Jeremy Jay – Slow Dance

Slow Dance is a dream pop record. Not in the common sense of the term which signifies ethereal and blurry bliss outs by bands like Cocteau Twins and other 4ADers, but in the sense that it is music that evokes dreams, myths, and fantasies directly through its singer’s words and affectations. Its music is steeped in rebellious pop music traditions of the 50’s (R&B), 60’s (garage rock), 70’s (punk) and 80’s (new wave), but its characters all aim for the skies found in our hearts and minds.

Jeremy Jay creates instantly catchy music out of minimal elements, mixing jangly garage rock, chilly new wave synths, skuzzy low-register riffs, and R&B into a tense and moody concoction. The music is simple but the whole project dwells in a weird WTF-ness that is difficult to pin down. Thanks to effete vocals, icy synths, and insistent beats, the mood for much of the album has an after-dark surrealism that puts it as much in the same camp with Moroder-loving, minimalist-disco acts like the Chromatics and Glass Candy as it does with twangy rockers like Duane Eddy and the Modern Lovers.

The characters celebrated here are romantic and passionate heroes, riding horses across moonbeams, being singled out by the reflecting light of a disco ball, sweetly remembering ice skating, and not afraid to ask around for a slow dance or two or three or four. At the same time, they are also solitary aesthetes, walking around town “with my pea coat on”, “traveling across the country to bring you new life”, “galloping through the forest”, and “making a stand on a block of ice”. The lead off track “We Were There” is the most energetic, upbeat track on the album, ushering things in with overlapping guitar and synth leads over a steady backbeat. “In This Lonely Town” follows, with the best riff on the album and a simple song about walking around town looking for a place to fit in. Two of the first four songs are about piloting a horse through mystical environments, with attendant calls of “Getty-up!” and “Canter, canter, canter.” Another has a chorus that is a list of corny romantic clichés, “By the fireplace/Blankets, hot chocolate/Love/ Ice…skating.” There are three songs about dancing, and the musical accompaniment on these tracks falls closer to classical R&B balladry. Standout track “Where Could We Go Tonight?” brings the album to a close with a climaxing coda and an angelic figure who keeps their “head up high” and their “feet on the ground” while they play “those strings on a noble guitar.” Throughout Slow Dance, Jay’s delivery is peppered with breathy punctuations, flat and cracking hollers, and shouts of “Yeah!” and “Play that beat!”

All the creative peculiarities combine to make the music sound precious, and make Jeremy Jay seem like some sort of strange manchild-savant. That’s not meant to be a put down. The confluence of preciousness and archetypal myth-making really brings this into focus. Although 5% of me wonders if this could be some sort of orchestrated comedy routine, I prefer to think Jeremy Jay is sincerely writing and recording with his inner child on behalf of every shy youngster in their bedroom, finding an escape while imitating their heroes in front of the full-length mirror on the back of their door. Jay has stepped through the mirror to the other side to bring us Slow Dance, and he has triumphed like the best pop idols, engaging our imagination while being simultaneously cool and strange, tender and tough, arty and poppy, traditional and innovative. This is one invitation to dance that you shouldn’t pass up.

Jeremy Jay

K Records

Drawn From Bees- And The Blind Shall Lead The Way

One of the drawbacks of pop music is the tendency to blend into the crowd. Too many bands pass off albums that sound like they could have been recorded by 10,000 other bands. What is frustrating is that those albums usually aren’t bad, they just don’t have anything that makes them stand out. Pop music’s formula shouldn’t be too hard to figure out, but it still eludes 90% of the bands that pump out music on a regular basis. The formula? Find one or two things you do well, and lean on those strengths, without exhausting their novelty. Drawn From Bees apparently got the memo.

