New music from founding members of The Slip
The two brothers, Brad and Andrew Barr, from The Slip have put together a new outfit conveniently called The Barr Brothers. They’re currently working on a full length album due out later this year but the first song has been made available for our listening pleasure.
Beggar In The Morning by The Barr Brothers
The song finds the two brothers playing towards their strengths, which is in my opinion a tribal, almost religious like melody and rhythm combo. This style is very reminiscent of artists like Paul Simon or U2. Although the U2 comparison is more on the religious / spiritual realm then tribal. And this particular song weighs heavier on that scale then it does on it’s African roots, which is a place that drummer Andrew spent time studying.
They are teamed up with a harpist, Sarah Page, who they became close friends with after both brothers moved to Montreal from Boston about five years ago. This song doesn’t tell us too much about how they’re incorporating Sarah into the music since as far as I can tell she’s not on this track. But perhaps the harp is being used with some sound effect that my untrained ear isn’t able to pick up.
As of right now their tour doesn’t bring them to Boston. The closest show will be Montreal. They’ll be opening for The Low Anthem, their Rhode Island compadres. But what is exciting news is that Surprise Me Mr. Davis, the Barr brothers other outfit besides The Slip, will be playing in Cambridge at Club Passim, one of my favorite new spots to catch music, on April 13th.
Buy tickets to the Club Passim show
New Caribou track – “Odessa”
On April 20th, Caribou releases his new album, Swim, onto the masses on Merge Records here in the states and City Slang in the UK and Europe (released on 19th). The first track to come out is Odessa.
While I’m excited for many albums this year (Hot Chip, Arcade Fire, Radiohead, etc), Caribou is definitely at the top of my anticipation list. This track just fuels the fire. With his signature tribal / psychedelic undertones, this track is a killer. However, it’s more dancey then some of his other material. The drums aren’t as jittery. They’re more straight forward and don’t stray too far off the four beat reservation. There’s a real disco vibe, most notably pronounced by a treble heavy guitar riff that pops it’s head out from time to time. But there are twist and turns that keep the Caribou signature in tact. Overall this is a fantastic song and I look forward to hearing more of the album when it comes out.
While one of the biggest reasons I admire Dan is his versatility to mix complex rhythms with psychedelic melodies, I’m quite confident that if he decides to infuse dance music in this next album that he’ll take the genre by storm and show most of these kids who think they know how to create a good electronic dance album a thing or two.
Recently added video (2/19) for Odessa:
Buy Caribou (formerly known as Manitoba) albums
Beach House – Pitchfork Videos and that’s all
I’m not writing much about Beach House because enough has already been said but here are some videos from Pitchfork TV that I will share. For those who happen to stumble on my blog and have never heard of this band or about the hype surrounding their recent release, Teen Dream
Download Norway (Courtesy of Pitchfork)
Instrumental music from Asthmatic Kitty Records
Asthmatic Kitty Records has some pretty cool stuff going on with their catalog series that includes a number of popular artists playing instrumental music based on certain themes (Insomnia, Tropical Savagery, Memory). Their hope is that this music will eventually play as background music for when you’re doing dishes, commuting, cooking, sleeping (or trying to sleep), and one that caught my eye, playing high stakes poker. Our poker club has a tourney coming up so it’s perfect timing.
Here are some samples from some of the catalogs available and if you dig, click on the volume to purchase the full album.
“Alpha to Theta” (by Lowell Brams feat. Sufjan Stevens)
From: Music for Insomnia: Vol 4
“Amazonian Pacific” (by Roberto Lange)
From: Music for Memory: Vol 5
“Conquerers” (by Yuuki Matthews)
From: Music for Tropical Savagery: Vol 6
And one of my favorites is this soul shakedown from volume 2, Music for Measurements. This is the one that you play right as you’re staring your opponent down in a high stakes poker game, with sweat from your brow, you give him a wink and throw in all your chips with a smirk and a grin. “Bring it on”, he says.
“Law 2″ (by Law of the Least Effort)
From: Music for Measurements: Vol 2.
But in all seriousness, give this Volume 2 more of listen over at Law of the Least Effort’s myspace page and check out these jams.
Atlas Sound and the magical vamp of Bradford Cox
Slowly but surely Bradford Cox has become one of my favorite artists over the past couple of years. Ever since I saw Deerhunter at the ICA down on the Boston Waterfront I’ve been craving any and everything that Brad puts his hands on.
I just picked up the new album, Logos, from Atlas Sound, Brads other outfit. I’ve completed one full cycle of the album but the songs “Walkabout”, which I first heard on the Mondo Boys Weird Summer mix that I picked up from Aquarium Drunkard earlier this summer, and the Laetita Sadier vocal track, “Quick Canal”, have been on repeat for the entire week. Those two tracks alone are vaulting this album clearly into my favorite albums of the year list.
