgie Fruit, and it’s done so well that its hard to imagine Barnes being any different in real life. Much like a Flaming Lips show, the theatrics do not supersede the performance of the music — it only compliments it. There are not many artists that could pull this off without distracting the audience from the music, but its pure symmetry when it comes to Of Montreal.
I grabbed Dottie’s set list as she walked off stage.
Of Montreal – She’s A Rejector (Live @ Music Hall of Williamsburg)
Of Montreal – Gronlandic Edit (Live @ Music Hall of Williamsburg)
Our friend NYCTaper has the entire set for download here.
http://www.myspace.com/ofmontreal
http://www.ofmontreal.net/
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:
- Deerhunter – Microcastle/Weird Era Cont.
- Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles
- Of Montreal – Skeletal Lamping
- TV on the Radio – Dear Science
- Eric Avery – Help Wanted
- Elf Power – In a Cave
- Guns N’ Roses – Chinese Democracy
- Nine Inch Nails – The Slip
- Tapes N’ Tapes – Walk It Off
- Atlas Sound – Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel
- Girl Talk – Feed the Animals
- Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts I-IV
- Portishead – Third
- Sigur Ros – Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
- Vic Chesnutt & Elf Power – Dark Developments
- Ladytron – Velocifero
- The Notwist – The Devil, You + Me
- First Wave Hello – God Bless, Devil You
- Fuck Buttons – Street Horsssing
- 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!
Radiohead Nominated for Album of the Year
This year’s Grammy Award nominations have been announced, and it’s really hard to care. Although it technically came out in 2007, Radiohead’s magnificent In Rainbows, got a nod for the most prestigious (if one would dare use such a word to describe them) Album of the Year award. The band has been nominated in this category twice before with 1997′s OK Computer and 2000′s Kid A, losing to Bob Dylan and Steely Dan (respectively) Is the third time a charm?
Other notable nominations include Beck’s Danger Mouse-heavy Modern Guilt and In Rainbows again for “Best Alternative Album” (is alternative still a genre?). Radiohead is also nominated for Best Rock Song, Best Music Video, Best Rock Performance with “House of Cards”. MGMT’s “Electric Feel (Justice Remix)” was nominated for Best Remixed Recording. Nigel Godrich, Rick Rubin and one-trick pony Danger Mouse have been nomindated for Producer of the Year. Unfortunately, the Best Recording Package category did not include Of Montreal’s Skeletal Lamping. Hey Grammys, how about adding an Indie Rock category?!
Here’s the full breakdown of nominations from the Grammy web site.
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
- Nonpareil of Favor – 5:48
- Wicked Wisdom – 5:00
- For Our Elegant Caste – 2:35
- Touched Something’s Hollow – 1:26
- An Eluardian Instance – 4:35
- Gallery Piece – 3:48
- Women’s Studies Victims – 2:59
- St. Exquisite’s Confessions – 4:35
- Triphallus, to Punctuate! – 3:23
- And I’ve Seen a Bloody Shadow – 2:23
- Plastis Wafer – 7:11
- Death Isn’t a Parallel Move – 3:01
- Beware Our Nubile Miscreants – 4:52
- Mingusings – 3:01
- 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:
- intro
- Id Engager
- So Begins Our Alabee
- Triphallus, to Punctuate!
- She’s A RejecterFor
- Our Elegant Caste
- Touched Something’s Hollow
- An Eluardian Instance
- Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse
- Gallery Piece
- Wraith Pinned To The Mist (And Other Games)
- Women’s Studies Victims
- St. Exquisite’s Confessions
- Superman
- Nonpareil Of Favor
- October Is Eternal
- Wicked Wisdom
- Disconnect The Dots
- And I’ve Seen A Bloody Shadow
- Plastis Wafers
- Beware Our Nubile Miscreants
- Mingusings
- “Lavender Dick Rub”
- A Sentence Of Sorts In Kongsvingerencore
ENCORE:
- Day ManGronlandic Edit
- Oslo In The Summertime
- Smells Like Teen Spirit
The entire show is available in high-quality FLAC format here.
