Tuesday, July 7, 2009

News: Plants and Animals Add More Shows / Talk About New Album

Happy Birthday to Warren C. Spicer

Posted over at Plants and Animals' website, apparently added a few more shows to their summer line-up. And news on the new album!
Plants and Animals kicked off their summer festival schedule on July 4th in Warren and Woody’s native land on Citadel Hill in Halifax for V Fest. They have a handful more Canadian ones and a stop at the Pitchfork Festival in Chicago in ten days. Otherwise they’ve been putting more and more hours in the studio working on the follow-up to Parc Avenue, which should be wrapped up by the time the snow falls, and ready for release in early 2010. And it’s Warren’s birthday today!
Plants and Animals tour dates:

July 10 - ST. JOHN, NB - Salty Jam

July 15 - QUEBEC CITY, QC - Festival D’éte

July 18 - CHICAGO, IL - Pitchfork Festival

July 25 - VANCOUVER, BC - V-Fest

August 7 - REGINA, SK - Regina Folk Festival

Sunday, July 5, 2009

This Week In Seattle (July 5-11)

What's Going On This Week

Lots to talk about this week in Seattle. Of note, A Drink For The Kids kicks off tonight at the Cha Cha. The Raggedy Anns will be throwing a CD release party at Neumos on Thursday. And Robin Pecknold will cap ADFTK off at Neumos on Saturday. Here's the rest:

Sunday, July 5
A Drink For The Kids @ The Cha Cha

Monday, July 6
A Drink For The Kids @ The Hazelwood
The Rural Alberta Advantage, Invisible Giants, The Coyotes @ The Sunset Tavern

Tuesday, July 7
A Drink For The Kids @ West 5
The Curious Mystery, Born Anchors, Cataldo @ Nectar Lounge

Wednesday, July 8
A Drink For The Kids @ Twilight Exit
Mad Rad, Thee Satisfaction @ Funhouse

Thursday, July 9
A Drink For The Kids @ Linda’s
AGTSK, The Raggedy Anns (CD Release!), Doctor Doctor @ Neumos

Friday, July 10
A Drink For The Kids @ Solo & Funhouse
Thee Emergency, TBA @ Sunset Tavern
Schoolyard Heroes, The Pharmacy, Whore Moans, Black Houses, Keg @ Vera Project

Saturday, July 11
A Drink For The Kids @ Neumos
The Hands, The Beats, Man, The Ironclads @ Mars Bar
No Depression Festival @ Marymoor Park
A Drink for the Kids Benefit Show: Robin Pecknold, Throw Me The Statue @ Neumos

Review: Spoon - Got Nuffin


Spoon showcases new tunes

For those of you who've been lucky enough to catch a Spoon show in the recent months, you may have witnessed the live performance of the title track off Spoon's latest EP (see above). While I might argue that this three-song release is more of a single than an EP, it stands as another great addition to Spoon's ever-growing / never-failing catalog.

The opening / title track "Got Nuffin" is a great fast-paced rocker that flirst with a Joy Division groove (the metronomically drum driven beats, the constant and very apparent bass line, the new-wave synth/guitar bridges). The second track, "Tweakers," sounds like it could have belonged on Get Nice. It's nearly 4 minutes of drum and feedback. I feel like they could have done a little more with this number; however, it does provide a very long interlude into the last track (my personal favorite) "Stoke Their Brains." This song sounds like Girls Can Tell-era Spoon. It's upbeat, very minimal, full of emotion, and infectiously catchy. All together, Got Nuffin was an incredible surprise and a nicely proportioned sample to tide us over until Me And Matty Pickles. My only complaint is that the shipping costs nearly twice as much as the EP!

So prime yourself by picking up a copy of Got Nuffin in preparation of Spoon X3 if you happen to be the lucky ones living in Austin. I'm sure these songs will end up on the set list, as well as the other new jams Britt Daniel & Co. have been working on for Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga's follow-up.

Buy :: Got Nuffin
Tickets :: Spoon X3 (July 9, 10, 11 @ Stubbs)

Friday, July 3, 2009

Three Colours Midterm Report (Best of 2009)

Best of 2009 at the Midterm

Well, 2009 has officially reached its mid-way point, and what a year it has been! If the last half even comes close to equaling the front half, this may be the best year of music in the last decade. So for this Fourth of July weekend, Three Colours presents the 2009 Midterm Report. Currently these are the albums and EPs that have found endless rotation. Through incessant overplaying, these releases have ceased to lose their charm. Also included are the best concerts I've been fortunate enough to attend this year. And finally, as a little bonus, a list of the albums I'm obsessively impatient toward their future release.