“Walkabout”, the Noah Lennox (aka Panda Bear) guest vocal track on the album, was a quick favorite among bloggers back in the summer. And “Quick Canal” is quite possibly one of the most beautiful songs I’ve heard in a long time. The opening vamp envelopes you in comfort and the beat keeps you from falling into a coma while Laetita’s voice seduces your brain waves. But that underlying keyboard vamp stays with you. I’m a big Dogtown and Z Boys fan and the vamp that surfaces throughout the soundtrack, that vamp that emulates the “dreams come true” phenomenon of those kids, is a powerful sound. One that Brad uses masterfully on this track.
And how can you not love an artist who frequently gives away his work for free. Head over to the Deerhunter blog where Brad posts mixes of his favorite music and also gives away b-sides from both Deerhunter and his Atlas Sound projects.
Download Atlas Sound covering Fleetwood Mac cover - “Walk a Thin Line”
Download – “Walkabout” (ft. Noah Lennonx)
Members of Black Moth Super Rainbow and others release Halloween single
They’ve already got a creepy vibe going so having members of Black Moth Super Rainbow as part of your Halloween special is a good start to a creepfest.
They have a CD that glows in the dark accompanying two tracks (“Shrieks” and “Creaks”). The collaboration includes members of BMSR, The Appleseed Cast, Casket Girls and Dreamend and they’re going by the name of Marshmallow Ghosts. Kind of lowers the creep factor after you reveal their band name.
Download & Listen to a snippet of “Shrieks”
Order the single at Graveface Records - or buy it from a local record shop
You can feel the chilly, damp breeze as you walk down those dark, back country roads that the kids from BMSR live around in their sleepy Pennsylvania town. I can almost smell the acid dripping from the rusty nails dangling from atop of the haunted mansion.
Washed Out is a blow out – “Belong”
I have a new obsession and it’s called Washed Out. The man behind the music is Ernest Greene and he hails from Macon, Georgia. I spent some time traveling to Savannah, GA during my college years and I can tell you that the slow grooves felt throughout his music is a perfect back drop to the Georgia lifestyle.
As noted in his Pitchfork interview, he grew up in a very rural part of Georgia where peaches flow like wine. This rustic environment may have led to one of the strong points on his songs which is the muffled production that creates a lo-fi, muddled sound. Like a tape that’s been sitting in the back seat of your car for too long, melting in the sun.
Speaking of tapes, he’s releasing a cassette-only release on a small label from Charleston called Mirror Universe. As of his interview with p-fork, they were only set on releasing 100 copies. By the sounds of the voices calling out from the online universe, that is not nearly enough.
But do not fret, most of his music is available digitally and also on vinyl. I highly recommend you check out his EP, Life of Leisure, which is available in places like eMusic.
A track not found on the latter EP, “Belong”, is what first beckoned me to learn more about this southern musician. It encompasses all that is great with 80’s synth-pop and then some. There’s so much reverb and echo on his vocals that there’s no helping your mind from being pulled into submission. From there, the beats and bass pound away till your legs, feet and arms subconsciously flow in unison.
Download & Listen: “Belong”
Buy Washed Out music: (eMusic) (Amazon)
Washed Out is on the Mexican Summer label which is an off shoot from Kemado Records.
The Clean – new album out September 8th
These New Zealanders have been rocking since 1979 and show no signs of slowing down. They release Mister Pop (Merge Records) on September 8th and you can download two tracks from the album over at RCRD LBL. Give them a listen below and get excited for an entire album full of sharply written pop jangles.
Remembering middle school with Better Than Ezra
If you grew up going to grade school in the 90’s, then you know you jammed out to “Good” by Better Than Ezra at one point in your life. Well, get ready, cause you have another chance to grab that girl across the dance floor you woosed out on asking to dance in middle school to that song when they swing in to Boston to play the Paradise Rock Club on June 20th.
Believe it or not, Better Than Ezra has a loyal fan base and they call themselves, get ready, the “Ezralites”. Another little tid-bit I learned about the trio from New Orleans, no one really knows the origin of their band name. The band purposely kept it a secret as a promotional tool.
They aren’t on tour to relive the old days, they are alive and kicking and recently came out with some new material on the album, Paper Empire, released on May 12th.