Sonically, Drawn From Bees really isn’t that different from its peers. The group’s music plays off the noise from the guitars, which creates the musical identity of the song, which Daniel James then plays off for the song’s melody. That’s pretty much Step 1, Step 2, Step 3 for most of your bands out there. And that’s fine, because one can’t reasonably expect every good band to be groundbreaking and otherwordly unique. What one should expect is what Drawn From Bees delivers. The band capitalizes on their ability to harmonize and capture anthemic moments into art-rock songs. Drawn From Bees doesn’t use sugar-sweet melodies as much as it tries to reflect moods. I’m usually a big melody guy, but I sense Drawn From Bees doesn’t wish to highlight its songs with the common method of melody, opting for dark tones and attitude. And it’s something the members do well.

Admittedly, the album starts out on a marginal note. “Long Tooth Setting Sun” uses harmony and repetition to make its mark, but passes without much ado. The song doesn’t convey very much emotion, thus the song is forced to rely on its passable guitar riff and melody. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a decent song, but it fails to make an impression. “Waiting for the End” delves a little more into the overall sound of DFB, and again, is a pretty good song, but it’s missing something. It sounds like the song should have been slowed down and more deliberate, to darken the tones of the song. The :28 “You Can’t Relax” is just a placeholder from song 2 to song 4, so And The Blind Shall Lead the Way has starts off rather passively, as I roll my eyes and say “Hear we go again”. Then, almost from nowhere, DFB hits a remarkable 3 song stretch that serves as the core of the album. “Frozen Over Kid” opens with a shimmering guitar riff, sharp melody, accompanied with a nice harmony. The song is darker, and benefits from a marching-style drum beat, with the deliberant pace needed on “Waiting for the End.” “People (Living Underground)” follows the break-out song, and hinges itself on mood and an anthemic approach. Pulsating electronics shade the song with darker tones that enriches to no end. The drums steal the show, however, with a rolling, marching style, that sets off the song beautifully. Not to be outdone, “They Close the Door” calls back the marching drums for another round, which again, do wonders for the song. A somber, harmonic melody lushly fills the song with an accessible flavor, and even gives this art-rock song a little bit of a hook. “Amelia” follows the stellar 3 songs, which is in the same vein as “Long Tooth Setting Sun.” It’s more of a rock song than the rest of the album, but it’s still good, featuring some light piano and a solid melody. “These Philistines” goes back to the stengths of the album’s core. Marching style drums, and wobbly electronics, not to mention a tight bass line. The song is highlighted with it’s antagonistic, bleak attitude. “Lullaby” closes the album with a pretty, repetitive harmonized song that brings closure to ATBSLTW.

Drawn From Bees delivers a really good album, cemented in art-rock. I can tell that these guys have a great album in them, if they make the necessary adjustments. They should capitalize on their marching-style drums, and harmonize the hell out of their songs. After all the blandness in the majority of music, I’m refreshed by Drawn From Bees, but I urge the band to use their strengths even more. More deliberate songs, Drawn From Bees. And much more marching drums! I hope that gets the message to the group. For now, ATBSLTW, is really good work, but hopefully Drawn From Bees will soon deliver something great.

Northern Valentine & p d wilder – Untitled EP

Silber Records labelmates Robert Brown, of Philadelphia-based Northern Valentine, and p d wilder, of Texas-based Hotel Hotel, collaborated on this untitled, 6-song split EP released on the Gears Of Sand record label.  The all-instrumentals EP is a combination of solo compositions and live improvisations that Robert and p d recorded together while their bands jointly toured the U.S..

The first two tracks are Robert’s compositions, the next two tracks are live collaborations between Robert and p d from a NYC show, and the last two tracks are p d’s creations, but all are stamped with a similar signature of slow-building, droning movements. 

While some styles of music are intended as a form of temporary escape or distraction from the daily grind (i.e., bubblegum pop, disco, rave), other styles tend to turn the listener inward, focusing on hidden emotional terrain, either soothing the listener into pleasant submission or intensifying emotional disquiet.  The long and slow-developing songs on this EP fall into the latter category and it takes a listener with a stout ear to get through all 6 song in one go.