TV on the Radio @ The Electric Factory
When I first listened to TV On The Radio’s latest album, Dear Science, it didn’t hit me. I was in the middle of a huge Of Montreal infatuation and just wasn’t ready to digest it yet. One week later, I was blown away by the textures and the contours of the Dear Science landscape. Knowing I had a ticket to their Philly show made me one happy man.
Last time TVOTR toured the area they played the Starlight Ballroom (also in Philly) , which was arguably the best show of 2006. It was an all out, jaw-dropping show and one of the best live performances I had ever seen. Their increase in popularity brought them to a bigger venue this time around, but their set transitioned perfectly to the Electric Factory stage. Sounding audible at The Factory is no small task. Case in point, The Dirtbombs opened up the night with a less than memorable set. They finished not long after 9, and the crowd started to get impatient waiting for TVOTR to take the stage. 10pm came and went and still no band. However, a few minutes after 10, the band filed out and the crowd was paradisiacally electrified as if not one minute had passed.
As they began with the title track from debut EP Young Liars, it was clear that the low-fi ambiance of TVOTR’s sound was mixed to perfection, even over a soundsystem that can swallow the mix of even teh best bands. “The Wrong Way” came next, before weaving in new songs that balanced a consummate set list. The docile crowd roared with the opening synth bass chaos of “Dancing Choose.” The contrast between the Buddha-like Kyp Malone and the wild, picturesque arm swings and pumping chest bumps from Tunde Adebimpe was an esthetical scene to watch.
The vocals of Kyp Malone, guitarist and falsetto genious, are dramatically more prominant on Dear Science, then previous LPs. While he has always contributed to the lyrics, frontman Tunde Adebimpe had performed most of the lead vocals. Malone’s rise has also made him more of the focus on stage, as he traded lead vocals with Adebimpe on this night. Malone even played bass on several songs, while bassist Gerard Smithle did his samples and MIDI keys behind him.
Producer and guitarist David Andrew Sitek’s commanding guitar playing set the mood of the show with intricate rhythms that blended perfectly with Malone’s “Golden Age” funk riffs and his slick lead on “Halfway Home.” The show also featured a live horn section which slithered beneath the mix artfully. Jaleel Bunton’s drums were tight, and he often looked to Malone to sync up when adding some impromptu drum fills.
“Golden Age” followed by “Wolf Like Me” were obvious crowd pleasers and riled the crowd into an unlikely mosh pit. In between songs Malone asked the crowd to go see Adebimpe’s movie Rachel Getting Married, which he plays alongside Anne Hathaway. Adebimpe modestly shook his head, trying to pull away the attention from his moonlighting acting gig. The band then started the calm intro for “Shout Me Out” before the feverish pace of double-time drums happily cracked open the ease of tranquility only a few bands could pull off.
After the band opened the encore with the melodic and seductive “Love Dog,” each band member put down their guitars and picked up a different type of persussion instrument to bang on, much like their set two years before. With Malone on wood block, Sitek on water-tom drum and Adeblimpe on one-handed symbol, the band went into the Return to Cookie Mountain track “A Method.” As the song winded down, Sitek pounded on his drum, lighting up the stage with a liquid fireworks display before the band went into ”Staring At The Sun” concluding a brilliant evening of musical foreplay.
TV on the Radio’s musicianship and energy just completely overwhelm you in the most satisfying way possible. If you like TV on the Radio because of the well produced soundscapes of their studio recordings, or their unique swirling dirge of beautiful lyrics, you will truly fall in love with them as a live act. Add “See a TV on the Radio Show” to your bucket list now.
Set List:
Young Liars
The Wrong Way
Dancing Choose
Golden Age
Wolf Like Me
Halfway Home
Province
Dreams
Blues From Down Here
Shout Me Out
Satellite
Encore:
Love Dog
A Method
Staring at the Sun