2009 was a fantastic year, but Three Colours is already looking ahead with anticipation as some great music is already on its way. With the end of the aughts only weeks away, a list below has been compiled of the top albums and EPs already slated for the new year. Get amped!
Confirmed in 2010 Vampire Weekend - Contra (January 12) Spoon - Transference (January 19) RJD2 - The Colussus (January 19) Cold War Kids - Behave Yourself EP (January 19) Moonface - Dreamland EP: marimba and shit-drums (January 26) Beach House - Teen Dream (January 26) Yeasayer - Odd Blood (February 9) Shout Out Louds - Work (February 23) Steve Mason - Boys Outside (March 10) LCD Soundsystem - TBA (March) Black Keys - TBA (April) Interpol - TBA (Early 2010) Plants and Animals - TBA (Early 2010) MGMT - Congratulations (Spring) Gorillaz - Plastic Beach (Second quarter of 2010)
Rumored in 2010 Wolf Parade White Denim Miracle Fortress Radiohead Thom Yorke Born Ruffians Fleet Foxes Sufjan Stevens Arcade Fire Foals Strokes Battles Caribou Cold War Kids Treasure Hunt
Over at Stereogum, the new album cover of Spoon's seventh studio LP Transference was just unveiled. I remember reading an interview a while back with Britt Daniel (via Pitchfork) where he said that picking the album cover art was a very important selection process. In order to choose an image, Daniel said this:
[Almost] always it's just been looking through photos, or art books, or images online. I always say I want a striking image. The only time we didn't do that is when we hired Sean McCabe to do the cover for Gimme Fiction. He took that photo himself, and I love that cover. I think it's probably our best cover.
Keeping with the theme, Spoon has picked William Eggleson's Sumner, Mississippi, c. 1970 for their newest cover.
"Written in Reverse," the first single off Transference, drops tomorrow digitally. See the Beatles-esque cover art below.
UPDATE: You can now listen to the studio version of "Written In Reverse" (here) on NPR's All Songs Considered. According to the host Robin Hilton, he got an early copy of Transference and he's been "listening to it pretty nonstop." He also thinks "it might be the band's best [album] yet."
Yeasayer's new video (Not Safe for Viewing at Work)
The first single off of Yeasayer's upcoming album Odd Blood now has a video. "Ambling Alp," one of ten tracks to appear on the follow-up to All Hour Cymbals has already gotten many spins from me since they offered the single free (here). The video, a visually stunning compliment to the otherworldly tune, joins Sigur Ros and Flaming Lips as yet another weird video featuring running nudes.
Odd Blood drops February 9 on Secretly Canadian.
Warning :: Video has artfully tasteful nudity - not safe for work.
The wait for Spoon’s new album, Transference, will be a little shorter! Transference will now be released on January 19, 2010.
Produced by the band, Transference will be preceded by first single “Written In Reverse,” which will be released digitally December 1. A seven-inch vinyl release will follow January 5 featuring the exclusive B-side “Mean Red Spider,” which will not be available digitally. We will begin taking pre-orders for Transference and the “Written in Reverse” 7″ on Tuesday, December 1st.
To hear a live version of "Written In Reverse" from 2008, follow the link below. I wonder if "Mean Red Spider" and Get Nice's "Mean Mad Margaret" sound anything alike?
UPDATE: Due to a DMCA complaint, I can no longer provide a link to the live bootlegged copy of "Written In Reverse."
Just a friendly reminder to all who managed to nab tickets for this Friday's show - South London's The xx will be playing Neumos as stage support for Friendly Fires. For those of you who are just finding out about it now, this show is unfortunately sold out. Hopefully the band will gain enough popularity that would warrant a headliner tour later this year. Their album is one of the best 2009 has to offer. If you don't have it, get it now (here). To further entice you, listen to "Islands" and "Basic Space," two greats off the band's debut album xx.
"[The marimba is] an instrument that I've always liked, but I've never had the patience to bring on the road or even try recording. I don't think it's the coolest move for my 'street cred,' but it's a beautiful sounding instrument, what can I say?"
According to Jagjaguwar, Spencer Krug's experimental solo project has been given the name Moonface and will be releasing the 20 minute Dreamland EP: marimba and shit-drums on January 26, 2010 (the same day as Spoon's Transference!). For those of you who keep up with every Krug moniker, Moonface has already released a two-song picture disc in collaboration with artist David Horvitz. Those two songs however did not feature the marimba, so don't expect the same sound. So what should we expect? Jagjaguwar has only said the following:
This is physically available only in the vinyl format (approximately 20 minutes of music on a single side of a 12-inch record). It is also available in digital formats. The vinyl edition and some digital editions will be accompanied with a dream journal, on which the music is based.
