After Paul Banks proved that he is a skyscraper, Interpol began working on their follow-up to 2007's Our Love to Admire. No word on what this long-player's title will be or when it will drop, but we now have our first sample. Above you can download "Lights", a new five and a half minute track, and hear it for yourself. And is it just me, or does their new band logo look like Metallica's ca 1996?
I don't really have any details, but according to White Denim's site, they're back in the studio working on their next album. Below is a little jam session from earlier this year - it starts out with a nice little instrumental opener, which leads nicely into "Heart From Us All," and then ends with a concert staple that's never made its way onto a proper album. I'm not sure what it's named, but I've always referred to it as "She Don't Say What She Want." Maybe it'll finally make the studio cut. Can't wait to hear some new tunes.
Thanks to P4K, we now have our first look at the cover art for Wolf Parade's Expo 86, which apparently features some family members of guitarist Dante DeCaro. Still no definitive news on the release date for the band's third LP, but tentatively, we should expect the album to drop sometime in June-July. For more info on Expo 86, go here. Be sure to catch their live act this summer (dates posted below):
Wolf Parade North American tour dates: July 08 // Montreal, QC // Le National July 09 // Montreal, QC // Le National July 11 // Portland, ME // Port City Music Hall July 12 // Boston, MA // House of Blues July 13 // NYC // Terminal 5 July 15 // Cleveland, OH // Beachland Ballroom July 16 // Newport, KY // Southgate House July 17 // Chicago, IL // Pitchfork Music Festival July 18 // Minneapolis, MN // First Avenue July 19 // Winnipeg, MB // Garrick Center July 21 // Saskatoon, SK // Louis (Univ. of Saskatoon) July 22 // Calgary, AB // Republik July 23 // Edmonton, AB // The Starlite Room July 25 // Vancouver, BC // Vogue Theatre July 26 // Seattle, WA // Showbox July 27 // Portland, OR // Crystal Ballroom July 29 // Santa Cruz, CA // Catalyst Club July 30 // Oakland, CA // The Fox July 31 //Los Angeles, CA // The Wiltern
Hopefully after this weekend when all the analysts and sports personalities rave about the Seahawks' overall success in the 2010 NFL Draft, all the Pete Carroll nay-sayers will quiet down a little. For a team who's been denied any prime time games for a second year in a row, it's been nice to see national coverage of the Hawks on TV. And while I was watching the future of our team strengthen one draftee at a time, I couldn't help but get excited about next season. Unfortunately, that's months away...
However, when the Seahawks picked up Notre Dame's Golden Tate in the second round, I couldn't help but start humming TV On The Radio's "Golden Age" in my head. Not only was it quite punny (in my opinion), Seattle is at the dawn of a new age. Carroll's presence is already a breath of fresh air compared to the general decline of seasons passed. So in honor of the new draftees and hopefully the new direction of Pete Carroll's Seahawks, I've put together a draft-inspired playlist below. It's the only way I can fit sports into a music blog...
Round One Russell Okung (OT, Oklahoma) - #6 overall
"Okunga matata" - Timon and Pumbaa :: Filling the shoes of future Hall of Famer Walter Jones is going to be difficult, but Seattle found who experts say could be the best offensive tackle prospect in the entire '10 draft. Okung has the size, athleticism, and apparently the work ethic to provide the protection Hasselbeck needs to be able to make a difference next season (and hopefully the years to come). So relax Seattle, and just say "Okunga matata" (it means no worries for the rest of your days!).
Earl Thomas (S, Texas) - #14 overall
"Your Protector" - Fleet Foxes :: Addressing one of our biggest problems from last season, strong safety Earl Thomas surprisingly fell into Seattle's lap and will hopefully help our terrible 30th ranked pass defense from 2009. Optimistically, I think Thomas's transition to the NFL will go smoothly, with his size being only a slight concern (5'10", 208 lbs), and he'll soon offer the best protection against the deep ball we've seen in years.
