Band of Horses: Live instore at Amoeba Music

Band of Horses: Live in store at Amoeba Music, Los Angeles (43:23)

Ubervideo: Sera Cahoone - Couch Song

Video
"Lucid, dream like, beautiful. Like a mystical and subdued mute romance with the road, everything surrounding, ever exploring. Never quite discovering but edging, slowly, ever closer. Evokes a true sense of life on the road, alone."

Sera Cahoone : Couch Song

The uberview: Iron & Wine: "I don’t really do things to rub people the wrong way"

Mr Samuel Beam, a.k.a. that man who induces beard-envy in every young hippy, a.k.a. ‘indie-folk’ act Iron & Wine, started writing songs purely as a hobby whilst working as a cinematography lecturer. A demo happened to fall in the hands of Seattle’s Sub Pop label and the rest, as they say, is history.

Beam recently released his third long player, The Shepherd’s Dog (review) following two EPs (one of which was a collaboration with ‘kings of brass’ Calexico) which signalled a more electric and varied direction to his traditionally acoustic sound.

Tom Milway was able to speak to him, thanks to the advances in mobile telecommunication, all the way from the backstage area of Boston, Massachusetts’ Orpheum Theatre. Whilst the new album represents a further development in Beam’s sound, at its foundations, he tells us, his song writing process hasn’t changed. We question whether this gradual growth of sound is all part of a master plan and talk family, location and what a normal day at the Beam residence involves.

- - -

I gather you are in Boston. What are you doing at the moment?

I’m just getting ready to soundcheck. What are you doing?
>
I’m just getting ready to talk to you! So let’s talk.

Alright, okay!

So, you’re touring at the moment?

Yeah, it’s a short tour, about a week and a half. A few dates around the US.

When you are at home, and not touring or doing interviews, what’s the normal daily routine for Sam Beam?

Well you know, the normal kind of thing - gotta get the kids to school, try to work on music when I can. But you know, it gets kinda complicated when you’ve got four!

I bet. How are the family?

Oh they’re doing good, as far as I know. At least I hope they are doing okay.

You mentioned working on music: what is your normal song writing process these days? Has it fundamentally changed since the early days now you’re incorporating a lot more instrumentation and collaboration into your music?

No. Not the beginnings. The beginnings are pretty much the same. I just try to sit in the morning with a cup of coffee, a book and guitar and stuff. But yeah, when it comes time to record I try to stretch out a bit to do stuff I haven’t done before, sometimes.

And I believe you have a studio at home now you’ve moved from Miami?

Yeah, that’s right.

Do you generally spend a bit of time in there everyday?

I try to yeah. I try to treat it like a job and apply a certain discipline to it.

As far as the new album goes, we’ve witnessed a distinct development in your sound since the first two albums, over the two EPs and now on …Dog. Many attribute it to the Calexico collaboration, and you obviously toured with them.

Yep

When you look back, has there been a specific defining point in your mind that’s been the genesis of this change?

Nothing too specific. I’ve definitely just been generally following my interests. Coming out of the Calexico project, it was really beneficial. I mean I did it wanting to stretch out and follow my interest. But I definitely picked up a lot of stuff from them; I mean, how can you not!? They are so talented. So yeah, they kinda go hand in hand really – interests, development, evolution, personal development, whatever and then also influence from other people too.



Calexico / Iron & Wine - ‘He Lays In The Reins’ (Live)

The Woman King EP, which followed the Our Endless Numbered Days album, was obviously quite different. However it came out before the Calexico In The Reins EP, so there must have been a lot of development going on beforehand. Was that part of the development also natural or did you set out with a purpose in mind?

I don’t really get too specific; I don’t really measure it out. It’s all a pretty intuitive thing to be honest. My rule is usually just ‘you have to try something that you’ve not tried before’ on a record. Just to shake things up for yourself, and hopefully add a little more entertainment value for people. Most of these records I’ve been lucky that it hasn’t just been about doing something different for the sake of doing something different; it’s also been about reflecting what’s been going on in the subject matter of the songs, which has been lucky.

You touched on subject matter at the end there. I noticed that the lyrics on the new album show signs of aggression and resentment, some of which are quite direct. A first for you, it seems…

Right. There are a lot of songs which didn’t make it onto the record that are probably more in line with the older ones. There have been these elements in older songs too and some of those didn’t make it on the old records, so to me it’s not really a first. But yeah, I think this group of songs are definitely more social in context. And in deciding to go that route I ended up doing these kind of surreal portraits of what’s going on. Some of it’s kinda strange and nonsensical. I guess there’s a lot of social confusion at the time, for me nothing seems to be black and white, so it ends up in the songs that way.

How does it come about, in your mind?

I don’t know. I don’t think about it too much. You know, you just live your life and react to what comes up. Whether that be something you’ve seen or heard or read or dreamed about – whatever, really.

You’ve moved around a bit, certainly of late it seems. How does location affect your productivity?

We live about an hour outside of Austin, kinda in the middle of nowhere, so that gives me a lot of space. It’s easy to focus, not a lot of distractions. In fact, the biggest change has just been having the home studio really. Having the freedom to work when I want to, it’s been nice!

As far as working on new music these days are you generally finding you are approaching it still as a solo artist, maybe as you did early on, or are you now thinking about collaboration from the very start?

Well, no it’s still pretty much the former. I’ll just write out a skeleton of a song, but I suppose I do definitely leave it a lot more open these days to experimentation. One of the benefits of working on stuff with the Calexico boys was just finding the pure idea and bringing other people on and feeling their influence and using improvisation, all kinds of stuff. Just leaving room for other people to take part at the same time.

I saw you play a solo show at The Spitz recently and noticed the new songs still sounded interchangeable with the old songs when stripped back.

Yeah. Yeah, that’s right.

As you say, it’s not like you’ve reinvented the wheel, but just because you’ve added more instrumentation a lot of people write about this album as if you have.

I dunno, everybody’s got their own ideas it seems. But yeah I agree with you. Like I said before when you asked me how the writing goes – it’s still the same thing. It’s just when you come to record it you have an endless amount of options to try. I think that’s one of the fun things for me - trying different things. Seeing what works and what doesn’t.



Iron & Wine - ‘Carousel’ (live at Messiah Collage, Pennsylvania)

Do you think that in becoming successful you gain confidence to try new things?

I definitely feel open to try anything that is within my interests. Its not that I ever felt scared to do it before, it’s just that I am still learning! (Laughs) I didn’t have the experience required. I was just doing it as a hobby. I just did what I was able to do with what I had. I also did what I felt was most fitting for the songs I was doing at the time, too. In my head they seemed more traditional types of songs, which now I can look at and say, “You can approach them however”, but at the time it seemed to make sense. But yeah I’ve always followed my interests. I’ve never felt much pressure as far as what I felt like I should be doing compared to what I wanted to do. It’s always been the same thing.

That’s pretty convenient, then.

(Laughs) Yeah, I suppose it is!

There seems to be a move away from a traditional verse/chorus/verse song structure on this album. Is there something that has inspired you to create particular songs in particular structures?

I think you have to take it song by song, really. I mean, you know, you’re a writer. You do a lot of editing. It’s just as much about shaping it after you jot down your basic ideas. It just depends – you try to be open and do what the song’s doing and try to take it in a direction that interests you.

One thing I’d like to clear up. You’re well known for singing in a hushed vocal. I’d read somewhere that this came about from often recording late at night and not wanting to wake the family up - which is pretty hilarious. Is this true?

(Laughs) That’s kind of a myth. It’s definitely part of it, but it’s more along the lines of the subject matter of the songs. I felt it was appropriate. But also the limitation of my voice itself, you know… I can’t really belt it out too hard like some people. I felt more interested in what the song was about, or roughly about, and the delivery I felt was important. I also like the idea of a quiet kind of energy. I mean, it could be really energetic, but on a lower level that draws people in. Hopefully it does - it does for me.

This album has gained quite universal acclaim from what I have seen.

Really?

Yeah.

Oh, that’s good.

You sound quite surprised by that?

I just do what I do. I mean, I’m glad people like it. That’s the first time I’ve heard someone say people are universally accepting it, but that’s cool and I believe you (Laughs) Or at least I hope you are right. I don’t really keep track; I just kinda do what I do.

Just show up and play kinda thing…

Yeah, but at the same time I hope that people will enjoy it. (Pauses) I don’t really do things to rub people the wrong way.

You are coming over to the UK in November. What can we expect from this tour? I believe it’s a full-band tour?

Yeah it’s a full band. Like an eight-piece band. It’s me and my sister, Sarah. And then the rhythm section: a drummer named Chad Taylor [Chicago Underground/Sea & Cake] and Benny Massarella from Califone, and then the bass player’s name is Matt Lux [Isotope 217]. I stole Paul Niehaus from Calexico for a little while to play pedal steel. Patrick McKinney is still playing with me on guitar and Leroy Bach [ex-Wilco] is playing piano.

- - -

The Shepherd’s Dog is out now on Transgressive/Sub Pop and is reviewed here.