I once kept a dream journal, though it never made any sense when I tried to analyze it. I wonder if Krug's dream journal talks of places where lovers have wings, perhaps??? They've also released the cover art of a snorkeling Krug, which is posted below. 2010 is already shaping up to be one solid year for music.
Concluding their tour with White Denim after blazing through the eastern half of the greater 48, Austin trio Brazos have been busy promoting their new full-length album Phosphorescent Blues. Sounding very little like their debut EP Feeding Frenzy, the band has sanded down their rough edges with the addition of soft piano touches and subtle orchestration. Brazos is Andy Beaudoin (Drums), Martin Crane (Vocals, Guitar, etc), & Paul Price (Electric Bass), and the music they have created is timeless. Fans of indie folk acts like Fleet Foxes, Okerville River, and Blitzen Trapper should give this record a spin. Below are a handful of tracks off Phosphorescent Blues which embody the sound and soul of this beautifully crafted long player.
For fans of Beta Band, King Biscuit Time, or even the slight departure of Black Affair, the news that Steve Mason was making a new album brought nothing but joy and anticipation. It now appears that we now have a concrete date for all the waiting to end. Announced this week via Twitter, Mason has reportedly finished his newest LP entitled Boys Outside, which will be released under his own name on March 10, 2010. Mason enlisted the help and production skills of Richard X, as well as his label Black Melody.
To tide fans over until next year, Mason will be dropping the first single "All Come Down" this November 23 (pre-order here). You can listen to a snippet here, and from the sounds of the new track, it's going to be one amazingly chill album (which we all can appreciate). A video is posted below showing the progression of Mason & Richard X songcrafting a new cut for the record.
Up until now, I've never understood Spoon's reason behind the naming of "Quincy Punk Episode", a great song which appears on the very underrated Series of Sneaks LP. Today I came across an article railing on the old TV show Quincy, M.E. and it's portrayal of punk in its infamous episode "Next Stop Nowhere."
For those of you like me who are unfamiliar with the show, it's not too surprising. Originally aired in the mid '70s and early '80s, this show probably pre-dates most Spoon fans. Quincy M.E. was the original forensic crime-buster television series, and without it, we might not have such shows today like CSI or Bones (you either love it or hate it for that). The premise of Quincy, M.E. revolved around a coroner (Dr. R. Quincy, Medical Examiner) who uncovered murders based on his findings while inspecting the dead. What's surprising to me is that the police he worked for made enough mistakes for his show to last 7 years.
So in 1982, Quincy M.E. decided to air the episode "Next Stop Nowhere" which involved the murder of some dude at a "punk" concert. The stereotypes are absolutely ridiculous (see the episode trailer below), and no surprise, the music is blamed for the kid's death. I'm sure this freaked some parents into banning punk music in their respective households, but the major fallout from this episode was the spawning of "Quincy punk," a term used to denote the punk-rock posers who worried more about the height of their mohawk than the "true spirit" of being punk.
So because of my ignorance of '70s crime scene investigation TV shows, I never made the connection to where Spoon's "Quincy Punk Episode" got its name. I'm glad I know this random bit of knowledge, and hope others learn it, too. Posted below is a good live version of the song from 2007 at San Francisco's Treasure Island, courtesy of the BayTaper via Internet Archive.
Last night at Chop Suey, Interpol's frontman Paul Banks debuted his alter ego Julian Plenti to a crowd of energetic and enthusiastic fans, eager to be only the second audience to ever witness this band perform live. The entire album was conceived and recorded by Banks himself, but to help bring this music to the stage, he was accompanied by The Giraffes' guitarist Damien Paris, as well as a bassist, drummer, and an amazing cellist. Plenti of songs were performed on the rainy Monday night, as you can see by the set list posted below. In fact, the entire debut album Julian Plenti Is... Skyscraper was played, as well as three others.
The night kicked off with a very chill opener, a post-rock-influenced instrumental introduction song that served not only as a sound check, but also set the the tone for the night, showing us how strings can enhance any performance. The band immediately catapulted into "Fly As You Might" and ensnared the crowd (Video of both songs are posted above, but mind the poor audio quality). With very little in-between song chatter, the opening riff for "Fun That We Had" evoked a eruption of cheers. To my surprise, the newly put together 5-piece sounded like they'd been playing for years. And for once, it actually looked like Banks was having fun on stage.