Round Two Golden Tate (WR, Notre Dame) - #60 overall
"Golden Age" - TV On The Radio :: There's a Golden Age coming 'round - some may call it the Pete Carroll Era - and with the help of Notre Dame's highly versatile Golden Tate, it may come sooner than later. The slightly undersized wide receiver makes up for his shortcomings (5'10", 195lbs) with his raw speed and power. He's a play-maker, and exciting things happen when the ball is in this guy's hands.
Round Four Walter Thurmond (CB, Oregon)
"Hurt Like Mine" - Black Keys :: With aging cornerbacks and a weak pass defense, Seattle has beefed up their secondary with some solid draftees, including the acquisition of Walter Thurmond. While Thurmond was plagued with injuries throughout a lot of his college career, including almost the entire 2009 season, the Hawks have taken a chance on this lame Duck. Here's to good health!
E. J. Wilson (DE, UNC)
"Under Pressure" - Queen :: After Seattle lost three defensive ends in the offseason (Darryl Tapp was traded to Philadelphia, Patrick Kerney retired, and Cory Redding left for Baltimore as a free agent), UNC's E. J. Wilson was drafted in hopes of addressing our lack of pass rushing ability. Based on how ineffective our pressure on opposing quarterbacks was last season, the great purge was absolutely necessary. Now we'll just have to wait and see how Lawrence Jackson, newly acquired Chris Clemons, and Wilson (along with Round Seven's Dexter Davis) can bring new-found pressure.
Round Five Kam Chancellor (S, Virginia Tech)
"From Safety to Where...?" - Joy Division :: At 6'4", 230 lbs, Kam Chancellor is a huge safety. I imagine that Carroll will stick with the 4-3 defense that Gus Bradley had installed last year, and that Chancellor's size would be better suited at the position of strong safety. In this scenario, the quicker, more agile Earl Thomas would assume the role of free safety. However, I could also see (and this is extremely hypothetical) Chancellor's size allowing him to move into a linebacker position, though probably unlikely.
Round Six Anthony McCoy (TE, USC)
"Druganaut" - Black Mountain :: This may be a low blow, but the only reason this USC tight end became a steal so late in the draft is due to a failed marijuana drug test before the NFL combine. While I'll still think it's ridiculous that the league puts such harsh penalties on recreational weed usage, if you're an athlete who knows the consequences of such a violation, there's no excuse for game suspensions for said offense. Anyway, hopefully this is a one-time violation and that Carroll can keep his former Trojan in check during the season.
Round Seven Dexter Davis (DE, Arizona State) Jameson Konz (WR, Kent State)
"Seven" - Fever Ray :: Well, I don't have too much to say about the seventh/final round, and my knowledge on Davis and Konz is very limited. I imagine these two are being brought into Seattle to create the kind of "competition" at each position that Carroll has been talking about in his press conferences. Konz is a 6'4" receiver, which is a good NFL size, and Davis adds depth to a position that greatly needs some work.
Trades LenDale White (RB, Titans) & Leon Washington (RB, Jets)
"Thunder and Lightning" - The Unicorns :: Finally getting back to what makes a good football team, the Seahawks managed to address their running game without drafting any of the top RB prospects. Hopefully the late-round trade acquisitions of the Tennessee Titans' LenDale White and the New York Jet's Leon Washington will take some of the pressure off Hasselbeck. I could see this new "Thunder and Lightning" package (with the help of Justin Forsett) as being quite effective.
Charlie Whitehurst (QB, Chargers)
"Scentless Apprentice" - Nirvana :: Carroll seems to have a lot of confidence in Phillip Rivers' 4-year backup quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, and I'm willing to believe he could be the next heir to the Hawks' throne. This season, he'll learn quite a lot from Hasselbeck as he apprentices for the the QB position, and as long as we're sticking with the theme, I imagine Whitehurst will remain "scentless" by standing on the sidelines.