This is also rather nice...



Iron & Wine - ‘Naked As We Came’ (w/ Sarah Beam live on Carson Daly)

Written originally for DrownedinSound.com: see it here

The uberverdict: Unkle - ‘WAR STORIES’

James Lavelle has been accused of many things over the years - being a fashion harlot, a sub-standard DJ and a producer who takes credit for others work. At this point in his career he’s had enough. Enough he says of “constantly trying to push, and knocking your head against a brick wall... it is really about surrendering yourself to life.” Released on his new independent record label, clothing brand and art house Surrender All, Lavelle’s influences litter he and co-producer Richard File’s third studio album War Stories. From his well publicised love of psychedelic rock and the ‘Madchester’ Stone Roses sound through to his recent infatuation: Queens of the Stone Age and their distinctive brand of ‘desert rock’, one thing that is clear from the onset is that Lavelle has meticulously set out to produce a record that embodies the very genre. The record is touted as ‘a collection of desert songs’ and recorded in the very same Rancho de la Luna studio, situated in the Californian Joshua Tree national park desert, home of The Desert Sessions series (featuring the likes of PJ Harvey, Nick Oliveri, Josh Freese) and QOTSA. And, surprise, surprise, Lavelle has been using that little black book of his again. He has even drafted in long time QOTSA producer Chris Goss (aka the Godfather of desert rock). Unsurprisingly it doesn’t stop there. In fact the only surprise before we actually insert this beautifully packaged release into the stereo is that, shock horror, Ian Brown doesn’t feature even once.

Residedly dark and epic with an air of decadence this is a druggy album. Lavelle and File have clearly wondered into the desert and lost it for days on end. The very thought is electrifying and from the off, the dramatic and gripping ‘Chemistry’ goes foot to the floor blasting through the barren desert in the biggest of fuck-off 6.5 litre V8 American muscle cars. The sterile misery and claustrophobia that proliferated Never, Never, Land has been hung out to dry on War Stories. The basslines are dirty, lo-slung and throbbing and the guitars are distorted, wailing and gyrate like Abel Ferrera’s ‘The Driller Killer’ – bit like turning up to the Titty Twister with Kyuss blasting from the Pontiac, fuel vapours still fuming from the dual tail pipes. It means business. Third track ‘Hold My Hand’ apparently witnesses Lavelle’s very own vocal debut. Heavily processed and reverberated he sounds like a spitting image of a haunting Bobby Gillespie on Primal Scream’s ‘Burning Wheel’ interspersed with a dirtier Black Rebel Motorcycle Club number. Unkle have changed. They sound like a real rock band with real songs now. Mixing the rock-with-yer-cock-out moves of The Stone Roses with the aggressive power and confrontation of The Stooges on tracks like ‘Lawless’, the only out-and-out dance track comes when some geezer Josh Homme makes a guest appearance. ‘Restless’ an unrelentingly elastic and robotic bass driven number, in the same vein as LCD Soundsystem, will go down well on any East London dance floor. But, the revolving door guest mentality Unkle employ doesn’t quite fit with Lavelle’s new band model. The result is, unsurprisingly, more a disjointed collection of bewitching songs than a single body of work.

Once again, the sound and production quality is as epic as we’ve come to expect from an Unkle release. The dramatic peaks on stand out ‘Broken’ meet Gavin Clark’s vocal with echoing strings to produce a strong air of Screamadelica. Lead single ‘Burn My Shadow’ features the perfectly matched baritone of Ian Astbury and a warm but slightly disturbed late night air of disaster and loss. Its dramatic breakdown conjures images of blurry figures hedonistically gyrating whilst still clinging to bottles of hard liquor with heads full of acid as the sun just begins to peak over the desert plains. The only moment of respite in this eerie and twisted journey comes on designated comedown tracks ‘Price You Pay’ (which is still pretty damn twisted) and ‘Twilight’ featuring 3D of Massive Attack. However, what is missing is the out-and-out lush beauty of Psyence Fiction’s ‘Bloodstain’ or Never, Never, Land’s ‘What Are You To Me?’. This omission means Unkle aren’t playing one of their strongest hands and because of this War Stories sadly doesn’t quite fulfil its electrifying potential.

uberverdict: 7.3/10

‘War Stories’ by Unkle is out now on Surrender All.


Watch the video: 'Burn My Shadow' (feat. Ian Astbury):

[From 'War Stories' Out Now on Surrender All]

The uberverdict: Interpol - ‘Our Love To Admire’

Yep, his very first album review writing for DrownedinSound.com and the bastard finds himself reviewing Interpol's hotly anticipated third album Our Love To Admire. You won't be too surprised that he quite liked it!

Click here to read Tom's review in full: www.drownedinsound.com/release/view/10111


Our Love To Admire by Interpol is released on July 9th on Parlophone. The first single ‘The Heinrich Maneuver’ is out NOW.



Stream video:
Watch Interpol video's here (What we believe to be the official Interpol YouTube channel. Its got everything!)

News: Liars new album imminent (and we've heard it!)

Fitting somewhere neatly in-between 'Drum's Not Dead' and an album a 'proper band with instruments' would put together (yeah no shit!), the self-titled new album from NY heroes of the no-wave avant-garde underground electronic-experimental-punk scene (phhew) Liars is imminent! And we here at uberpingpong have heard it! And we are very excited!

Released on August 28th, it moves in a Deerhunter-esque direction that is, at times, shoegazey enough to sound quite blissful. But don't worry the chorus' are few and far between, and the signature rhythmic, circling construction of the songs is ever-present. Its better than Drum's Not Dead in our opinion (and we all know how good that was!). If that album was "their most inspired and innovative pieces of work to date" (Pitchfork) then this album brings the art-punk outfit away from just impressionistic noise and (loosely) into the world of the song.

Sneak peek:
- "Plaster Casts of Everything" is so rocking that it was made for a messy night on the dancefloor.
- "Houseclouds" sounds like Beck's 'New Pollution' on a serious acid trip with a Jungle Brothers drumbeat. Seriously.
- Moments of Stone Roses laziness can be found on "Sailing to Byzantium" - very nice.
- "What Would They Know" sounds like something from the deepest of Joy Division archives (genuinely! and not in the 'apparent' way that Editors and Interpol are described as being similar). Dark, claustrophobic, Ian Curtis lives on and it could possibly evoke nightmares.
- "Freak Out" contains a Pulp Fiction-esque bass line.
- "Clear Island" is electro-punk (think a psychotic Prodigy with bi-polar disease).
- And it all sails sweetly off into the sunset via the synth-scape that is "Protection".

"Liars" by Liars will drop on the usual formats on August 28th via Mute Records.

Tracklisting:
1. Plaster Casts of Everything
2. Houseclouds
3. Leather Prowler
4. Sailing to Byzantium
5. What Would They Know
6. Cycle Time
7. Freak Out
8. Pure Unevil
9. Clear Island
10. The Dumb in the Rain
11. Protection

Stream & Download audio:
You can stream various Liars tracks here: myspace.com/liarsliarsliars as well as download the track Sunset Rodeo (released on the Warm & Scratchy compilation last year).

MP3 download:
Liars - 'It Fit When I Was a Kid' (Crystal Castles Mix) [Free download courtesy of spinner.com]

Live Review: Band of Horses and Annuals

We are pleased to announce that one of our writers Tom has had a call-up from 'the big boys'. Namely that rather fine and rather busy online community that is drownedinsound.com

Tom has written two live reviews for the following shows (go on, click the links to read them!):

Tue 22 May:

Band of Horses at London King's Cross Scala: www.drownedinsound.com/articles/2008597

Wed 23 May:

Annuals at London 100 Club: www.drownedinsound.com/articles/2011611

But don't worry, this doesn't mean he'll be off sipping champagne and conversing on a higher level with the gliteratti (well, not just yet) as he is currently (late ahem!) on writing a review of The National instore at FOPP on Monday.

Live Review: Interpol play one-off UK gig in London

Interpol returned to the UK for their first show in nearly two year's last night (May 15). The setting for which was current industry venue of the moment KOKO in London's Camden. First off, buying tickets for this event was harder than selling your kidney over the internet now the new Human Tissue Act has come in. And even if you did manage to, the change you'd have got back from a tout wouldn't have even been enough to afford a water to hydrate the one remaining. So how the hell did we get in? Don't ask. But lets just say I won't be on the booze for a while...

The purpose of this brief visit from Paul Banks & co was to showcase tracks from their forthcoming album 'Our Love To Admire' released on Parlophone (in the UK, Capitol in the USA) on July 9th. Frustratingly the set lasting around 70 minutes, including one encore, contained only 3 new tracks - the opener 'Pioneer To The Falls' (also track one of the album) a beautiful brooding slow burner (that will forever remind me of that moment they appeared on stage in a haze of smoke and darkness), 'Mammoth' a chimey upbeat dance number full of suspense and the storming first single 'The Heinrich Manuever'. The latter is THE perfect live track. With a chorus that is instantly recognisable, it repeats enough times that if you didn't get it the first time round you'll get it by the fifth and (most importantly) it contains a breakdown which descends into complete silence - causing the adoring audience to believe its finished, and, just at the point they really start to holler like hyenas - it comes back in - with wrecking balls bigger and harder than Muhammad Ali. The rest of the show was packed with straight down the line old classics - and although Paul's vocals were almost inaudible at times - it was a beautiful thing nonetheless.

