REVIEW: King Post Kitsch -- The Party's Over

I became aware of some intriguing King Post Kitsch recordings in 2010. I liked them and listened to them, but didn't focus much on the artist. This spring, I became aware of the quite excellent free EP he released on Bandcamp (highly recommend, by the way), which we noted a few weeks back. I also became aware of increasing buzz surrounding his new album, so I resolved to investigate further.

Charlie Ward, AKA King Post Kitsch, is a young Glasgow lad who moved to London to study sound engineering. Over the last three or four years, in addition to his work on the sound boards, he has been writing and recording the songs which comprise The Party's Over in various locales in England and Scotland. The album, which is released on Matthew Young's Edinburgh-based Song By Toad Records, contains ten songs of impressive quality and variety. Ward writes his intentions large right out of the gate. The first song is "Portland Street Pt 2", which reminds many of us of the great Syd Barrett (it also may be the first rock song with a piccolo riff that you hear this year). The second song is the lo-fi garage stomper "Don't You Touch My Fucking Honeytone", the name of which was a working title that never was replaced.

King Post Kitsch - Don't You Touch My Fucking Honeytone by Song, by Toad

Delicate Cloud Cult-like dream pop infuses "Fante's Last Stand", which is the third track. It was written after Charlie read a story about John Fante writing his last book.

Fante's Last Stand from King Post Kitsch on Vimeo.

One inevitable tick ingrained in the chattering class of music bloggers is "name that influence". In some cases, we may actually be naming an influence. In others, we may just be telling the reader what the music reminds us of rather than identifying an actual influence. In either case, it serves a purpose when we are trying to describe to you music that you can't hear. With that background, I note that Charlie's apparent influences are of the best possible taste. In addition to the aforementioned Syd Barrett, other influences noted by reviewers (or Charlie himself) are Echo and the Bunnyman, The Kinks (in "Walking on Eggshells", which is provided below), Bon Iver (I don't hear that one, but I don't "get" Bon Iver), The Zombies, and perhaps even my beloved Sonics ("Honeytone"). And "You Talk Too Much" calls to mind the power pop of Big Star, while "The Werewolf Hop" reminds me of Warren Zevon for more than one reason. But on a broader scale an album of this variety, wit, bravado and production quality calls to my mind Robyn Hitchcock, 69 Love Songs-era The Magnetic Fields and, perhaps, a slice of The Beatles' White Album.



"Walking on Eggshells" is one of the album's highlights. Charlie commented that it started out as a folk song, but transformed when he ran an organ through a distortion pedal.

King Post Kitsch - Walking on Eggshells by Song, by Toad

The Party's Over is the opening statement of an artist of great promise, and it is an album that I am very glad to have and enjoy now, and reference later when listening to his subsequent work. I think for Charlie, the party's just beginning.

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Album link at Song By Toad Records ("Walking on Eggshells" available free)

REVIEW: David Bazan - Strange Negotiations

If you're familiar with Bazan, you know the background: he was the writer and leader of the band Pedro the Lion for years, making music in which he talked about God and man and their complicated relationship. The band had a good sound, but I don't recall hearing a Pedro the Lion record I liked anywhere near as much as this disc. In fact, I will admit that I'm just now catching back up with Bazan, having heard the song "People" and being drawn in by the music and lyrics... and happy to discover that Strange Negotiations is a terrific record.

Some of the songs on here are absolutely irresistible: if they didn't rock so hard, the lyrics on "People" and "Wolves at the Door" would pull you in anyway. But they do, and they do...

The record has a big sound, and Bazan is putting it all in the service of, for want of a better term, preaching. While his recent solo albums apparently detailed his "breakup" with God, I would swear a lot of this record is written from a point of view you could only ascribe to an omniscient, loving being who cares enough to tell some unpleasant truths:

From "People":

i wanna know who are these people
blaming their sins on the fall
who are these people
if i’m honest with myself at all
these are my people
man what else can i say
you are my people
and we’re the same in so many ways

"People" is an amazing song. I will resist the temptation to just quote the whole thing here, because the lyrics are better heard in the context of the music.

And from "Messes":

you used to keep me a secret
that nobody else could know
made me feel so alone
but i’ll be damned if i let it show
but now it’s like you hardly know me
so i’ve been busy minding my own
but i’m finding your finger prints
in some places they don’t belong
be careful cause the lights come on
without a warning

Matthew 25:13, anyone? Whether written from the point of view of God or an angry, disillusioned former Christian, that's a message that is truly timeless and it's wrapped in a stunning, beautiful rock record.