Robert’s opener “animals of the dead” is drawn out at over 12 minutes, full of minimalistic, slowly shivering, low-end strings and fluctuating, blown-glass sounds that create the feeling of a foggy harbor in outer space, with a starry twinkle here and there in the nocturnal vacuum.  Near the mid-way mark, the strings loom ponderously, giving more shape to the proceedings, as pendulous sounds materialize, forming a vibrating sphere of sounds that move in and out in volume.  The overall feeling is one of eerie disassociation from what is “known” as the usual composition of a song, which continues for the duration of the EP.

The 4 and a half-minute “solar wind” amplifies the desolation with sharply cold, windswept, rumbling sounds and twisting-dial radio static through which a garbled low-register male voice reaches out, sounding as monotone as the cylons in the 1970s TV series Battlestar Galactica.  It’s as if the cities of Earth have been leveled and all that is left is this past transmission of whirring, twittering sonics as the vocals fade in and out.

 The next track, “untitled #1″, is one of two live, collaborative efforts, and contains the juxtaposition of serious guitar drones versus odd noises.  Amorphous, hovering background sonics merge uneasily with metal ring tings, clinking plastic chips, and what sounds like the squeaky cries of a tropical bird, while repetitive, delicate, reverb guitar notes building up a third of the way through the song.

The last collaboration, “untitled #2″, is a somber affair and almost 22 minutes long, filled with guitar lines and synth notes and, again, the use of odd effects.  A continuous, attenuated push of low-key synths and strings build up amid the restless clatter of plastic chips, giving off the feel of standing in a factory assembly line, piecing together some type of throw-away, plastic atrocity.  Lamenting violin scrapes mix with other, detuned orchestral instruments by the finish.

P d’s track, “amx actic”, is relatively short at just over 4 minutes, brimming with watery, slightly bending strings and wavering flute, sounding like an orchestral maneuver on a warped tape.  The 12-minute closer and p d song “ballet” hosts deep and darker resonances of slowly-rising strings, contemplative flute, and hanging guitar drones.  

Gears of Sand

Lucinda Williams on Tour

5/28: Anaheim, CA @ House Of Blues
5/29: Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre
5/30: Phoenix, AZ @ Mesa Arts Center
6/01: Santa Fe, NM @ Paolo Soleri Amphitheatre
6/03: Denver, CO @ Denver Botanic Gardens
6/04: Boulder, CO @ Chautauqua Auditorium
6/06: Council Bluffs, IA @ Whiskey Roadhouse
6/07: ONEIDA, WI @ ONEIDA BINGO & CASINO – PAVILION NIGHTS
6/09: Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue
6/10: Covington, KY @ Madison Theatre
6/12: Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music Festival
6/14: Louisville, KY @ Brown Theater
6/15: Columbia, MO @ The Blue Note
6/17: Kansas City, KS @ Harrah’s Casino
6/18: Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
8/18: Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre

Radiohead Recording New Album?

According to an interview with BBC News, which can be found here, Radiohead’s bassist Colin Greenwood stated that the Oxford band are back in the studio with long-time producer, Nigel Godrich. “We just went in last week,” Greenwood said, “It was really good. It was really noisy and chaotic and really fun.” Radiohead getting louder? Sounds great.

This would be a quick return for the band after the four year layoff between Hail to the Thief and In Rainbows. That 2007 album was everyone’s-including this site-favorite album of the year. After rumors circulated that their managers encouraged the band to break-up during the recording of In Rainbows, anything new by everyone’s favorite band is great news to report.

Ex-Wilco Member, Jay Bennett, Passes Away

Former Wilco multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Jay Bennett passed away in his sleep early Sunday morning, he was 45. The cause of death is still unknown and an autopsy will be performed.

Bennett was an integral member to Wilco’s songwriting process and was especially important on the band’s Being There, Summerteeth and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot albums. He was asked to leave after the latter album’s completion by Jeff Tweedy.