The set took a chiller mood when "No Chance Survival" hit our ears, but the band quickly followed with one of the best songs of the night, "Unwind." Afterwords, Banks commented on the setting of Chop Suey, saying how much he loved the intimate venue's "hot, sexy, and dirty" feel. After performing for years to arena-sized crowds with his other vehicle Interpol, I'm sure the Plenti tour will be a refreshing change of pace and a more personal experience. Multiple times in the night, you could see Banks taken aback by the warm welcoming reactions from Seattle's fans. He was very appreciative, which translated to the fantastic performance for all.
The best string of songs on the night began with "On the Esplanade," followed by a rendition of "H" that would make Explosions In The Sky jealous, and finished up with the title track "Skyscraper." At this point my night was complete, thinking that the only song left for the encore would be "Games For Days." However, to my surprise, we were treated with a bizarre set closer: Banks first began singing the Christmas classic "Let It Snow" which broke into either an unknown cover or an unreleased Plenti original, which after the song we were informed that it was "Goodbye Toroonto" (a video is posted below, but mind the poor video quality).
The band left the stage, but the cries of the fans soon brought the humbled Banks and company back on stage to perform their encore set, which included the America cover "Horse With No Name" and the night closer "Games For Days." All in all, a fantastic way to spend your Monday night. This show ranks up there with the best of the year. I strongly recommend trying to catch these guys in a city near you; however, these dudes currently have an extremely abbreviated set of tour dates. Perhaps more to come?
Set list - Julian Plenti (11-16-2009) Instrumental Intro Fly As You Might Fun That We Had No Chance Survival Unwind Girl On The Sporting News Madrid Song Only If You Run On the Esplanade H Skyscraper Let It Snow / Goodbye Toronto Encore Horse With No Name (America cover) Games For Days
This is your last chance to catch Julian Plenti (aka Paul Banks of Interpol) performing his live solo material from his debut album Julian Plenti is... Skyscraper. To help bring this one-man show to the live stage, Plenti will be accompanied by members of French Kicks and The Giraffes. The all-ages show will take place at Chop Suey - doors open at 8pm. Tickets are only $16 and include stage support from I'm In You. See you there.
Who? Julian Plenti Where? Chop Suey When? November 16, 2009 (doors @ 8pm) How? $16 (tickets here) all ages
Guest writer and Senior White Denim Correspondent E-Rock has been kind enough to give us yet another White Denim concert review, this time at Washington, D. C.'s Rock & Roll Hotel. Sounds like yet another solid performance. Hopefully WD will be hitting up the West Coast sometime soon (fingers crossed).
White Denim Rock DC submitted by E-Rock, guest Three Colours contributor
White Denim once again deliver the goods with a rousing show at the Rock & Roll Hotel, Washington, DC. Frequent readers of Three Colours are aware that this is not my first time witnessing White Denim’s explosive set. The White Denim freight train-steamroller thundered through Amsterdam last September, firing on all cylinders for sixty minutes straight. The band started out with a similar intensity this time around, but then settled into a slightly looser groove and stretched out their jams with more developed psychedelic or progressive arrangements. White Denim later finished the set strongly with their typical rapid-fire song medleys and tight, scorching execution.
I don’t have a lot of new details to add from the last review as the set was mostly similar. White Denim did pull out a new song that has not yet been released on LP. It was an exciting mix of styles (like everything else), with a bluesy classic rock intro riff progressing to a complex bridge with start-stop dynamics and swirling rhythms. They also had several new renditions for their studio craft.
The band was treated with a very enthusiastic crowd at the Rock & Roll Hotel. The venue was crowded (but not full), so it is possible that the word is finally getting out for this critically-acclaimed band. WD members were really enjoying themselves and appeared happy to be back stateside. Block (drums) and Petralli (guitar/vocals) were particularly intense and played off each other’s leads throughout the night. Terebecki (bass) was in his own zone, providing bass slaps and slides, and the three played as tight as any band I’ve seen.
The most unexpected event of the night was the finale of the show when White Denim invited Lucas Anderson (a.k.a. Byshop Massive, now a DC resident) onto the stage for an impromptu reunion of Parque Touch (Austin, TX). The foursome blazed through the decidedly more hardcore Parque Touch song “You” (heard here) for a fiery finish to an already strong show (video below).