Kevin Vickerson (DT, Titans)
"Superunknown" - Soundgarden :: Kevin Vickerson was acquired in the same trade with White. I don't really know much about the defensive tackle out of Michigan State, other than he had an impressive stint with the short-lived NFL Europa team, the Cologne Centurions. With the huge dimensions of 6'5", 305 lbs, Vickerson could help Seattle's run defense - we'll just have to wait and see.
Undrafted Free Agents Jeff Byers (C/G, USC) Will Harris (S, USC) Josh Pinkard (CB, USC)
"Don't Forget Me" - Red Hot Chili Peppers :: Carroll personally knows the potential these former Trojans will bring to the team. Perhaps these undrafted players will just enhance the practice squad, or perhaps they're destined for bigger days. Just remember, Tony Romo and Miles Austin were both undrafted free agents...
The xx have emoted their noir-persona yet again in the music video for "Islands." Multiple camera takes capture the band quietly singing my personal favorite while choreographed dancers act out the evolution of a failed relationship. A bit repetitive, but interesting once the song climaxes. Also, the xx will conclude their North American tour with a few more dates on the East Coast. The last date, at DC's 9:30 Club, will be steamed live on NPR (go here for more details).
The xx tour dates: Apr 22 // Terminal 5 // New York, NY Apr 23 // Sonar // Baltimore, MD Apr 24 // 9:30 Club // Washington, DC
La La Land is out today. Stop into your neighborhood record shop or download it here from the US and here from Canada. You can also buy it directly from the band over at their online store.
For those expecting Parc Avenue Pt. 2, you may find your ears a bit surprised after giving La La Land a spin. While it's still, in my opinion, of the same caliber as its predecessor, La La boasts a more top-down rock approach. Songs hit with heavier beats, and strings have been replaced with rock saxophone and clunky ragtime-y piano at times. But the same elements that made Parc Avenue one of the best albums of 2008 shine through on this sophomore effort - the complex subtleties and attention to minute details are what elevate Plants and Animals above most indie acts today. This is definitely an album that gets better with each rotation, yet it contains enough rockers to nab the casual listener. Highlights of the album include "Game Shows," "Fake It," "Undone Melody," and "Celebration." To hear the whole album in its entirety, head over to Secret City Records and judge for yourself.
And tomorrow (April 20) at 10:40pm, the band will kick off the La La Land tour with a show in Toronto. You don't live in Toronto? No worries: P&A will have a live stream of the show at their website (by Livestream). As the band claims, you can "watch us in your underwear without creeping everybody in the club out." If you want to catch their show in person, below is the rest of their North American tour.
Plants and Animals tour dates: Apr 20 Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern Apr 21 Quebec, QC @ Theatre Petit Champlain Apr 22 Montreal, QC @ La Tulipe Apr 23 Ottawa, ON @ Babylon Apr 24 Peterborough, ON @ The Red Dog Apr 26 Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater Apr 28 Winnipeg, MB @ West End Cultural Centre Apr 29 Saskatoon, SK @ Amigo's Apr 30 Edmonton, AB @ Starlite Room May 1 Calgary, AB @ #1 Royal Canadian Legion May 2 Kelowna, BC @ Habitat May 4 Victoria, BC @ Sugar Nightclub May 5 Vancouver, BC @ The Commodore Ballroom May 13 Cleveland Heights, OH @ Grog Shop May 14 Columbus, OH @ The Basement May 15 Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall May 16 Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room May 18 Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge May 19 Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court May 20 Boise, ID @ Neurolux May 21 Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios May 22 Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile w/ Frog Eyes May 25 San Francisco, CA @ The Independent May 26 Visalia, CA @ The Cellar Door May 27 Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour May 29 Tucson, AZ @ Plush May 31 Denton, TX @ Hailey's June 1 Austin, TX @ Emo's June 4 Orlando, FL @ Back Booth June 5 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl June 6 Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle June 9 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
In about a month, LCD Soundsystem's third LP This Is Happening hits shelves (May 18), and the first single off the album has just been given a music video. You'll either hate "Drunk Girls" or you'll find the infectious chorus quite lovely, but either way, this video is off the wall.