Top 13 Albums 0f 2009 (thus far)
  1. Handsome Furs - Face Control
  2. White Denim - Fits
  3. Telekinesis - Telekinesis!
  4. White Rabbits - It's Frightening
  5. Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer / Moonface
  6. We Were Promised Jetpacks - These Four Walls
  7. Elvis Perkins in Dearland - S/T LP
  8. Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears - Tell 'Em What Your Name Is
  9. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
  10. Franz Ferdinand - Tonight
  11. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
  12. Black Math Horseman - Wyllt
  13. The Whitest Boy Alive - Rules
Top 5 EPs of 2009 (thus far)
  1. Beirut - March of the Zapotec EP
  2. Spoon - Got Nuffin EP
  3. Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears - S/T EP
  4. Bon Iver - Blood Bank EP
  5. The Blakes - Lights On EP
Best Shows I've Seen (I missed some really good ones this year)
  1. White Denim @ The Tractor (4-5-09)
  2. White Rabbits @ The Crocodile (6-22-09)
  3. Department of Eagles / The Cave Singers @ Neumos (1-28-09)
  4. Plants and Animals @ Nectar (3-17-09)
  5. Telekinesis / The Cave Singers @ Lawnapalooza (5-14-09)
  6. Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears @ The Tractor (5-22-09)
  7. Dr. Dog / The Cave Singers / Golden Boots @ The Crocodile (4-14-09)
Most Anticipated Albums
  1. Spoon - Me and Matty Pickles
  2. The Cave Singers - Welcome Joy
  3. Plants and Animals - TBA
  4. Spencer Krug - Marimba and Drums EP
  5. Fleet Foxes - TBA

New Music: Halcyonaire - Dread Hymn

San Francisco-based indie folksters Halcyonaire

While there's no longer a "sound" that dominates the West Coast, out of the genres that are thriving right now, indie folk has to be one of the strongest contenders. If one were to postulate which direction the West Coast is going musically, I think it's a safe bet that the genre of indie folk will pave the way. Bands like Fleet Foxes, Blitzen Trapper, and The Cave Singers (to name a few) have captured the essence of the Northwest, and represent a much larger sound that West Coast bands are embracing.

I've recently been introduced to a band that has a very interesting interpretation on this sound - a band by the name of Halcyonaire. The San Francisco quartet has just finished recording their newest LP Dread Hymn. Currently unsigned, Halcyonaire will be fishing for labels (no pun intended) while they finalize the arduous mixing process. I recently had a chance to sample various excerpts from the album, and I'd have to say I was rather hooked.

To give a brief history of Halcyonaire, you must first start with lead singer Christopher Damien, a lone bird who used to make music under the moniker Kingfisher. For those of you keen on your ornithology, the kingfisher is a type of fish-hunting bird, but I digress... When Damien began playing with fellow musicians Brandt Burgess, Nick Cowman, and Erik Bartz, he was no longer a solo act, but more a family of band members. Hence the name change from Kingfisher to Halcyonaire, which is the family name of the tree kingfisher (genus halcyon). So Halcyonaire is the 'family/band' version of Kingfisher... though there have been a lot of variations on the name (for example, their last release was under 'Kingfisher & The Halcyonaires'). As for now, be on the look out for Halcyonaire and their newest LP Dread Hymn, which hopefully will find its way to record stores in the near future.

To describe their sound, I think they sum it up better than I could: Halcyonaire is stomp-your-feet, clap-your-hands, California folk-rock. The band has just finished nine tracks at San Francisco's Tiny Telephone Studio with Ian Pellicci (engineer: Deerhoof, Wooden Wand), filling out the to-be-released album Dread Hymn. To sample a track from this upcoming release, below is the song "Sing It Softly In A Sigh." Enjoy.

MP3: Halcyonaire - "Sing It Softly In A Sigh"
(off the their upcoming album Dread Hymn)

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Video: Elvis Perkins in Dearland - "Chains, Chains, Chains"


Sean Pecknold's latest brain child

Check out Elvis Perkins in Dearland's newest music video of "Chains, Chains, Chains," one of the many timeless classics heard on the band's eponymously named LP. The creator and director behind this great work is video wizard Sean Pecknold, whose resume includes videos created for his brother's band, Fleet Foxes ("Mykonos," "He Doesn't Know Why," and "White Winter Hymnal"). Yet another insanely unique and incredibly enjoyable work of art from Sean's creative mind.

Buy :: Elvis Perkins in Dearland LP

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

CD Release Show: The Raggedy Anns @ Neumos (7-9-2009)

The Raggedy Anns + A Gun That Shoots Knives + Doctor Doctor

The Raggedy Anns have finished their debut album, and from the sounds of it off their MySpace samplings, it's going to be one sweet record. To celebrate this crowning achievement, the boys will be playing Neumos on July 9 along with A Gun That Shoots Knives and Doctor Doctor. It's bound to be one hell of a time. Doors open at 8pm, and tickets are only $6 at the door. For more info, go here.