Listen at Soundcloud:

Wolves At The Door by David Bazan

[UPDATE]...And here's a video for "Wolves at the Door" from a recent live performance:



David Bazan Website

David Bazan at Barsuk Records

Cool Video Thursday

The first video is for "Adversity" by Beach Fossils.


"Little Smug Supper Club" by Ted Leo.


This is a portion of a video from a new project called Demoniaques, comprised of Tamaryn and Dee Dee Penny of the Dum Dum Girls. The project name is a tribute to the French film maker Jean Rollin.

Les Demoniaques - Teenage Lust (teaser) from Honey Suckled Video on Vimeo.

From Discopolis, Scotland's hottest young electo-rock band, we have "When Ghosts Get Angry".

New Discovery: Shimmering Stars

I can call this garage rock without fear of complete contradiction, because the music was born of Rory McClure's initial recording in his parents' garage in Kamloops, British Columbia. However, apparently the impetus for young Rory's endeavors was the discovery of some old Everly Brothers tapes, and a listen to the following Shimmering Stars' songs highlights the Everly influence. Here is a stream of a self titled LP they released in 2010. The first song is available for free download.


The band consists of Rory McClure, Andrew Dergousoff, and Brent Sasaki (some descriptions call them a four piece, but the label only lists three members), and they are based in Vancouver, British Columbia. They recently signed to Hardly Art Records, which will release the band's LP, Violent Hearts, in the fall (the European release will be on Almost Musique). The music is classic melodies and harmonies with a fair amount of shimmer and reverb.

Update: Here is a video for the song "I'm Gonna Try":

Shimmering Stars - I'm Gonna Try from Salazar on Vimeo.

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RIP Carl Gardner (The Coasters)

Carl Gardner, lead singer of the Coasters, died on Sunday. The Coasters were loosely part of the doo wop movement of the late 50's but they were immensely influential architects of rock'n'roll. The Coasters had a string of innovative and infectious hit songs written by the team of Leiber and Stoller. Gardner's lead vocals were a big part of their magic.

"Poison Ivy" was one of these hits, so cool that a member of the Cramps took her name from the title of the song. This live version was recorded long after the band's heyday, but Gardner's voice still sounds great:



And in the classic "Yakety Yak", Gardner sang the immortal words:

Don't you give me no dirty looks
Your father's hip he knows what cooks
Just tell your hoodlum friends outside
you ain't got time to take a ride.



"Young Blood" was one of their best known songs and has been covered by Leon Russell, Bad Company and many others, including even Scotty McCready on this season's American Idol, and another band you may know:



Read more about the Coasters in their Wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Coasters

Emerging Northwest Bands: Point Juncture, WA

The title of the series (i.e. Emerging Seattle Bands) had to be modified for this edition, because Point Juncture, WA is a collaboration of four Portland, Oregon musicians -- Amanda Spring (vocals, drums) Victor Nash (keyboards, vocals) Skyler Norwood (guitar, vibraphone) and Wilson Vediner (guitar). In the past six years they have released three albums. Juxtapony (2004) and Mama Auto Boss (2005) were solid Pacific Northwest indie pop. In 2009, they released Heart to Elk, in which they displayed a broader array of influences and a broader palate of musical expression.


In May, Point Juncture, WA released their latest full length, Handsome Orders on Mt. Fuji Records. The album was recorded in the band's home studio. However, don't assume that home recording means low quality. The songs are both lush and energetic. The guitars are reverbed and fuzzed, while the vocals have a boy/girl delivery.

"Violin Case" is the first video released with respect to the album:


Overall, I think that Handsome Orders is the sound of a band growing up. That isn't to suggest that their prior work was juvenile or disposable. What is means is that the variety of music on this album, coupled with the quality of the musicianship, makes this album a remarkable effort. Some tunes are orchestral or dream pop. The closer, Boston Gold, is a fuzzed guitar power pop tune. However, the variety doesn't result in chaos or disconnect. The band lives together, cooks together, and has toured extensively together. It is a tight unit and the listener can sense their ability to feed off of each other.

"The Economics of Basketball" is a lovely song:

ECONOMICS OF BASKETBALL - POINT JUNCTURE WA from NORTH KOREAN BBQ on Vimeo.