Co-directed by Spike Jones (listen for the Where The Wild Things Are howl at the end) and LCD mastermind James Murphy, it's quite hilarious. The music video documents the band singing over the studio track while they're pummeled by drunk "panduhs." Some of this actually looks like it was quite unpleasant for the band. But it's very entertaining and worth the watch.
This Is Happening is streaming at the LCD's website in its entirety.
Britt & Rob from Spoon took some time to talk backstage and play a couple songs with KROQ. Watch the "world premier" of Spoon’s acoustic performance of “Got Nuffin’.” They went on to play "Don't You Evah" with the help of Jim, who uses a peanut jar for a maraca. Go here to see both.
For those of you who missed it last night, Spoon performed a five-song set for the Jimmy Kimmel Live Concert Series. Only two songs were aired, "Who Makes Your Money" and "Is Love Forever?" Both are posted here, which feature stage support by Deerhunter's Bradford Cox and White Rabbits' Stephen Patterson. For the full Kimmel episode, go here.
Episode 6 of Indie Asia: Dan has a near-death experience!
This episode of CNN's mini-documentary Indie Asia: On Tour with Handsome Furs: takes place in Vietnam, as the name would suggest. Up until now, we've seen the lighter side of touring through Asia with sightseeing and concert playing. In episode 6, however, we see the scarier side of traveling in a foreign country - Dan gets robbed by a sketchy cab driver, and cops are bribed to allow rock & roll. I love the old Vietnamese dude's quote, "Music may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without music." Check it out.
LCD Soundsystem's newest album won't hit shelves until May 18, but luckily you can stream the entire album over at LCD's site. This Is Happening has one killer opening track "Dance Yrself Clean" which sets the tone for another great LCD release.
Big thanks goes out to Sound On The Sound's "Daily Choice" for exposing me to Plains, a Miami-based band that currently has only one killer song available for listening. The stop-start jam track, "Innovator," has an infections riff that's more contagious than tuberculosis. One listen and you'll be hooked. Watch the video above for an enhanced experience.
Currently, there's not too much info out about Plains, other than they're signed to 10K Island Records. You can download "Innovator" from their website here in some high-quality formats, or through the links below.
On April 7th, 2010, Wolf Parade took a break from their set at The Phoenix in Toronto to have a "Happy Birthday" singalong for Spencer Krug's mother, who happened to turn 61 that day. A video is posted above - quite a good laugh. I especially liked the part after the song where Krug jokingly informs the crowd that "because of that, we can only do two more songs."
For those who haven't heard Keepaway's excellent debut EP Baby Style, you can now pre-order a physical copy over at Insound. The 12" vinyl copy won't be released until May 18, but if you pre-order through Insound, you'll get a digital copy sent to you on May 1. For a little teaser, watch the band's official video below of the opening track, "Yellow Wings."
Out of all the bands I've seen live, there's probably only a handful that I've seen as much as Spoon. Having a good idea of what Spoon can sound like, and what songs they decide to play each set, I feel comfortable with my assessment of their performances. Last night, Spoon concluded their pair of headlining shows at the Moore Theater this weekend here in Seattle.