Buy Tickets to the Paradise Show
Better Than Ezra official website
Purchase Paper Empire (iTunes) (CD)
Listen & Download: “Absolutely Still” (off of Paper Empire)
Listen to “Good” over at the Hype Machine and become one with your pegged jeans
Full Tour Schedule:
June 16 9:30 Club Washington, DC
June 17 Trocadero Philadelphia, PA
June 18 Thursday At The Square Buffalo, NY
June 19 The Fillmore NY @ Irving Place New York, NY
June 20 Paradise Rock Club Boston, MA
June 23 House Of Blues Cleveland, OH
June 25 The Vogue Indianapolis, IN
June 26 4th Street Live Louisville, KY
June 27 House Of Blues Chicago, IL
June 28 Summerfest Milwaukee, WI
July 9 Alive @ 5 Stamford, CT
July 10 Bottle &Cork Dewey Beach, DE
July 11 The NorVa Norfolk, VA
July 12 The National Theatre Richmond, VA
July 14 The Rex Theatre Pittsburgh, PA
July 15 Emerald Theatre Mount Clemens, MI
July 17 Snowden Grove Ampitheatre Southaven, MS
July 18 40 Watt Club Athens, GA
July 19 3rd &Lindsley Nashville, TN
July 24 Kansas City Live Kansas City, MO
July 25 The Pageant St. Louis, MO
August 13 Plaza De Cesar Chavez San Jose, CA
August 21 Power Plant Live Baltimore, MD
August 22 Budweiser Downtown Live Raleigh, NC
October 4 Gretna Heritage Festival Gretna, LA
October 7 Walt Disney World Resort, Epcot Center Orlando, FL
October 17 Great Miss. River Balloon Race Natchez, MS
Andrew Bird @ BoA Pavilion this Friday in Boston
That crazy melody making whistler is gracing us with his presence this Friday at the BoA Pavilion. I’m excited cause it’s my first show at the pavilion (also known as Harbor Lights) this summer and it never officially feels like summer until I get down there. I’m hoping our weather will feel the same way and open up its heart to summer time weather once the birdman passes through our corner of the world. Seriously, this weather is getting to be a bit depressing.
If you’re new to Andrew Bird, I highly recommend starting with the album, Mysterious Production of Eggs. This is the album that first grabbed a hold of me and it was the song, “A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left”, off of this album that first drew me to investigate the “mysterious” songstress. I even remember the blog it came from, lovely Fluxblog (Grab it from My Old Kentucky Blog).
The great thing about seeing Andrew live is the songs are often changed up from their studio arrangements. Andrew is truly a modern day prodigy and can never seem to stop thinking about different arrangements for all the melodies floating in his brain (Read his New York Times article on how he writes songs in their Measure for Measure blog).
On the albums, Andrew writes and I believe plays most if not all the instruments. However, instead of watching him create loops for half the show (it’s more like a quarter), he brings along some friends to jam out. Martin Dosh provides back up on percussion, loops and keys. Keep an eye out for “Simple X”, a Dosh song that made it on Andrew’s previous release, Armchair Apocrypha. The last show I saw they nailed it and the song highlights Dosh’s otherworldly percussion skills. Jeremy Ylvisaker supports on the guitar, bass, organ and shortwave. A recent addition is Mike Lewis, who plays with Jeremy Ylvsaker in Alpha Consumer.
Buy Noble Beast (released in January 2009)
Download & Listen: “Oh No” (from Noble Beast)
Official Andrew Bird website: www.andrewbird.net
Myspace page: www.myspace.com/andrewbird
Tour Dates:
Jun 15 – Cobb Energy PAC – Atlanta, GA
Jun 18 – Radio City Music Hall – New York, NY
Jun 19 – Bank of America Pavilion – Boston, MA
Jul 10 – Greek Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
Jul 11 – Greek Theatre – Berkeley, CA
Jul 13 – Red Butte Garden – Salt Lake City, UT
Jul 14 – Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO
Jul 16 – Britt Pavilion – Jacksonville, OR
Jul 17 – Marymoor Amphitheatre – Redmond, WA
Jul 18 – McMenamins Edgefield Amphitheater – Troutdale, OR
Jul 19 – McMenamins Edgefield Amphitheater – Troutdale, OR
Jul 26 – Squaw Velley Ski Resort – Olympic Valley, CA
Aug 7 – Lollapalooza – Grant Park – Chicago, IL
Aug 8 – Lollapalooza – Grant Park – Chicago, IL
Aug 9 – Lollapalooza – Grant Park - Chicago, IL
Oct 2 – Austin City Limits Festival – Austin, TX
Oct 3 – Austin City Limits Festival – Austin, TX
Oct 4 – Austin City Limits Festival – Austin, TX
About Editor
Name: Luke "Kip" Owen
Location: Boston, MA
Contact: kippy[AT]hip2besquare[DOT]net
Twitter: twitter.com/kipdog
Youtube: youtube.com/kipdog
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