Although this visit was long overdue, it was business as usual. Daniel maneuvered himself around the stage like a tripped out Sinatra, Carlos slung his bass around like a rather erotic weapon of mass destruction, Paul's face got lost in that gorgeous fashion mullet and Sam... well he wore a hat! However the addition of Carlos ('the victorian chemist') Dengler's rather fetching 'tach, and Paul Banks' new axes: a black Fender Jaguar and Gibson Flying V to add to the Les Paul Custom - were all exciting new additions to the Interpol aesthetic. However, the most significant musical addition being some geezer called 'Farmer Dave' who is now acting as the unofficial fifth member on keyboards. Though speaking little during the gig, Paul thanked the crowd saying that it was "great to be back in London." It was great to have you Paul! In fact it was amazing.

Interpol's setlist (KOKO, London May 15th):
'Pioneer To The Falls' (NEW SONG: from Our Love To Admire)
'Obstacle 1' (from Turn On The Bright Lights)
'NARC' (from Antics)
'Say Hello To The Angels' (from Turn On The Bright Lights)
'Take You on a Cruise' (from Antics)
'Mammoth' (NEW SONG: from Our Love To Admire)
'Slow Hands' (from Antics)
'Leif Erikson' (from Turn On The Bright Lights)
'The Heinrich Manuever' (NEW SONG: from Our Love To Admire)
'Evil' (from Antics)
'Not Even Jail' (from Antics)
'Length Of Love' (from Antics)
'Stella Was A Diver And She Was Always Down' (from Turn On The Bright Lights)
'PDA' (from Turn On The Bright Lights)

'Our Love To Admire' is not out until July 9th. But fear not beloved 'pol fans!

Stream audio:
You can stream the new single 'The Heinrich Manuever' taken from the album to your hearts delight just by clicking here.

Forthcoming:
Plus if that weren't enough - uberpingpong will be writing an in-depth, song-by-song, review of 'Our Love To Admire' shortly. Its fucking immense by the way. Watch this space.

The uberverdict: The National - ‘BOXER’

'Boxer' is the 4th studio album from Brooklyn-based band The National; one of the most underrated acts since the brilliant sophomore effort 'Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers' was released in 2003 (once described as a “gorgeous train wreck”). However it was 2005’s superb ‘Alligator’ that elevated the band to an unexpected level of prominence within music circles. The bands rise towards critical acclaim was slow and gradual. In fact this is the first release from The National that actually has some hype surrounding it - and for once - it can be believed.

'Boxer' punches above its weight during every round of the fight. The opening track 'Fake Empire' is a strange opener. Whilst it creates a beautiful but melancholic mood the self-depreciating message sets a depressing tone to the album. Its underlying political message "Turn the light out, say goodnight, no thinking for a little while. Let's not try to figure out everything at once. We'll laugh away in a fake empire, we're half awake in a fake empire." reflects the unwavering failure and paper-over-the-cracks attitude of the establishment. Heavy use of horns as the track climaxes and the carefully crafted use of Bryan Devendorf's snare throughout give it a presidentially processional, almost funereal pace. Steeped in official grandness, like the signed and sealed envelope that hits the mat containing a court summons, like taking a deep breath of nicotine after hearing bad news - its stifling.

This processional and presidential nature comes again shortly after on "Squalor Victoria". Soaked in heavy strings, pianos and a drum line straight from a military march. "Under and everything I’m a professional in a beloved white shirt. I’m going down among the saints... raise our heavenly glasses to the herds".

The first single from the album “Mistaken For Stangers” touches on underlying sinister subject matter. “Showered and blue blazer-ed, fill yourself with quarters... you get mistaken for strangers by your own friends, when you’re passing the night under the silvery city bank lights... But you wouldn’t want an angel watching over, surprise, surprise they wouldn’t want to watch”. It thunders along brashly and embodies all the elements we have grown to love about The National – Devendorf working the complex drum lines, Bryce Dessner and brother Aaron creating peaking, sparkling and shifting guitar lines and sitting amongst it all ‘that’ voice of Matt Berninger.

At this point it would be only right to address frontman Matt Berninger's morose baritone which, undeniably, is what has always made The National an instantly recognisable sound. But with ‘Boxer’ such analysis is best performed in conjunction with the backing music showcasing it. Unlike the previous three releases, the bands music and Berninger's vocal match perfectly here. Berninger never has to strain. He never has to raise his tone above his comfort level. They compliment one another like matching colours. The masterfully simple but intricate and regularly distorted-in-parts guitars of the Dessner brothers that created the staple diet of 'Alligator' feature less on The Boxer as the bands direction largely turns away from stompers like 'Abel'. Think more strings, pianos, organs and horns. This is what makes 'Boxer' such a complete and integrated piece of work. The band are really playing their best hand - and its lovely to hear.

Berninger's lyrical content remains peculiar and distinct and the imagery he coungers from his magician's hat is as vivid as ever. The social paranoia suffered waiting for his 'Ada' - "Stand inside an empty tuxedo with grapes in my mouth waiting for Ada" to the dejected need Berninger displays in waiting for this mythical partner in ‘Slow Show’ - "I want to hurry home to you, put on a slow show for you, crack you up... I’m very frightened I’ll over do it... You know I dreamed about you for 29 years before I saw you... I missed you for 29 years”. The lyrical content is clearly very personal in the track and his voice sits almost inaudibly in the mix. It’s the sound of a broken man on the brink of tears, so lonely, clutching for any piece of light at the end of his tunnel.

‘Green Gloves’ sounds like a seriously disaffected and cold-blooded alcoholic paraphrasing about his self-depreciating and alienated life. “All out of touch with my friends who are all out getting wasted... take another sip and then its bolts around and takes me over like a little drop of ink in a glass of water.” Berninger is one of the best lyricists of the modern age, so vivid, so morose, so powerful, so essential. Now, where did I put that bottle of Jack Daniels?

Society’s seedy view of paying for sex, domination and bondage appear to be addressed in "Guest Room" - 'They’re gonna send us to prison for just, for having vague ideas of a way to turn each other on... we must be young roughians gone wild... in the corners of front yards, getting in and out of cars. Tie your woman to your wrists... they'll find us here, here in the guest room where we throw money at each other and cry, we can’t stay here, we can’t stay here this way". It’s an album brimming with interesting personal and social subject matter.

Many, myself included, would have said that 'Alligator' would have been hard to top, but as a piece of art 'Boxer' accomplishes this rare feat on a number of levels. It feels very different from ‘Alligator’ (not so much better, but) there’s a distinctly different spirit inside. Its a sullen, rain soaked, darker mood which hits you in a morose manner at first, but after spending some time inside ‘Boxer’, its not such a bad place to spend 43 minutes. Its effect is ultimately quite a life affirming and even uplifting one. Like watching a sunrise on an icy winter morning: the harshness of the elements pound at your face numbing your jaw but once the sun has appeared, you thaw out and realise the beauty that is evident in the nature around you. Understandably, after the success of 'Alligator', the albums production quality is also far superior and has great depth. The band have used the new instruments and musician’s available to them to expand their sound whilst keeping it as simple as they have always done.

The National are a band that have grown organically over time and improved with every album. They are a band that, like Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, like Tindersticks, reward attentive listening. They write songs you will fall in love with. In this modern age of young oiks and throwaway acts The National stick out. Like a fine malt liquor among a world of own brand lager. This album won't be in the charts, this album won't go platinum, this album won't have a multi-million pound marketing budget behind it but unlike most of the albums this year that will, ‘Boxer’ will hold a special place in the hearts of true music fans for many years to come. In 2005 ‘Alligator’ ended the year topping best album lists both sides of the Atlantic. In 2007 ‘Boxer’ has already topped my list for the first half of the year. Expect it to stick around into December.

uberverdict: 9.5/10


‘Boxer’ by The National is released on May 21st on Beggars.
The first single ‘Mistaken For Strangers’ is out NOW.

MP3 download:
The National - Fake Empire [From 'Boxer' 21st May on Beggars]

iPod Video download:
The National - Start a War [From Take Away Show by Vincent Moon]

The uberverdict: Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton - Knives Don’t Have Your Back

'The catharsis of Emily Haines'

It has often been said that a musician writes not for their audience but for themselves. The sound of music and the joy of song are used as a healing aid for the soul. Some artists fit this description far more definitively than others and on “Knives Don't Have Your Back” we witness a musician that embodies this very philosophy to a tee. Step up please Ms Emily Haines.