Kicking the night off with a chilling, solo-acoustic performance of "Me and the Bean," the Girls Can Tell classic has never sounded better. For the second song of the night, keyboardist/multi-instrumental extraordinaire Eric Harvey joined lead singer Britt Daniel on stage for stripped-down version of "Mystery Zone." This song is probably my least favorite off their new LP Transference, however, hearing it played acoustically may have changed my mind. By the third song, drummer Jim Eno and bassist Rob Pope had rounded out the line-up for a highly cathartic rendition of "Written In Reverse." By now, the energy was building inside the Moore, and riding the wave of crowd energy, Spoon catapulted into the steady-rocker "Got Nuffin'." Unfortunately, the bass monitors were cranked so high that you couldn't really hear Daniel's howls. I was sad because in Portland this song was the highlight of the night, but last night it was essentially a 3 minute drum and bass line. The band quickly recovered with a Gimme Fiction-favorite, "Mathematical Mind," and then proceeded to tear through Fiction's "Don't Make Me A Target," Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga's "The Ghost of You Lingers," Tranference's "Who Makes Your Money," and Kill the Moonlight's "Small Stakes." It was quite the Spoon sampler package!
The highlight of the night (for me, at least), was Spoon's cover of Wolf Parade's "Modern World." For those of you who read this blog (all two of you), it's apparent that there's two bands that I'm really obsessed with: Spoon and Wolf Parade (plus all WP off-shoots). If someone were to tell me that I'd end up witnessing the mash-up of these two bands, I would have told them they were crazy. But I saw it with my own eyes, and it was magnificent. Now, if only Wolf Parade could cover a Spoon song this July and my life would be complete.
The rest of the night was finished with a solid song selection. Hearing "Finer Feelings" live fulfilled another hope of the night, and it sounded great live. The band finished their first set with another acoustic performance, this time for "Black Like Me." And after a quick break, the band returned to play a 4-song encore: "Vittorio E.," "Back To The Life," "Way We Get By," and "Don't You Evah." In total, Spoon played 23 songs on the night!
One thing I've noted in the years attending Spoon shows is that the confidence in Britt Daniel has only grown. Admittedly, I never got to see a live Spoon performance until their Kill the Moonlight tour, however, even then Daniel didn't have the swagger he wears to shows these days. There's sense of happiness on stage, too, like he's honestly having a lot of fun - and why not? Spoon is playing the music they want to play (Transference was recorded without an outside producer's influence) without pandering to a preconceived notion of who their audience is, and they are touring to the largest crowd sizes in the band's history. What more could you ask for as an independent artist?
So to sum up last night's show at the Moore Theater, I think it's best song selections I've ever experienced, though their sound wasn't quite on par with some other shows I've attended. That's not to say that they sounded badly, I just think some songs had way too much bass ("Got Nuffin") or not enough vocals. I will state that I wasn't in prime seating (right in front of the sound board), so maybe this was a non-issue for the lower seating section. But all that said, it was a great show none-the-less. A full set list is posted below:
Spoon set list @ Moore Theater (4-10-2010) Me and the Bean (acoustic) Mystery Zone (acoustic) Written In Reverse Got Nuffin' Mathematical Mind Don't Make Me A Target The Ghost of You Lingers Who Makes Your Money Small Stakes Modern World (Wolf Parade cover) Is Love Forever? Someone Something Beast and Dragon, Adored They Never Got You I Summon You Finer Feelings Nobody Gets Me But You Underdog Black Like Me
Encore: Vittorio E. Back To The Life Way We Get By Don't You Evah
Just a friendly reminder: Tonight, Spoon will be playing another show at the Moore Theater. Treating Seattle to two nights in a row, fans who can't get enough Spoon can see them one more time. A set list was posted at Tacoma Rock City (also pictured above) from last night's performance, and it it looks pretty solid. Thankfully, they didn't play the songs I was hoping to hear tonight (which I'm assuming will increase the chances of hearing them tonight). Below you'll see what the set list looked like this last night. It appears they played 4 songs during the encore: "Cherry Bomb," "I Turn My Camera On," "Jonathon Fisk," and one other song. Possible encore selections that Spoon decided not to play included "Finer Feelings," "They Never Got You," "Everything Hits At Once", and even the Wolf Parade cover of "Modern World." Perhaps they were saving them for tonight??? You won't know unless you go. Tickets are still available at the box office. See you there.