Tweedy posted a statement on the band’s site that can be found here, it reads:

We are all deeply saddened by this tragedy. We will miss Jay as we remember him – as a truly unique and gifted human being and one who made welcome and significant contributions to the band’s songs and evolution. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends in this very difficult time.

Jeff Tweedy

Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest

Loaded with flourishing arrangements dripping with a bountiful of opulently layered music, Grizzly Bear is a master at delivering, to be succinct, gorgeous music. The group’s arc is an interesting one to follow: there was the bedroom tranquility of Horn of Plenty, which was followed by the ghostly restlessness of Yellow House and then the Brooklyn quartet’s sound changed. With their Friend EP, they employed a deeper, full-fledged ensemble and now, everything comes full circle with Veckatimest, an album that sounds so downright flawless, it feels like a dream.

Taking it apart and dissecting it almost feels wrong because of how much it feels like a complete whole. The sum of its parts is what makes this such a joyous listening experience and with the artwork, corresponding booklet and that poster (if you’re one of the lucky few) make up the rightful aesthetic method. “All We Ask” is all Ed Droste and his acoustic leanings, before the waves of drums, strings and the band’s responsive singing come crashing in. Unlike the quiet recordings on Yellow House that tended to stay the course, the songs on Veckatimest are always reaching for something grander and fuller, in both sonic scope and musical composition.

My vinyl copy was delivered at a speedy rate and as I opened it up—considering its beauty with a discerning eye—the colors pop and you are left with four sides of wholesome magnificence. The final side, a trifecta that spans the album’s closing songs, is what will firmly and justly place this album as one of the finest recordings in the past ten years. “While You Wait for the Others” is basically, Daniel Rossen’s poignant singing with that hollowed-out, full-bodied, beast of a guitar he employs. His superb skill on the instrument is one to behold and the ensuing coda is very simply, one of the year’s best musical moments. “I Live With You” then follows with Rossen featured on lead vocals again; everything seems fine until the drums and cymbals, literally, crash and slam away without a care in the world. And finally, with “Foreground,” Nico Muhly provides his best composition on Droste’s closing lullaby. With each enunciation, the music shakes and shivers underneath him, as the plaintive piano and choir close the album.

It was, arguably, the most highly anticipated and surely, the most hyped, album of the year. Leaking a near three months before its official release, illegal file-sharers have had the horrific quality mp3s on their iPods for a long time now. And it seems fitting and in many ways, honorable, that for those that still listen to music in the traditional format, that we be rewarded for out patience with such a heavenly experience. Veckatimest is everything we hoped for and more; nothing else has sounded as perfect as this does, right now.

If it sounds like I’m reaching, it’s because I am. And not because the music Grizzly Bear has made is troubling but rather, it’s so immediately heartrending and stirring that one is left speechless. The Finding Nemo nod of “Dory” is Rossen channeling his inner romantic, accompanied by a reflective guitar and Droste’s singular backing vocals, he sings about how “we’ll swim around like two Dories, let loose in the bay, la la la.” And the spook and charm doesn’t stop short with the special tone that “Fine For Now” endorses, complete with a variance of instruments and superb arrangements. Chris Taylor and Christopher Bear’s contributions are, as expected, integral parts to the band’s music and they stand out with striking clarity on the aforementioned song.

If you came looking for twelve perfect pop songs in the form of “Two Weeks,” then you came looking in the wrong direction. But everything that Veckatimest has to offer is wrapped up in musical enchantment: gripping compositions, precisely calculated shifts and alterations and the supreme musicianship of a band hitting on all cylinders. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this album and on the contrary, Grizzly Bear has clearly made the year’s best album.