The sound of this second solo album (the first which wasn't widely released) from the stage-diving, wailing uber-rock princess usually found fronting Canadian outfit Metric couldn't be further from their trademark riffage and distortion. The album is effectively a collection of cinematic piano-driven songs backed with soft strings and horns and features guest spots from Sparklehorse's Scott Minor, members of Stars, Broken Social Scene's Evan Cranley and Jimmy Shaw of Metric. You get the impression from the first bar that this is the sound of late night teetering on the ivories of the living room piano in a deserted old rural country house, attempting to thrash out the demons inside ones head. As is customary with any Haines piece of work, behind the well-written melodies there lies serious intelligent subject matter. These include modern woman's dichotomy over the feminist movement in 'The Lottery' (which shows moments of elegance and melodic beauty), the widespread prescription of anti-depressants as an escape route in 'Doctor Blind' (the commercial standout track of the album) and the growing inner loneliness and despondence caused maybe by secret or unrequited love in 'Crowdsurf Off A Cliff' ("Cursed with a love that you can't express / It's not for a fuck or a kiss" makes it clear that it's not superficial, "Rather give the world away that wake up lonely / Everywhere and in every way I see you with me" reflects the emotion suffered by so many) - these are all strong topics and Haines often sits as a narrative figure beyond just herself. The emotional beauty of ‘Reading in Bed’ manages to overcome the listener like the force of gravity. When the song’s melody transforms the track around the one-minute mark the impact is uncontrollably moving, utterly mood changing and undoubtedly stunning. And there's no breathing room throughout. The expansive atmospheric that sits around this body of work is like walking through a deserted Parisian cathedral out into the deserted midnight streets and then coming to that self-realising fact that we are all effectively alone in life. It brings both a tear to the eye and a lump to the throat. With a release of this much emotional tension the cosmos should return, by way of reward, restoration and refreshment of the spirit. It probably does for Haines but not for the listener.

The fact that music can sound so melancholic, so bleak, so eerie, so spine-tingingly moving (even plodding at times) but so utterly infectious is a tribute to Emily Haines' expert songwriting ability. Recorded over 4 years and written over longer “Knives” has had real thought put into it. These are songs that delicately reveal themselves in an evocatively confessional nature. The lyrics are pure poetry in motion. The stripped instrumentation that could initially give the perception of incompleteness ends up being a masterstroke. This is because it is clear that Haines is an artist who doesn’t need studio trickery to sound engaging. She has natural talent and holds the audiences attention just by flexing it.

This is an album that grows with exquisiteness following every listen. Emily Haines is everything that the world needs. With the physical features of a Hollywood princess, the intense self-examination of a psychologist caught up in her own personal hell and the voice of someone painstakingly suffering from bipolar disorder; she breaks all the rules. Emily Haines proves she is more than just a pretty face and more than just a stage diving rock chick. With a background that includes Broken Social Scene, Metric and now this; I predict we are witnessing the female equivalent of someone like Ryan Adams, in terms of ability and consistency, being both born and flourishing.

uberverdict: 9/10

Knives Don’t Have Your Back gains an official UK release on June 4th

Video download:
Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton - Doctor Blind [From Knives Don’t Have Your Back (Drowned in Sound) out June 4th 2007]

The uberverdict: Dinosaur Jr - Beyond

One of friendsreunited.com's finest hours came when J Mascis and Lou Barlow rekindled their differences to reform the Dinosaur Jr of old. This special event is marked by their first original line-up offering since 1988's 'Bug' (thats 19 years!) and celebrates the welcome return of the original goobers of grunge. From the first bar of the first track (the aptly titled) Almost Ready the album explodes with a sound that is both extremely reminiscent of their grunge sound of the late 80's (as exhibited on 'Bug' and 'Green Mind') but smooth, warm and cohesive enough to sound a little more updated. It fits that sunny californian frat-boy rock of the American Pie variety so honestly. Did the last 10 years actually happen or did time stand still?

Dinosaur Jr are back and 'Beyond' contains some real belters such as Crumble, We're Not Alone, This All I Came To Do and What If I Knew which prove J Mascis songwriting is as strong as ever, if not stronger than recent releases due to some expertly crafted choruses. His voice echo's with relaxed strength and there are some beautiful extended guitar solos that will undoubtedly have the youtubers donning their tennis rackets come April 21st. But Barlow and Murph's contributions have clearly been important here and Boyond even features the chugging lo-slung Barlow penned and sung numbers Back To Your Heart and Lightning Bulb which actually happen to be the least catchy of all the tracks on the album.

This being said when Mascis laments "This is all I came here to do" he's not lying. And this is the one criticism of almost every one of the past 4 Dinosaur Jr releases. Once again, this album maybe doesn't represent enough of a development in the Dinosaur Jr sound as some may hope for, but with a band like Dinosaur Jr this is only a semi-critiscim. What they do, they do so well. This album will undoubtedly satisfy fans of old and new. As Ryan Schreiber of Pitchfork said in his 'Hand It Over' review in '97 'even if this shit's got itself all predictable these days, at least it doesn't suck. The old adage "don't fix it if it ain't broken" comes to mind.' According to musical folklore bands that have been around since the early 1980's shouldn't still be writing music that gets the hoodies groovin' but with Sonic Youth only last year releasing a rather fine offering and now Dinosaur Jr re-emerging with yet another pleasant ditty it begs the question of why these bands are not saluted more-often and given their official place in rock history. Lets hope that this is not just a flash-in-the-pan reunion because the world needs the fuzzy sounds of Dinosaur Jr to keep it spinning on its axis. And with this release it will still be spinning for a few more years to come.

uberverdict: 6.8/10

MP3 download:
Dinosaur Jr: Been There All The Time [From Beyond (Fat Possum) out April 21st 2007]

Feature: Carissa's Wierd we miss you

This article kicks off a series of features on some of uberpingpong's favourite bands. Unlike many, we aim to delve deep into their backgrounds and come back to the surface with something more than just knowledge and an expanded understanding of what makes them tick. More precisely we will pull out new music they have influenced or that they have gone on to make. Sounds complicated hey? Well trust us, all will become apparent...

Carissa's Wierd: We miss you

In 1995 the US city of Seattle was suffering from a nasty hangover. The city’s music scene for the 10 years prior had been all flannel shirts, long hair and grunge rock. But calmly, in the back streets of rock-central two like-minded individuals Mat Brooke and Jenn Ghetto were creating something that was to be the complete antithesis of the mainstream grunge rock sound. It was almost as if what they were playing existed specifically to sooth the hangovers of these grunge heads who had been jolted by the death of their leader Kurt Cobain one year previous.

They called themselves 'Carissa's Wierd' (deliberately misspelled). The band's line-up changed throughout its existence but mainstays in the band-included violinist Sarah Standard, drummer (and later bassist) Ben Bridwell, drummer Sera Cahoone, drummer Creighton Barrett, and keyboard/accordian player Jeff Hellis. And with song titles like 'Ignorant Piece Of Shit', 'Farewell To All These Rotten Teeth' and 'Sofisticated Fuck Princess Please Leave Me Alone', described by Pitchfork as 'coke-fuelled' and also being the band that single handedly kept the Seattle tattoo trade in business over the years, it was this name and image that gave the fair impression that they were little more than a Sonic Youth-esque garage punk rock band.

So you'd be very surprised when you actually hear Carissa's Wierd. Their plaintive, melancholic music won over many who were fortunate enough to be exposed to it. They embodied the very tag 'emo' (this was before it was cool and way before it became uncool). With dour balladry which was more beautiful than weird with its lush violins, pianos and delicate vocal harmonies, you'd be even more surprised that their music would have been at home on any episode of the O.C. (the bit where Ryan and Marissa split up, again, and patch up their differences just in time for the closing credits sitting on the beach at night). The band released three albums before their 2003 breakup, the final of which 'Songs About Leaving' contained an odd stateliness to its intimacy. The whispers, the solemn processional pace and strings aplenty. They had that expert ability of building to the highest highs before plunging to the deepest of sub-aquatic depths. This was pure emotional music (in the same sense that someone like Bright Eyes is 'emo') but it was incredibility beautiful.

Carissa's Wierd: Sympathy Bush (live in Seattle)


That album 'Songs About Leaving' was a modest success in the Northwest, topping many critics charts and leaving fans hungry for more. The band existed as a real underground cult act within their hometown and became local heroes. For one reason or another their success never spread wider a field and in late 2003 they disbanded. This premature death meant they were never able to fulfil the potential they would have undoubtedly been destined for.

However, it was not all bad news. From the broken pieces of Carissa's Wierd emerged a number of great new acts!