The album possesses a full sound. Bass, guitar, keyboards, horns, drums, and even dissonance is all part of the texture to support and accent the melody. The album isn't like many other indie pop albums you will try this year, but I suspect you'll agree that it is a delightful discovery.

Here is a live version of "New Drags", the fifth track on the album:


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REVIEW: Tedeschi-Trucks Band - Revelator

Revelator is the first disc from Derek Trucks, his wife Susan Tedeschi and their large band. It has been in the works for the last 18 months or so, but the idea has been germinating since they first met in 1998, when Trucks was on tour with the Allman Brothers Band. First observation: these folks can really, really play and sing. From Trucks' Duane-inspired slide guitar to Tedeschi's clear, strong vocals, the double drummers, and the horns and Hammond B3 organ, it all reflects great ability and dedication... but there's something more here, a love of tradition that makes their approach irrestible to me. If you know anything about my tastes, you may be aware that "originality" is not something I value in and of itself. And while the influences and precursors are easy to spot, that's not a hindrance in the least.

Here's a video about the making of the record:



Most of the songs feature plenty of Trucks' stinging slide guitar work, especially on the outros of the 5:00-plus "Midnight in Harlem" and "Bound For Glory". But he plays all kinds of guitars on here, and Tedeschi contributes some guitar work as well. And there are some nice soul ballads: "Simple Things" features the Hammond B-3 and piano moreso than the guitar, and "Until You Remember" has a nice horn intro, and also some excellent piano playing.

Here's a video of them performing "Midnight in Harlem" live:



Tedeschi's vocals, while clear and strong, are refreshingly not "oversung": notes are not stretched, twisted and tortured like in so much "neo-soul" music. It looks like she at least co-wrote 8 of the 12 songs on the record, and she sings them to let the songs shine through, with obvious respect for her blues, soul and gospel forebears. And the smoothness of her vocals are nicely offset by the earthy sounds of Derek's guitar:



The band is built around a husband and wife guitar/vocal team, and a lot of the support (keyboards, bass, composing and arranging) is supplied by a pair of brothers (Oteil and Kofi Burbridge), who have played with Tedeschi and Trucks in different groups and arrangements for several years. There are multiple connections and stellar resumes all over this record, but the thing that is obvious to me is the respect all these players have for Tedeschi, Trucks and their musical vision. The players are very comfortable playing together and this results in a cohesive record that goes from soul with horns to Southern boogie to gospel-tinged chorus, to the all-out rock of "Love Has Something More to Say".

If you like Southern rock, I highly recommend giving this a listen. You'll find musical reminders of Southern rock bands like The Allman Brothers Band and The Marshall Tucker Band to go along with the obvious touchpoints of blues, gospel, soul and swamp rock.

Tedeschi Trucks Band Website

Stream at AOL

REVIEW: Edinburgh School for the Deaf -- New Youth Bible

Behold the good news, today brings us the release of the New Youth Bible -- the word of the day brought to us by Edinburgh School for the Deaf. Our first verses are from "Of Scottish Blood and Sympathies". The track starts out with a squall of feedback, but then settles into a measured story of death and transition.
01 Of Scottish Blood and sympathies by Edinburgh School for the

The second track, "Eleven Kinds of Loneliness" is a delicate, sad song of lovers parting. And it bridges to one of the highlight tracks, the sonic maelstrom of "13 Holy Crowns", in which the protagonist seems to be challenging the Almighty. Yes, a weighty topic, and the music matches it.
03 13 Holy Crowns by Edinburgh School for the

The players in ESftD are:
Ashley : Vocal and sweeter guitar
Jamie : Drums
Grant : Bass guitar and shouting.
Kieran : Vocal and sourer guitar.
The musical space in which ESftD travels is that space bound by pop melody and noise, the same territory explored by such worthies as The Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth, Ride, the lamented Manhattan Love Suicides, The Velvet Underground and the recently reviewed Crystal Stilts. More specificly, ESftD straddles the noise pop/shoegaze line, with a bit of attitude. Some have used the term "shoepunk", but the band seems to prefer Death Jangle. For some bands, the danger in this style is that in the band's pursuit of feedback drenched waves of sound, the songs become shapeless. ESftD deftly avoids that pitfall because the rhythm section of Jamie on drums and Grant on bass masterfully provide a structure to contain and shape the songs, allowing Kieran and Ashley to turn up their guitars.