“Two Weeks” by Grizzly Bear

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“Cheerleader” by Grizzly Bear

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Warp Records

Outrageous Cherry – Universal Malcontents

Universal Malcontents refreshes late 1960′s and early 70′s bubblegum and power pop. More traditional and rootsy than other pop rock revitalizers like The New Pornographers or, from earlier days, The Cars, Outrageous Cherry fits the current indie scene well, sporting strong vocal harmonies, abundant pop hooks, and solid rhythm guitars. The band has practice and pedigree—some members have been jamming out catchy pop for 3 decades now. Outrageous Cherry’s core formed in Detroit 16 years ago, and Universal Malcontents is their 9th release.

Pop influences saturate the album, which mixes different moods, sounds, and tempos, usually keeping song lengths modest. The tones and musicianship are nearly flawless, even when the mix isn’t so hot. Universal Malcontents is full of sweet spots. “The Song Belongs to Everyone” is an early favorite. The lyrics offer wry comments on the music industry: “The song belongs to everyone, but I want my 50% for time spent”. Front man Matthew Smith delivers an unaffected, although occasionally dispirited vocal through all the catchy turns and head nodding rhythms. The next track, “I Wouldn’t Treat My Enemies the Way You Treat Yourself”, is 2 and half minutes of upbeat, fluid pop chord progressions that meld seamlessly with the backing and lead vocals. Fuzzy, rough guitars splatter the simple, understated beat.

Those highlights are only outdone by the album’s 2 closing numbers, “Outsider” and “Memory”. “Outsider”, an 8 minute back yard jam with a heavy dose of psychedelics, exudes relaxation. There’s so much to like: the layered vocals; the acoustic guitar rhythm and fuzzed out lead; the ambling bass line bouncing along. The strumming and overall movement of the song lend it an infectious, classic sound. This lengthy track is divided by a manageable string of acoustic and psychedelic electric guitar solos that make this one of the very few 8 minute songs that stay interesting.

The muffled rhythms and tambourine on “Memory” kick off this driving pop song which, at under 2 and a half minutes, makes a great follow-up to “Outsider”. “Memory” is a simple song that marches ahead and never looks back. It also closes the album with some of the best lyrics: “I know you much better than ever before, but you don’t want to hear it / You’ve been keeping secrets, try to ignore and hope no one gets near your / Memories, like a horror movie, cheap soap opera, broken down TV / Filling your eyes as the future whispers where to go when nothing much glitters anymore / And I’ve seen you there smiling, and you just can’t hide it, baby / Your memories won’t make you wise, your memory is a thin disguise”.

Universal Malcontents only misfires on tracks 3, “It’s Not Rock N’ Roll (And I don’t Like It)”, and 8, “Get Out While You Can”. These songs never really get off the ground and sound too benign at moments when the album could have used a little more edge. These are hasty treatments that probably should have been cut.

Outrageous Cherry is in well worn territory, so what value do they add to our musical catalog? Not a lot, really, but that doesn’t mean Universal Malcontents isn’t an excellent pop album. The band does what they do very well, so give it a listen, especially is you prefer the sounds of 60′s and 70′s era pop rock.

Alive Records

Skeletons With Flesh On Them – All The Other Animals

 

Skeletons With Flesh On Them is surprisingly fun, spirited rock and roll, and has no pretensions or desires to be anything else. In an age where bands feel forced to break genre conventions and be something more than just a good band, this group’s down to earth, grassroots approach is refreshing and sorely needed.

All The Other Animals is a little Margot and The Nuclear So and So’s, a little Caspar and The Cookies, a chunk of Weezer, and a smidgen of Death Cab For Cutie. It’s an earnest record that’s all smiles and heart, and belongs in the collection of anyone whose a fan of two or more of the bands above. It’s totally uplifting, with syrupy melodies and some real bite to the guitars. But ultimately, it lacks ambition. It’s one thing to flip a giant middle finger at the avant garde and the freak folk and the Afro-Cuban Columbia grad studentcore scenes by releasing a simple, good natured rock and roll record, but it’s another thing to sound flimsy and lacking by the second half. Good rock and roll is chunky, visceral, and sharp—at their best, Skeletons With Flesh On Them achieve this, with its own unique brand of quirkiness and light hearted charm. At its worst, the band just sounds washed out—a jumbled, weak mess of noodley chords and paper-thin vocals. At its most worst, all of it just sounds the same—the death knell of any band willing to triumphantly stick to formula.