Band of Horses


Co-creator Mat Brooke and bass player Ben Bridwell went on to form the fabulous Band of Horses creating uberpingpong’s favourite album of 2006 Everything All The Time (on Sub Pop) - a true masterpiece. Sera Cahoone (also ex-Carissa's Wierd) played the drums on the record. The band are currently recording long-player number 2 and touring the globe later this year.


www.bandofhorses.com
myspace.com/bandofhorses


MP3 download:
Band of Horses: Funeral [from Everything All The Time LP] (Sup Pop)

Band of Horses: The Great Salt Lake [from Everything All The Time LP] (Sup Pop)

S
Following the band's breakup, other co-creator Jenn Ghetto went on to pursue a solo project under the moniker S. Continuing the legacy of vivid titling to her records her second full-length record Puking and Crying Ghetto collaborated with Creighton Barrett (also ex-Carissa's Wierd) and Josh Wackerly, to create a collection of dark and hauntingly intimate songs. Described by her label Suicide Squeeze Records as “organic even with the strange electronics, drum loops, blips and clicks involved. Puking and Crying has an up-close feel to it, a direct look into the songwriter and quite possibly could have been made distinctly for fans of Björk who need fewer theatrics, lovers of Belle and Sebastian longing for less posturing, and admirers of The Postal Service who aren't afraid to get a little dirty.”

MP3 download:
S: Falling [from Puking and Crying LP] (Suicide Squeeze Records)


Sera Cahoone

Carissa's Weird drummer Sera Cahoone started her own eponymous solo project that was also released on Sub Pop. The album Sera Cahoone unveiled a hauntingly beautiful country sound complete with heavy pedal steel and banjo.

Steam tracks from Sera Cahoone here:
myspace.com/seracahoone
seracahoone.com


Archives

Mat Brooke who left Band of Horses shortly after their debut album was released last year has recently formed this new Seattle-based act Archives. There are currently two very encouraging demo’s in circulation, one of which is called ‘Sleepdriving’ which closely echoes the two songs Brooke contributed to the Horses' debut (‘St. Augustine’ and ‘I Go to the Barn’) but as Pitchfork described it “boosting the volume, piling on vocal harmonies, and building to a massive, upending crescendo.” The other track George Kaminski a melodically beautiful flowing track could equally be one of the new Band of Horses tracks, its similarity to Carissa's Wierd is also uncanny.

Both Sleepdriving and George Kaminski are available to download now here: myspace.com/archivesusa

So, Carissa's Wierd, cult legends in their own right for having a uniquely beautiful and quiet sound which was still somehow tough at the same time, were undoubtedly special. Sure, we miss them but it was only after they disbanded that we began to witness the long-term musical importance of this band through the acts that have emerged from its original members. The results are both diverse and in a similar vein but what each member has retained in their music is that unique air of emotional beauty that Carissa's Wierd were known for (by those in the know).

You can hear more of Carissa's Wierd here:
myspace.com/carissaswierd
and
myspace.com/carissaswierd2

Post-SXSW: Unknown bands to know

So, the lovefest between those jammy freeloading journo's and music industry moguls that is South By South West is over (can you sense the bitterness... can you? I didn't get to go but instead watched Pitchfork each day and dreamed. However, if I had gone I'd have missed a rather special Arcade Fire gig at London's Brixton Academy, a review of which will follow at some point, so its not all bad).

Anyway, you could trapse round blog after blog finding out the bands that were apparently on the tips of all those Austin located tarts tongues last week (getting bombarded with cheap advertisting banners in the process) or just read my list below. I have kindly edited out the shite for your listening pleasure ! Oh how good of me hey! I have also included a few who should be checked out regardless of whether they were @ SXSW.

myspace.com/whiterabbits
myspace.com/russiancircles
myspace.com/annuals
myspace.com/deerhunter
myspace.com/thesounds

If you like Band of Horses check this shizzle:
myspace.com/arbouretum
myspace.com/builttospill

Or maybe a more poppy sound?
myspace.com/waltermeego
myspace.com/playradioplay

If you like TV On The Radio (sorry i forgot... who doesn't ?)
myspace.com/apes

The next Metric? (...lazy labeling because they are from Canada and girl singing sounds like Emily?)
myspace.com/landoftalkmtl

You like that noisy electro sound? (yeah... i could see myself gurning to this off me tits @ fabric!)
myspace.com/shoutoutoutoutout
myspace.com/crystalcastles

Iron & Wine: A new album on the way!

That man that induces beard-envy in every young hippy Mr Samuel Beam aka 'folk' act Iron & Wine has announced the tracklist to his new long player The Shepherd's Dog today.

This will be the follow up to one of uberpingpong's favorite albums of 2004 Our Endless Numbered Days. Mr Beam then delivered a 7-track stunner with Calexico in full band mode entitled In The Reins in 2005. Check them out if you haveny already because man they are waiting!


The Shepherd's Dog will arrive in September (thats just in time for my birthday, hint) and the tracklist looks like this:

1. Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car
2. White Tooth Man
3. Lovesong of the Buzzard
4. Carousel
5. House by the Sea
6. Innocent Bones
7. Wolves (Song of the Shepherd's Dog)
8. Resurrection Fern
9. Boy With a Coin
10. The Devil Never Sleeps
11. Peace Beneath the City
12. Flightless Bird, American Mouth

Start rumors now that the first single will be Boy With a Coin and that it will arrive slightly before the album, and that a tour will be announced soon-ish. I for one can't wait.

MP3 download:
Iron & Wine: Naked As We Came [from Our Endless Numbered Days] (Sub Pop)

DNTEL: The new Sub-Pop release to watch out for

April 24 marks the release of an album which has apparently been 5 years in the making. Jimmy Tamborello aka DNTEL has pulled in a few favors from more than a few indie living-legends to create Dumb Luck a 9-track extravaganza. And its the first DNTEL album to be released by those beautiful people at Sub-Pop. I wanna work there so bad!

The album features guest spots from: Jenny Lewis (Rilo Kiley), Edward Droste (Grizzly Bear), Valerie Trebeljahr and Markus Acher of Lali Puna, Mia Doi Todd, Grant Olsen and Sonya Westcott (Arthur & Yu), Andrew Broder (Fog), Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes) and Christopher and Jennifer Gunst (Mystic Chords of Memory). Chris Hathwell (Moving Units) plays drums throughout, and Paul Larson (The Minor Canon) adds guitar as well. PHEW!

Kinda like Lampchop, kinda like Sigur Ros, kinda like Sparklehorse... kinda like good!

MP3 download:
DNTEL: Dumb Luck [from Dumb Luck LP] (Sub Pop)

Brett Anderson: The Solo Album

"Nothing ever goes right / Nothing really flows in my life / No one really cares if no one ever shares my bed / People push by with fear in their eyes in my life / Love is dead" proclaims Anderson in a Morrissey-esque moan to kick off his self-titled debut solo album.'Love Is Dead', the first single, is a rare beast. Its a perfectly executed song that concisely sums up feelings of desperation and loneliness without any unnecessary verbosity. Heavy strings (courtesy of Dirty Pretty Strings) paired with Anderson's pained voice make a perfect melancholic partnership. Its the type of song that rarely comes around and is without doubt a real gem of the album.

This release has been keenly anticipated by every Suede and The Tears fan for nearly 2 years (me not being one of them). Co written with Fred Ball (whose main project is electro-pop act 'Pleasure') the first half sets its stall out to be a relatively upbeat and exquisitely melodic collection of pop/rock songs, but this disguises a very haunting second half to the album. Its like going from a warm and sunny Saturday morning driving through the countryside straight into a lonely Friday night sat in a torrential downpour waiting for the night bus. Lines like "Summer's gone... I've lost my love to the winter", "Your love's like an overdose, with your hands wrapped around my throat... I am the needle you are the vein", "Carve your name into my uglyness", "My love she hides a cruel disease" exhibit a desperate depressive introspection that cannot fail to transform a content listener into a quivering wreck. But its this immense power that makes this album so special. "No guests, no gimmicks, just me and the music" says Anderson. I do get the sense that he is telling no lies on this project, it is his most honest and vulnerable work to date. It does give the listener a glimpse into the inner workings of a man who has been so influential in British guitar-based music since the early 90's. Whilst this album will undoubtedly satisfy any die-hard Anderson fanatic, if given chance, it would also be right up the street of anyone who likes their rock music with a twist of haunting melancholy. Drowned in strings and deep melody, the arrangements float graciously and the lyrical content is at times as heavy as an anvil which can both crush you and leave you humbled at its descriptive and narrative quality. Anderson's lyrical themes, terminology and phrasing have always bared a strong resemblance to that of the great Morrissey - whom he has always admitted forms a major influence. Compared to the lyrical content in much of Suede's material, Anderson's style as a solo artist delivers the message without ambiguity but in an equally vivid and blunt manner. However, its not all about lost or unrequited love as the subject matter takes 'stabs' at modern consumerism ("The more we possess, the less we own of ourselves"), questions god and religion (One Lazy Morning) and finishes with the very emotional 5 minute "Song For My Father" which is clearly about the recent passing of Anderson's own father. (If you can manage to make it past the first two minutes of the track without shedding a tear, you are officially emotionally dead.)

It is a mature piece of work. So mature in fact that it runs the risk that a lot of its expected audience will be too immature to fully appreciate it. Keep this album close to hand for a break-up, depressive streak, wind/rain/thunder, long train journeys on a sunday afternoon with a hangover or diagnosis of a terminal illness... its music that will turn the sun black and leave you gasping for air - hopefully you'll come back up!