Spoon set list @ Moore Theater (4-9-2010) Before Destruction I Saw the Light The Underdog Don’t Make Me a Target The Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine Ghost of You Lingers Stay Don’t Go Rhthm & Soul Anything You Want Love Song Written in Reverse Beast and Dragon Adored Me and the Bean I Summon You Who Makes Your Money Don’t You Evah Nobody Gets Me But You Trouble Comes Running Black Like Me
Encore: Someone Something I Turn My Camera On You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb Jonathon Fisk
Britt Daniel and Co. return for two nights in Seattle
Last time Spoon was in the Pacific Northwest, they rocked our socks off at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, OR. After touring the US, the band will again grace the Emerald City with two nights (Friday, April 9 and Saturday, April 10) at the Moore Theater. Based on a concert review we posted here from DC, it sounds like the band is sampling quite heavily from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga and Transference on the current tour. Since we have the luxury of two nights in a row, there's a greater chance Seattleites will be treated to some of the rarer Spoon tunes ("Change My Life" perhaps???).
Ye be warned, though: seats are assigned, so act now if you don't already have tickets. You can pick up tickets here, or at the box office if they don't sell out. Don't miss it!
Who? Spoon w/ Deerhunter When? April 9 & 10, 2010 Where? The Moore Theater (Seattle, WA) How? Purchase tickets here.
FYI: Just a friendly reminder, Wolf Parade will be playing the Showbox on July 26, and the pre-sale starts tomorrow morning at 10 am. Follow this link for the head start (here). The band has recently begun touring North America while showcasing set lists chalked full of new jams. So far, the best recordings I've come across are posted at The Trendwhore. Below is a rough recording of "Beyonce," one of many album-bound songs that will appear on Wolf Parade's third album Expo 86. For more songs, check out The Trendwhore's Halifax review here.
Who? Wolf Parade When? 07-26-2010 Where? Showbox (Seattle, WA) How?Pre-sale 4/8 @ 10am General on sale 4/9 @ 10am
New summer tour dates have been posted for Wolf Parade, with highlights including Pitchfork Music Festival on July 17 and a Showbox appearance on July 26!
Also newsworthy, in an interview with Pitchfork, Dan Boeckner revealed the title of the band's third album, Expo 86, named after the World's Fair of 1986 which was held in Vancouver, BC. According to Boeckner, Expo 86 is "more focused" than At Mount Zoomer and "definitely the most fun I've had recording a Wolf Parade record."
Wolf Parade North American tour dates: July 08 // Montreal, QC // Le National July 09 // Montreal, QC // Le National July 11 // Portland, ME // Port City Music Hall July 12 // Boston, MA // House of Blues July 13 // NYC // Terminal 5 July 15 // Cleveland, OH // Beachland Ballroom July 16 // Newport, KY // Southgate House July 17 // Chicago, IL // Pitchfork Music Festival July 18 // Minneapolis, MN // First Avenue July 19 // Winnipeg, MB // Garrick Center July 21 // Saskatoon, SK // Louis (Univ. of Saskatoon) July 22 // Calgary, AB // Republik July 23 // Edmonton, AB // The Starlite Room July 25 // Vancouver, BC // Vogue Theatre July 26 // Seattle, WA // Showbox July 27 // Portland, OR // Crystal Ballroom July 29 // Santa Cruz, CA // Catalyst Club July 30 // Oakland, CA // The Fox July 31 //Los Angeles, CA // The Wiltern
*Wolf Parade will be joined by a Japanese band called The Moools.
White Denim - Making Hits Again
Liking the album already
Okunga matata, what a wonderful phrase...
Plants and Animals release 2nd LP today
Listen to This Is Happening in its entirety
Baby Style EP (12") - Pre-order at Insound
Spoon: Take 2 at the Moore Theater (Tonight)
Britt Daniel and Co. return for two nights in Seattle
Pre-sale starts tomorrow
Wolf Parade's Expo 86