But despite the fuzz and feedback, furious bass and driving percussion, pop songs are at the core of the bands' work. Admittedly, the pop songs here are not songs of cheer, but I find that to be part of the charm. In one of my favorite tracks, twins Grant and Ashley remind us that "Love is Terminal:

....
Love is terminal, Love is terminal
....
At first it hides it's sickness,
At first it wouldn't dare confess
It hides it's wounds in powders and lotions,
It hides it's sores and dries it's eyes
It never complains and it's all brave smiles
Love is terminal, Love is terminal...

Originally, the song is in Grant's voice. When Ashley drops in, one wonders whether the female voice will provide a hopeful counterpoint. But her contribution parallels Grant's--"Love is terminal".
05 Love. Is. Terminal by Edinburgh School for the

A final aural note for this post is provided by my favorite of the slower tempo songs on the album, "All Hands Lost". The song is a lament over what has been lost, or is being lost, and the feeling that what is left is unsatisfying. Thus the refrain: "I need something better than this to stare into/ Something less haunted, something less haunted, something else."
04 All hands lost by Edinburgh School for the

In my view, this is a noteworthy debut album. The band has a vision, a sound that many will find of interest, and the ability and drive to perform it. I look forward to the refinement of Edinburgh School for the Deaf. If I may offer a listening note, in my view all of these songs are to be played loud, as that is the way the band plays them.


The world is a sinful place, my readers. And while I can't speak for you, I don't want to be at the end of the year without a New Youth Bible to keep me straight. If you agree, seek the good word at Bubblegum Records.

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Midnight World Pop Scout-18: Pearls; When Saints Go Machine; I Break Horses

Time for our weekly series of pop music around the work. This edition has indie from Australia, electro rock from Denmark, and shoegaze pop from Sweden.


Pearls are a band from Australia that plays drone/noise pop conveying "sad love songs". Pearls consist of Ellice, Cass and Ryan, and they record with the Re:Peater Records collective based in Glasgow.

"At Home With You"



"Better Off Alone"


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Copenhagen, Denmark gives us electro/dance rockers When Saints Go Machine. The band consists of Nikolaj Manuel Vonsild, Jonas Kenton, Simon Muschinsky and Silas Moldenhawer. The band was formed in 2007. One member is a vocalist, two members play keyboards (one of whom also is a vocalist), and one member plays drums. Their debut album Konkylie is scheduled for release this year.

"Fail Forever"


When the Saints Go Machine is signed to EMI Scandinavia. As of when I wrote this post, they were offering two free tracks in return for a "like" on their Facebook page.

"Church and Law"


"Kelly"
Kelly by When Saints Go Machine

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Another Scandinavian entry is I Break Horses, from Stockholm, Sweden. The sound is dense, shoegaze with an unmistakable Scandinavian pop gloss. Their 2011 album, Hearts consists of nine tracks. The band lists its influences as My Bloody Valentine, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and Slowdive. The members of the band are Maria Lindén and Fredrik Balck, and they record on the Bella Union label.

"Hearts"

I Break Horses - Hearts from Bella Union on Vimeo.

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Scottish Video Saturday

I think I've mentioned a few times before that Glasgow's Wake the President is my favorite indie pop group. "Elaine" is the first single from the album that will be released later this year, and now there is a video for it:


"Come On Girl" by Belle and Sebastian:


Jacob Yates and the Pearly Gate Lock Pickers covering Tom Waits "Down In the Hole" and the album launch for their new album, Luck:



Electro indie pop group A Band Called Quinn with "Wolf Cries Boy":


Scottish band Found recorded this video for their song "Anti Climb Paint" in a bakery. While the band plays, the bakers create confections that resemble records.

Old Stuff Friday - The Soul Corner: Erma Franklin, "(Take a Little) Piece of My Heart"

Okay, you think you have it bad, overshadowed by a sibling?

How would you like to be Erma Franklin, younger sister of Aretha?

But you are a good singer in your own right, so a major record company gives you a great new song to record - "(Take a Little) Piece of My Heart". It does pretty well, reaching #62 on the Billboard charts and the top 10 on the R&B charts. Not a bad start to your career.

But a few months later, the song is covered by a band called Big Brother and the Holding Company on their debut record. As if being compared to Aretha Franklin weren't tough enough, now you have to compete with Janis Joplin?! Damn, that ain't right.