White Denim are more talented than your favorite band and give intense live shows that cannot be missed. Buy tickets now if they are rumbling through your area. I can’t recommend these guys enough.
I should also mention that the opening acts did a good job warming the crowd up. My Mind (Philadelphia, PA) kicked off the night with a short set. They call themselves Punk/Funk/Crunk, but the group struck me as a progressive band that decided to play punk. I personally found their set entertaining and (inadvertently) hilarious. Next up were Brazos (Austin, TX). These three guys were really talented and played dreamy indie rock with chiming guitar, smooth/groovy bass, and well placed percussion. Martin Crane (guitar/vocals) puts his vocals up front and has a delightful, higher register voice that fits very nicely with their sound. While most of the group’s songs were generally happy and middle paced, Brazos concluded their set with a faster paced rocker, followed by a minor-chord melancholy gem. I highly recommend checking out Brazos if they are rolling through your town.
With an outstanding performance this year at the 116th Monon Bell Classic, Wabash College brings home the 300 lb trophy from Blackstock Stadium. This sound victory ends the two-year losing streak and tie-breaks the series to 54-53-9. Proving once again, Depauw still swallows...
Spoon has announced multiple dates, including some European shows in February. Of note, Spoon will be playing in Britt's hometown of Portland, OR this December 11. If you're in the Pacific Northwest area, this would be a great time to catch many of the new jams from the band's upcoming seventh LP Transference, which won't be released until January 26, 2010 January 19, 2010. Also, they'll be accompanied by Black Joe Lewis, which means you'll get to hear all the songs from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga with a horn section. Other dates are posted below.
Spoon tour dates:
DEC 03 - Kansas City, MO - Midland Theatre DEC 04 - Boston, MA - Orpheum Theatre (w/ Phoenix, Passion Pit) DEC 11 - Portland, Oregon - Crystal Ballroom (w/ Black Joe Lewis) DEC 12 - La Jolla, CA - RIMAC Arena DEC 31 - Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theater (w/ Jay Reatard) FEB 14 - Glasgow, UK - King Tuts FEB 15 - Manchester, UK - Academy 3 FEB 16 - London, UK - Electric Ballroom FEB 18 - Amsterdam, Holland - Paradiso FEB 19 - Cologne, Germany - Luxor FEB 20 - Berlin, Germany - Frannz Club
White Denim's Second Music Video for "I Start To Run"
Earlier in the year, White Denim premiered their trailer park inspired Mad Max video for "I Start To Run." The film short featured bassist Steve Terebecki running through the desert on a quest to save his fellow bandmates from death! Interestingly enough, the dudes have made another music video for "I Start To Run", apparently in light of their new US record deal with Downtown, I suppose. In this new version, they've somehow managed to capture their zany humor, as well as show off the potpourri of energy that one experiences throughout their latest LP Fits. Watch if for yourself above, or see the original below.
Also, the band is concluding their US tour of the eastern half, with the following shows remaining.
White Denim tour dates:
11/12 - Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY 11/13 - Kung Fu Necktie - Philadelphia, PA 11/14 - Rock N Roll Hotel - Washington, DC 11/16 - The Basement - Nashville, TN 11/17 - The Bottletree - Birmingham, AL 11/18 - The Earl - Atlanta, GA 11/19 - The Social - Orlando, FL 11/20 - Cafe Eleven - St Augustine, FL 11/22 - One Eyed Jacks - New Orleans, LA
Make sure to pick up a copy of White Denim's Fits if you haven't already.
When Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett set out to create their cartoon creature band Gorillaz, the story and concept behind the characters was just as important as the music. On tour, the two masterminds behind the project created theatrical masterpieces for the lucky individuals in attendance. Almost like an opera, the band performed live behind a huge projected screen, with only their silhouettes visible to the crowd. Attendees not only got to hear the amazing songs played in the concert setting, they also watched a cartoon storyline unfold as the show progressed.
Fast forward to today - Albarn and Hewlett are back into the creative process working on the the band's third album, tentatively titled Plastic Beach. According to a Mustard Magazineinterview, the dudes have enlisted the great Alan Moore to help with the concept of the story. Moore, best known as the author of Watchmen, V for Vendetta, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and From Hell (to name a few), will receive in return of his services a contribution to his new bi-monthly magazine Dodgem Logic, which launches this month. Here's what Moore had to say:
[The Gorillaz] came down to Northampton last week because we’re planning for me to do the libretto on their next opera project. Being an opportunist, I of course asked them if they’d be prepared to contribute some pages to Dodgem Logic. Rather than just doing an interview with them, I thought it would be interesting to hand over a few pages for them to curate...