Brett Anderson's solo album is released on March 26th on Drowned in Sound.

Video: Brett Anderson - Love Is Dead:


Links:
Brett Anderson official site: brettanderson.co.uk

The MTV generation: Has digital killed the video star?

In mainstream culture 2007 represents a major event in the history of consumer music. The digital age is no longer a concept unveiled by an eccentric techie at a convention in Silicon Valley . By 2007 the major teething pains, bought on by the lack of understanding of the major label music industry, have begun to subside (i.e. DRM disasters) and record companies and vendors are beginning to realise the realistic potential that the digital age presents to fans of music. Our adoption of new media reflects social change. And whilst it must come from the consumer, it is influenced to a large extent by computer corporations and record labels. By making digital music cheap, easily accessible and playable on whatever device you want to play it on the digital age can finally begin travelling from a distant pipe-dream to an everyday reality.

This means that there will be casualties. When the CD arrived vinyl became a purist only format. And you'll all remember that song 'video killed the radiostar', etc. But ironically, in 2007 the MTV generation (born around 1981) is on its death bed. Digital music is killing the videostar (well kind of anyway...). The advent of user generated video content sites, specifically YouTube, is attracting the modern youth away from the television music channels and online. Sites such as YouTube allow the user complete control over choice and a vast catalogue of content to watch. They also allow the artist a quick, easy and free way to distribute their video's. Even acts as big as U2 are now unveiling their new music videos on YouTube. But the site is being used as a marketing tool by many broadcasters and artists - only a couple of weeks ago the band Arcade Fire officially announced the release date of their album and its tracklist via YouTube.

The real key to YouTube is the ease at which a user can embed a video file into their social networking profile (such as MySpace) or blog. Because the video file runs on flash technology that all modern computers have installed, files usually load in real time as the viewer watches. Whilst the quality isn't even close to that of MTV yet, its ease of access make it twice as valuable. The fact Google now own it (arguably the most powerful and respected force on the internet) means that once some of the licensing issues dogging its development are ironed out, we will undoubtedly see big developments. HD YouTube anyone?

But apart from giving the MTV network monopoly a much needed kick up the rear sites such as YouTube mean that the content uploaded to the site must be of a high standard. Otherwise the user can switch video to a multitude of other options located in the lower right hand section of the screen which are recommended to them according to their current preference. This level of consumer choice (which on TV has historically resulted in the maximum force of flicking channels or turning off) means the viewer does not need to sit through a music video waiting for the next one. This is good news for creative film makers and music video directors without doubt. Especially emerging young ones who will give the big guns a run for their money and creative souls.

Interestingly (but predictably) this user power has resulted in a new music video craze. Fans are now creating their own video's to the artists music and uploading them for the world to see. A video for the Interpol single "Obstacle 1" emerged last year (see below) around the time of release but turned out not to be the bands official video. Its originality and dark story line fitted the song alot better than the bands official (rather boring) video. Fans were flocking in their droves, many mistaken that this fan produced piece was in fact the official video to the single.

Video: Interpol - Obstacle 1 (Unofficial fan made video):


Video: Interpol - Obstacle 1 (Official Release Video):


Other example was when the track "Umb" (originally released back in 1999) by abstract rock band Sigur Ros gained a revival thanks to a film making student from Israel. Liron Damir's dark and brooding video attracted a great deal of attention on YouTube and throughout the wider blogosphere.

Sigur Ros - Umb (Unofficial Video by Liron Damir):


Now that Warner Music have agreed to license their material to YouTube its clear they now realise the marketing potential of such a tactic. Expect more and more fan made music videos to emerge. Next step, allowing podcasters to use this music...

Links::
YouTube: youtube.com
BBC Article: news.bbc.co.uk

Bloc Party – A lesson for the future

Bursting onto the scene in 2005 like an orgasm in the pants of every teenager Bloc Party were the first ‘post-punk’ band to get you doing one of those really silly dances like nobody was watching you (well it did me anyway). Their debut album Silent Alarm at times gave me grandiose-visions of blowing myself away on public transport, incrementally raising the decibel level until I had rendered myself and everyone else completely disabled. What I am trying to say is Silent Alarm was a masterpiece. Not only did it have some bloody good tunes on it but it was also a social commentary for an entire generation of young people. This mixture of musical and lyrical content makes Bloc Party a very important band indeed. Their musical philosophy bought a refreshing approach to an often boring and saturated guitar-based genre. However, with their follow-up album A Weekend In The City (released February 5th) their importance both socially and as pushers of the ‘indie-envelope’ will, I believe, ultimately turn them (and particularly frontman Kele Okereke) into modern living icons (whether they like it or not).



Social Importance:
The truth is Bloc Party are a widely misunderstood act. This new album will prove this. Labelled as a nothing more than a ‘fashion’ band by mainstream media in 2005 (with the odd political rant, yawn) meant that whilst many people rocked out to Bloc Party many didn’t delve any deeper. Frontman/Singer/lyricist Kele Okereke freely admits that he felt more comfortable at that time for it to be that way. As a writer and lyricist you are expressing yourself. Your beliefs, opinions and experiences are exposed to the world. Leaving your character open to attack and debate. But A Weekend in the City is a record brimming with intriguing, serious and deeply rooted lyrical content. Okereke is now ready to address the truth. By doing this he goes even further against the grain that so many modern British bands such as Coldplay, Kasabian and Snow Patrol follow. A Weekend In The City addresses the topics central to so many young peoples lives so accurately. The album is his unflinchingly honest depiction of a world of inner city life, drug and alcohol abuse, racism, terrorism, religion, suicide, loneliness, depression, gay sex, violence and the criticism of youth subculture. The record doesn't presume to have all the answers; it is as confused and confusing as life is for young people but when you delve a bit deeper it is profoundly moving. Oakereke's importance is not unlike that of Morrissey with The Smiths in the early 80’s but its updated to reflect the 00’s. Okereke stands to place himself in an iconic position to so many youths on the wrong side of happiness and alienation. The same role Morrissey filled 24 years earlier. An early (2004) NME review of a Bloc Party show stated “If Lock 17 [the venue] burned down tonight, you wouldn't just lose one of Britain's brightest new groups and a roomful of freeloading music journos, but pretty much every person in London who aspires to be someone. Those are the people who go to a Bloc Party gig: young writers, photographers, label managers”... those that embody of the word 'aspiration'. Oakereke speaks directly to and for this audience through these new tracks. “What I observed in my friends – and my behaviour, to a certain extent – was that all the things that people do to unwind is about embracing a void. People work nine-to-five and they hate their lives and their jobs. They go out at the weekends and try and get as fucked as possible. This is what life is for people, which is sad and frightening. None of my friends from university feel fulfilled. No-one enjoys anything. People are going deeper into this haze. The question I wanted to ask was, ‘Why are all my friends either suicidal, falling into a coke haze or having meaningless affairs?’ I wanted to try to discuss this” he said in a recent NME interview. He also professed to want to “expose the anger every non-white kid has when they’re told they’re different” - Dazed & Confused magazine. Okereke explains that he feels the need “To speak to young people in their impressionable formative years - and say something that could help them make sense of their lives. Lessen the sense of alienation and isolation that they might have.” He’s someone who speaks from experience and is qualified to do so. Semi-conceptual as an album A Weekend In The City paints a realistic portrait of the battles we fight and the faux refuges we find not only in the city metropolis (which has a tendency to intensify emotions) but in any walk of life.

Musical Importance:
Musically, Bloc Party were at a (quite rightly) self-imposed crossroads. The sooner the media and the bands resolutely old-skool fans stop expecting “Silent Alarm MK2” the better. Instead A Weekend In The City presents Bloc Party MK2. I have heard most of it (not by downloading the leak I’d like to add!). The denser and more streamlined sound is terrifically exciting. A crunching mix of guitars, electronic beeps, frenetic drum loops and multilayered vocals have been crafted into something that presents a giant leap forward for British music. Kele has said that “For me, this band is about mixing ideas from contemporary dance music and contemporary R&B and electronica and somehow trying to find a happy medium because that really is a lot of the music that really inspires me. It's not your big rock bands. So with this record I'm trying to make that clearer because I'm not quite sure how clear that was on the first record.” Everything that was unique about Bloc Party on Silent Alarm (such as Matt Tong’s angular drums and Russell Lissack’s heavily effected and atmospheric guitars) is still there but their delivery embraces change. The fact this band are from the UK should be celebrated, as not only are they one of the few British acts to really break into the US market, they are without doubt one of the most exciting and important bands in terms of musical progression to come out of the UK in recent years. Such experimentation usually arrives from everywhere but the UK. For example recent examples such as TV On The Radio, Liars, Arcade Fire and CSS are all from the US. Good British bands do what they do well, but there are few that really push this musical envelope. What effort do acts such as Snow Patrol, Kaiser Chiefs and Razorlight make to push modern music forward? Absolutely nothing! In fact (with the exception of Radiohead and Muse) the nearest mainstream act to Bloc Party to come out of the UK with a similar mentality in recent years is probably Girls Aloud!