 

I get what Skeletons With Flesh On Them is trying to do, and I appreciate it. Fuck being different—what matters is being good, and doing what you love to do, right. Do they succeed? Not totally. Is All The Other Animals a good listen? Absolutely.

Wilco – Ashes of American Flags DVD

With any new Wilco release comes a certain air of excitement; a sense of anxiousness, if you will, that does not subside until one can get their hands on it. If you’re familiar with Wilco’s spectacular, 2005 live, double album, Kicking Television: Live in Chicago, then you probably know that along with Radiohead, My Morning Jacket, et al., they are one of the best live bands today.

And with the release of its first live album/film, Ashes of American Flags, Wilco has once again, solidified itself as an amazing live band. It makes sense too, that with its next full-length on the horizon, for Wilco to make this well-timed decision. The members about to embark on a huge tour, the new album was streaming and sounds very promising (more on that review next month) and they are coming off, arguably, their weakest album to date.

All of this aside, Ashes of American Flags, finds a poised, accomplished band commenting on America and how much it has changed. But the sequencing works in its advantage, with these interviews and commentaries coming in brief, focused sections. Allowing the music—which is performed in four significant, American venues—to take center stage (no pun intended); Wilco shines with the magnitude and importance it is known for.

Even though Sky Blue Sky was a tad underwhelming, to say the least, Wilco is able to turn those songs into compelling music in a live setting. One of the many standouts comes with “You Are My Face,” and its entire progression. Harmonizing and uniting to deliver the opening verse, Jeff Tweedy and bassist John Stirratt peacefully sing together. Then, as the music shifts to the minor, you begin to hear Nels Cline’s guitar fight against Tweedy’s before exploding into a thunderous solo. At the climax, Tweedy returns with what has become one of his best vocal deliveries, singing, “I have no idea, how this happened.” It passes and the ending lulls away with Mikael Jorgensen’s pacing piano in proud assistance.

The band’s commentaries are particularly engaging and enticingly welcoming. Tweedy talks about how “Hank Williams was as much a pop star as Madonna was” and how he wishes music would scale back on abstract thinking and focus more on representative art. His bandmates note on how Tweedy always knows what he’s doing and not only do we see, but we hear from the band, just how hard life on the road can be. One of the best drummers in all of music, Glenn Kotche, is shown constantly practicing and Stirratt shares his opinion on American life and its “Wal-Mart-zilation.” Showcasing a true American band, right in the heart of America, the film ultimately succeeds in featuring earnest, sincere human beings who just happen to make remarkable music.

The performances and songs are varied as the band chose music from nearly all of their albums. And a few of the performances are taken from the band’s sound-check, providing an in-depth look at their undeniable aptitude. Tweedy is a joy to see, whether he’s in his Elvis-reminiscent white suit with glittered flowers, or reserved in his jacket and jeans, he is charming, amiable and with that voice, you just can’t lose. His voice shrieks on “Kingpin” and when he asks the crowd to join in, everything breaks loose.

There’s enough here to delight Wilco fans of all generations, it’s hard to believe these guys have been a band for almost fifteen years now. The energy and lively character that prevails in their live shows is exceptional; hearing “Shot in the Arm” is proof alone. And the DVD also allows for all of the songs, and the extras, to be downloaded in their audio format. Even the ones left off the DVD like “At Least That’s What You Said” are absolutely magnificent. It gives you something exciting and special to look forward to (I’ll be seeing them for the first time in June) and if nothing else, it’s another essential release in Wilco’s immense catalog. And with Wilco, that’s all you can ask for.

Nonesuch

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