So far, the rumor mill has the release date for Plastic Beach in the second quarter of 2010. Already getting anxious to hear it.
For those of you unfamiliar with Julian Plenti, it's the moniker that Paul Banks (of Interpol) has been using for his solo material. His debut album Julian Plenti is... Skyscraper is one of my top albums of 2009. There's something about Banks' cryptic lyrics and otherworldly grooves that just works so well for me.
Julian Plenti will be playing a show later this month (November 16) in the very intimate Chop Suey. I've not read many reviews for his solo shows, but I have a strong hunch that this concert is going to be one of those really cool experiences. What I do know is that he's backed onstage with a bassist, guitarist, cellist, violinist, and a drummer. Give him credit for experimentation!
Tickets are still available at the box office or online at Ticketweb. Tickets are only $16 and include stage support from I'm With You. Doors open at 8pm - don't miss it. Also, check out these instrumental artistic music videos from Plenti himself.
Who? Julian Plenti Where? Chop Suey When? November 16, 2009 (doors @ 8pm) How? $16 (tickets here) all ages
Last time the White Rabbits visited Rock Island, IL, they treated Daytrotter and fans to four beautiful songs, many of which did not appear on their killer debut album. Two years later, the NYC transplants by-way-of Missouri have done it again, performing some of It's Frightening favorites in alternative ways. From the session, we get to hear a not-so-drum-heavy "Percussion Gun," "Rudie Fails," "The Salesman (Tramp's Life)", and their encore staple "Foxhunting." Check out the rest of these tracks at Daytrotter (here).
Head over to Spoon's website and check out the new video promo for the band's seventh album Transference. From the sounds of it, the song Britt's playing is "Written in Reverse". Three more shows were announced as well, and hopefully this is the start of a bigger tour. The album drops January 26, so expect shows to follow the release.
And according to Britt, this is the first album that was written, recorded, and mixed without a producer present - nothing but 100% "pure Spoon". I like the sound of that... here's the rest:
It's November 2, 2009. On this day many years ago my Dad got remarried and I fainted at the wedding. And now here it is a generation later, I've never been asked to be in another wedding party again, and I'm writing to tell you how me and Jim and Eric and Rob have just finished an album and that we're calling it Transference. This is the first record that we've made without a producer or heavy of any kind and I don't know for sure because I'll never hear this record in the same way that someone who didn't make it will, but I think you can tell it. I can. When I listen to it I think, hey, that's how I woulda done it! Which is really what you wanna hear from a band, isn't it? This one is pure Spoon. For better or worse and all of it. Happy anniversary Dad and Patty!
Love you, Britt
Spoon tour dates:
DEC 03 - Kansas City, MO - Midland Theatre The Night The Buzz Stole Christmas (with The Bravery, Metric, and Hockey)
DEC 04 - Boston, MA - Orpheum Theatre (with Phoenix, Passion Pit)
DEC 31 - Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theater (with Jay Reatard)
Them Crooked Vultures are now offering up another tune from the band's upcoming self-titled debut. Homme, Grohl, and Jones, just announced through a tweet that you can download "Mind Eraser, No Chaser" from iTunes. Click here to access the song, and prepare to forget everything you've experienced up until this point. Also, more tour dates have been posted - of note, the band will be playing the Paramount here in Seattle on November 21 ($51 after fees!).
This should be filed under old news that I somehow missed, but Sean Pecknold has created another fabulous stop-motion animation video for Grizzly Bear's "While You Wait for the Others." I just love how Pecknold finds such beauty in the simplest of things, and I respect the patience and discipline involved in stop-motion projects. The song appears on GB's latest album, Veckatimest, which is available at all fine record stores.
And in related news, it appears that Pecknold is currently working on a Beach House video. More news on that to follow. What an awesome job that must be!
"It's Thunder and It's Lightning" / "Ships With Holes Will Sink"
We Were Promised Jetpacks are rolling out the singles. This time, the band is packaging two very great tracks from their passionate debut These Four Walls together as a double A-side single: "It's Thunder and It's Lightning" and "Ships With Holes Will Sink." Set to release later this month on November 30, the band continues to tour Europe at a conqueror's pace. Dates are posted below, along with a live version of "Ships."
Anticipation Builds as 2010 Rapidly Approaches