Lyrically, what this album leaves me with is a valuable lesson. It’s this ability, as a young person in modern society to stand back and survey an existence you are part of and to make a choice before its too late. This is the effect good art can have on society. It makes us view our society and ourselves from afar; it is affected by and affects personal and social change.

"Just give me moments,
Not hours or days,
Just give me moments

If I could do it again, I'd make more mistakes,
I'd not be so scared of falling,
If I could do it again, I'd climb more trees,
I'd pick and I'd eat more wild blackberries

Musically, this album is as good as Silent Alarm and has equal staying power. It elevates the band above the Hoxton-trendy-set and raises the bar for music in general.

Do yourself a favour - don’t listen to the media, they’ll try and sell you a Razorshite album - judge for yourself. A Weekend In The City exits the highway on February 5th.

Video:
Bloc Party working on new track 'Waiting For The 7:18' @ Grouse Lodge, Ireland (how good is Matt Tong!!):


Links:
Bloc Party Official: blocparty.com
Bloc Party Fansite: blocparty.net
Observer "Kele Okereke: 21st-century boy" Interview: music.guardian.co.uk
A comprehensive guide to 'A Weekend In The City': blocparty.net/a_weekend_in_the_city

Arcade Fire announce album via YouTube

A day after I wrote about Arcade Fire's marketing strategy (see post below) comes this video announcing the release date and tracklisting. Pure textbook!

How to build a buzz the Arcade Fire way

Call them what you will. Those kings of cool, the lords of lavishness and masters of mystery – Canada’s Arcade Fire have announced their highly anticipated sophomore album is finished and is to be titled Neon Bible. 2004’s Funeral awarded the world with some of the most beautiful and intense music for years. The 8+ piece band are sumptuously theatrical both musically and as a live act. Through it’s many dark moments Funeral, as a piece of work, builds to become an empowering crescendo of positivity. Its doused in melancholy but one cannot fail to feel its importance as a piece of music through every frantic, beautiful and downright beaming moment of the journey. Like the sun emerging from the clouds after a springtime rainstorm, Funeral left you with a sense of ambiguous ease that ‘all will be alright in the end’. Arcade Fire hold a phenomenal healing ability through the use of honest emotion (by its traditional definition!) in music. This album created a large worldwide following. Their songs were even being played at national sporting events in 2006 and with advocates such as U2, Chris Martin and Bowie they had a ‘commercial’ appeal too.

However, don’t think this means they will ‘do a Coldplay’ and sell out. Arcade Fire are a real cult act. They have that ever-crucial element that all successful cult acts need – an element of mystery. As we witness the buzz for Neon Bible begin to wind up and up we can see that Arcade Fire have added this trademark mystery to their marketing campaign. Here’s how...

How to build a buzz the Arcade Fire way
1. Generate an interest from day 1:
Even before Arcade Fire went into the studio to start work on Neon Bible they were defying convention opting to record the album in a Montreal church they had bought to turn into a studio. This was to capture their trademark grand sound (who needs ProTools plug-ins when you have the real thing : ) But even before the first click track was laid they were setting the project up to be big and unique from day one. This had the genius effect of portraying a sense of mystery. “What are they upto in there?” asked a local news site. The excitement began...

2. Keep people guessing:
Like all good cult acts Arcade Fire have one of the most abstract official web sites, containing little useful information (second only to Radiohead). No bio, no discography, no contact information – everything that a band would be advised to include Arcade Fire omitted. But, like Radiohead’s site, the purpose (in the same way album artwork is) is to use the official website as a continuation of the music - the art. Arcade Fire keep jonesing fans and media ‘on the hook’ through regular episodes of random blogging (as do Radiohead). Radiohead, possibly ‘the’ mainstream cult act of the last few years, are an example of a band who are able to trust their plethora of fan-run unofficial sites will keep their fan base interested with the ‘day-to-day’ information such as tours and release dates. This saves the big news such as studio updates and the unveiling of new songs to the official site’s blog. By not giving too much away a cult act can increase speculation and discussion as to what will happen next, this leads to a buzz.

Furthermore, Arcade Fire unveiled new track ‘Intervention’ releasing it to buy online for charity (see point 6) as well as it being played all over the radio but later announced that another track ‘Black Mirror’ is to be the first single. The best thing is, none of us know if one, all or none of these tracks will actually make “Neon Bible” (they have “over 100 songs” to choose from afterall!)

3. Communicate directly via the internet:
Once you’ve grown too big for guerilla gigs on public transport and grassroots street team marketing, its time to find a way of creating a buzz whilst staying connected directly with your fans. At this point it seems important not to purvey any of sort a corporate record company image. Arcade Fire appears to have broken out alone citing ‘Arcade Fire Music’ as their label (even though it is probably an offshoot of a major if even a real label), and Radioheads current hiatus is well publicised and it appears likely they will go independent with their next album.

A personal web blog is the perfect way to start. No need for press releases, just Win Butler himself telling the fans what’s happening and personally unveiling the new tracks. Accordingly, in a recent post he stated that Neon Bible has been selected through a strategy of ‘MySpace Darwinism’. “We decided to try and get a couple of songs out to people before the record leaked... that is why we leaked over 100 songs on Myspace as fake band names over the last year and then made a compilation of the 11 most popular songs and called it ‘Neon Bible’!” Even if not the first to do this, it is genius!

4. Be different:
Arcade Fire attempted to sate jonesing fans by setting up a curious toll-free phone number (1-866-NEON-BIBLE ext 7777) advertised online, where you can hear a static-y, almost unlistenable new album track. It even had Pitchfork fooled “Assuming it was some cheesy viral marketing campaign for a Christian youth movement or a car (Dodge Neon, maybe?) or something, we ignored it. Whoops!” Whilst its not exactly a revolutionarily new idea it is different, and that’s the name of the game. Being unique, standing out from the stock. (At the risk of contradicting point 3) this strategy also cleverly pulled fans off their computers. True music fans still have something to do with the real outside world like visit record stores and go to gigs, they can use phones too, I think.

5. Organise some ultra-exclusive live dates:
There is nothing like a couple of gigs that sell out in less than 5 minutes and leave fans selling their grandmothers on eBay to create a hype locally and internationally. The old: “Oh well seeing as I can’t get a ticket, I’ll just get the album and turn it up really loud, invite a load of mates around to flick the lights on and off and squash me till I’m soaked in sweat and my internal organs come dangerously close to bursting” really works! Arcade Fire announced 5 dates in a church in New York City, 5 at the Ukrainian National Federation in their hometown of Montreal and another 5 in another church in London. Obviously the venues are equally important to this overall image and campaign (see point 1). Expect a mountain of press interest at each city and feature length articles in every magazine during the month prior to and following their visit.

6. Get publicity effortlessly:
A cult act like Arcade Fire must purvey a sense of cool at all times, this includes when trying to get press attention. So release one of the new songs and give all profits to a charity like Partners in Health. That way you’ll get loads of press exposure and will be doing such a good deed. Everybody’s happy!

The first track to be made publicly available from these sessions entitled ‘Intervention’ sounds like a grandioso pop version of Sunday mass complete with that prevalent pipe organ and pounding snare drum. Its religious context doesn’t stop there as the controversial worry-ridden lyrics speak of ‘working for the church while your family dies’, as well as soldiers at war dieing. A church choir adds to the setting and emotion. Somewhat like the sound of the internal voice of the disenchanted middle-American youth forced into the weekly jaunt to visit god’s house or setting out onto the plains of Iraq as a young soldier ‘Intervention’ contains a message that many would rather ignore. The track sets the album up at be a big and bold piece of work.

As if by some stroke of fate another track ‘Rebellion/Lies’ was accidentally uploaded. According to a post from Win Butler on the band's website, someone from Merge Records mistakenly put the track on iTunes on December 26. Which is quite convenient actually, as now the media are writing news pieces about it and fans are searching frantically for it. It regrettably manages to overshadow the fact that this is all for charity.

Expect the album in March/April following a full leak.

Links:
Neon Bible: neonbible.com
Arcade Fire Scrapbook: arcadefire.com
Pitchfork’s Review of “Funeral”: pitchforkmedia.com

Arcade Fire - Black Mirror

Win Butler of Arcade Fire has just announced that the first single from the bands sophomore album will be entitled “Black Mirror”. He unveiled the track in full on his personal blog via the bands website.























Links:
Hear “Black Mirror” in full: www.arcadefire.com

The male solo artist biography - ‘An interesting story’

Flicking through last weekends Sunday glossy I came across a ‘Ones to Watch’ article. It listed their pick of new actors, fashion designers, bands and artists tipped for the top in 2007. The next ‘hot’ solo artist they spoke of was a man by the name of Tim Pare. He is yet another sensitive singer-songwriter whom plays acoustic guitar and sings. However, what was most interesting was his biography, it made for a great story.

Having left behind his job, house and life in Britain Tim re-located to China to teach English, but it was on his way home via the Trans-Siberian Express when he met a group of inebriated soldiers that his adventure really began. He was forced to swap a bottle of vodka for a battered 4-stringed guitar, then held at knifepoint forced to play for them. After the fear of events and boredom of his mammoth journey began to settle in he then started writing songs while holed up in a small cabin with an Estonian war veteran. Using his MP3 player to record the rough demos, the basis of aptly titled debut album “Trans-Siberian Express” was written. The album is then reported to have lived to see its release by a series of twists of fate. He was later robbed in St. Petersburg and lost everything - except the fabled MP3 player, meaning when Tim finally disembarked from the train, he swore to finish and record the songs after bringing them so far under such testing circumstances. ‘Failure to do so would be to spit Lady Luck in the eye’ said his bio.

The story was so typical of the set model record companies employ in order to market a male solo singer-songwriter to a commercial audience. They must all come with an interesting story (to make up for the fact that it is just one bloke and his guitar) and his decision to become a musician must have come after a specific life-changing event or ‘epiphany’. Here is the supporting evidence:

James Blunt:
Blunt was unique in the fact that he was posh. But this wouldn’t in any way warm people to him. The fact he was a commissioned officer in the Life Guards regiment, a unit of the Household Cavalry of the British Army, who after rising to the rank of Captain, helped. Then he served as an officer in Kosovo. It was the fact that while on duty in Kosovo that he wrote his song "No Bravery" which spoke on the subject of war. It engaged the reaction that he really was qualified to speak on the subject. There was this image painted of an officer who had stood guard at the coffin of the Queen Mother who had, uniquely, switched the sound of gunfire for the sound of a guitar.

James Morrisson:
Labelled as the man who took Blunts crown in 2006. His bio spoke of his distinctive singing voice being the result of severe illness as a baby. But that wasn’t enough. His label made a lot over him having contracted whooping cough and almost died because he was coughing so much. This became a salient point in his early press. As was the fact he was given just a 30% chance of survival but surprise, surprise he confounded doctors who said he would be severely brain damaged if he did pull through. The result was an underdog story to warm the heart of all the young girlies and their mums.

Ray Lamontagne:
Although Ray has more natural talent than all of the aforementioned put together his bio still needed to be interesting. So, whilst working shifts in a shoe factory, depressed and lonely, keeping almost nocturnal hours he experienced a real ‘epiphany’ when the alarm sounded one morning at 4AM. He awoke to his clock radio playing "Tree Top Flyer" by Stephen Stills. It stopped him in his tracks: "I just sat up in bed and listened. Something about that song hit me. I did not go to work that day; I went to the record store and sought out that album “Stills Alone”. I listened to it, and was transformed." At that point he knew this is what he wanted to do, and doggedly followed the path for nearly a decade before he was discovered. This bio was an excellent talking point at interview and way to overcome the problem with his affliction of extreme shyness. However, that (coupled with his brilliant music) even turned him into a publicists dream giving him a real air of mystery as he’d never divulge any private information other than the fact he’d rather work on his woodland cabin alone than spend time with anyone else.

Devendra Banhart:
A real cult folk hero in the USA Devendra portrays the homeless, wandering, neo psych/folk hippie artist/musician to a tee. Born in Texas, and named by an Indian mystic whom his parents followed. He grew up in Venezuela, where he was raised amidst the shanties and sweatshops. “You don't go out after 8 because it's too dangerous. You don't wear nice sneakers because, while here you may get assaulted, there you just get killed” said Banhart in his bio. He then began life as a wondering minstrel moving between Los Angeles, San Francisco (living in the lower Castro, he was tapped by his roommates -- a gay couple whom Banhart refers to as "Bob the Crippled Comic and Jerry Elvis" - to play two classic songs at their wedding.) and Paris. He apparently had a second epiphany quarrelling about the Rolling Stones with his girlfriend when he realised he had the power to write about anything he wanted. “It was like being constipated and then taking a suppository” he said. You can also guarantee that his music and live shows are equally random as his life story.

So in conclusion, when comparing the biographies of bands against that of solo artists (specifically male) it is clear the importance the biography plays. Its role is not only to generate press interest but also to give the world something to really remember them for. It must be something vivid that sticks in the publics mind when they enter the record store or start up iTunes.

Links:
Tim Pare’s Biography: timpare.com
James Blunt Biography: jamesblunt.com
James Morrison Bio BBC Article: news.bbc.co.uk
Ray Lamontagne Independent Newspaper Article: enjoyment.independent.co.uk
Devendra Banhart Biography: younggodrecords.com

Album leaks: Terrible crime or a way to create hype?

Franz Ferdinand, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Thom Yorke, 50 Cent have all been victims (and won't be the last). As we move into 2007 can it really be said that album leaks are still terrible crimes against honest hard working artists? Or is there more to it than first meets the eye? There is no doubt that the Internet has changed the music world for the better but as with most great things in life, there follows bad.

Album leaks are not new. They certainly haven't just suddenly appeared in the last couple of years. Last month, and just after the new Bloc Party album “A Weekend In The City” was leaked, Win Butler of Arcade Fire (whose highly-anticipated second studio album will arrive in 2007) described the infamous album leak as “inevitable as the Christmas cold I can feel coming”. Album leaks have become so prevalent that it’s met with surprise when a major artists unreleased work doesn’t end up on file sharing networks!

Why is it so prevalent? Finding that rare "promo" is something every fan of music, irrespective of genre, seeks out. However the prevalence of the Internet (which don't forget was actually created to share files) has meant that rare "promo" one person may have been lucky enough to obtain becomes so widely available. Obviously 10 years ago this wasn’t possible. When an album leaked it may have covered a city or two - now it covers the world.

What does it mean? If the world obtains an artists album a month before the official release date, it won’t fail to have a significantly adverse affect on the first week of sales figures. Ok the hardcore fan will probably buy it anyway, but the mass market won’t be so keen. For a major label’s established artist this is a problem, but the real victim is the newly signed band making their first album or an artist about to unveil their anticipated sophomore.

A small indie band who blogged about finding themselves victim said: "In the end though, it comes down to hard business realities. Despite glib assurances from some of the guilty parties, we really can’t afford to sit back and trust that everyone who downloads it before the official release date is going to rush out and buy a copy in the shops. For a small, underground, independent band like us, individual sales start to matter a lot more. The sad fact of the matter is that the business heads in the music industry still look at sales (particularly first week sales) of an album to gauge its success. The impression they receive of our success determines a large part of our future – whether or not certain people choose to invest more in us, help us out, get us on tour, get us making a third album and so on. As a result the industry has developed in such a way that everyone builds up to a release date in order to make the biggest possible impact with the businessmen. It’s not an ideal situation, but until you’re U2 there’s not much you can do about it."

But even if we are talking about an act the size of U2, if it's to be believed that a major record label in 2006/2007 still manages to fall "victim" to the album leak of one of their large acts, then they are clearly not paying enough attention to their security. Think about it. This master recording equates to millions in revenue to them, there will have been hundreds of thousands spent on studios, marketing and not to mention upto a year of everyone involved’s time and effort. If it’s to be believed that anyone can just walk up in a mastering studio or duplicating plant and run off their own copy, the record company are insulting everyone's intelligence. Is this really a terrible crime or just another marketing gimmick in an industry that has no choice but to be creative in its marketing campaign? The volume of large acts to have their album “leaked” prior to the release date over the past year is so prevalent that if its unintentional, someone isn’t doing their job correctly and is letting down the artists who pour their time, blood, sweat and tears into a project. However, if it is intentional it’s a masterstroke. After all, it’s not a bad way to create a buzz is it? Give the fans what they want, what they are desperately searching for. But keeping it unknown in the “general” public domain. Get the message boards talking, sit back and watch the online buzz take off.

How to avoid it? If the vast majority of album leaks are unintentional the music industry continue to scaremonger and force outrageously stupid answers into a problem they have no realistic idea of how to stop.

The most obvious answer to me is to "leak" the 10 songs that didn't make the album on purpose, throw those people off the scent. But which are still good enough not to let the albums down. For example, Arcade Fire have employed a very interesting “multi-formatted” approach to creating a buzz (which I shall write about later this week) around their forthcoming “Neon Bible” sophomore.

The only way forward is to offer the record buying consumer something that they can't get by downloading. Nowadays it is expected to include an additional DVD disc with the original release containing among other things promo videos and “the making of” documentary’s, that latter of which would motivate any fan. But how do you attract the “salient buyer”? This is a question I shall discuss in the future, although it’s a difficult one it is achievable.

If the album leak is unplanned then it is a crushing blow to an artist on both a personal and a business level. And although desirable, a deal that contains a provisional clause regarding album sales should a leak occur is unlikely. But on a theoretical level I am not so convinced. Would Sony, XL, EMI or Warner leave “their till” wide open all day? I am not so sure. If they did I wouldn’t want to be an artist signed with them!