But listen to this original version, which I suspect many of you have not heard before. I love this slow groove. Erma can hold her head up high.



And Erma sang back up on various of her older sister's songs, including one you might have heard called "Respect". So Erma's place in music history is secure.

Next week I will stay with this overshadowed sibling theme. Let's see if any of you can guess what's coming. It's one of the great soul ballads, by the little known younger brother, though this song made it very big and has its rightful place in soul history. ("Anonymous" SZ in Chicago - you can't guess, you know me too well, so it's too easy for you).

Emerging Seattle Bands: My Goodness

Groups don't need to be large to produce a large sound, as proved by Seattle duo My Goodness. Guitarist and drummer Joel Schneider and Ethan Jacobsen produce a dense, bluesy rock and roll--with a touch of surf--sound that puts them on a par with Ohio's Black Keys and Vancouver's Japandroids. This is the sound you want, and expect, to hear in a dimly lit bar where you've gone to have a few drinks and want to get lost in the music. They are signed to Sarathan Records, and released a self-titled LP this spring.

"I've Got A Notion"


According to Grant Brissey, of The Stranger magazine, when he saw My Goodness live they played 10 songs, declined requests for an encore, and asked for shots of Tequila. Yep, we're in rock and roll territory.

Check out the Audio page on the official website for a player with three songs as well as a free download.

Live performance from this spring:


Live performance from last fall:


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We Are Animal: "Luminous Lights"

"Luminous Lights"? Hey, that's redundant AND alliterative!

And it really rocks. This is a Welsh rock band, currently on tour in the UK...



And here's one from back in the fall (oh, I'm late on these guys, too?):



And a more recent track on Soundcloud:

Work by We are animal

I like their sound, will keep an ear out for an album.

We Are Animal Facebook

Cool Video Thursday

The history of Seattle music isn't all about grunge and DIY indie and twee. And now there is a documentary that shows Seattle's old Soul and R&B history. Here is the introductory video.

Wheedle's Groove Official Trailer from Jennifer Maas on Vimeo.

"Work", by 1, 2, 3


Video for Nine on the Line by Johnny Reb


Times New Viking has just released this video for "Try Harder":

Times New Viking - Try Harder from Merge Records on Vimeo.

If you are a fan of Panda Bear (Noah Lennox) of Animal Collective, here is the video for "Slow Motion":

I Am Harlequin: "Marianne"

I Am Harlequin is very talented London-based do-it-all artist, Anne Freier.

"Marianne" is the advance track from a forthcoming single, available via download here:

and at Soundcloud:

I am Harlequin Debut by I am Harlequin

I'd advise giving a listen to all the tracks there, as she varies her approach pretty widely. She's got a very, very strong vocal presence.

Here's a video of a solo piano/vocal version of "The Liberty":



From her website: Her influences range from classical music, particularly the Russians of the 20th century (Prokofiev, Rimski-Korsakow, Rachmaninoff), to the advanced choir arrangements in Stephen Sondheim musicals, as well as Kate Bush, Rickie Lee Jones, Grace Slick and Joni Mitchell, whom she grew up listening to.

When Anne is not at work on I am Harlequin, she can be found working on a chaos of scores and scripts. But she admits that the bulk of her time is spent on writing new material for I am Harlequin.

“I am long not out of ideas. There’s a lot more to come.”

I'm not going to give you any comparisons. She's pretty unique, and definitely worth checking out.

I Am Harlequin Website

New Sounds of Scotland-Part 17: Jacob Yates and the Pearly Gate Lock Pickers

Jacob Yates and the Pearly Gate Lock Pickers is a strong contender for band name of the year (a contest I just declared, in my usual backhanded fashion, here on When You Motor Away). Happily, the music lives up to the name. The sound is an intriguing mix of rough and tumble Glasgow, swampy American roots, blues and garage rock that the band calls Doom Wop. Although I think their take on the elements is unique enough to call their own, there are reminders of Long John Baldry (probably a lost reference to many of the young readers), Tom Waits, The Kinks and bit of Northern Soul. In addition to some of those artists, the band includes in its influences Nick Cave, The Monks and American bluesmen Junior Kimborough, RL Burnside, and Bo Diddly.

"Lemonade" was released earlier this year on Re: Peater Records as a split 7" with SHe'S HiT's "Shimmer Shimmer".


Jacob Yates' real name is Jacob Lovatt, but the band is identified on Facebook as "Jacob Yates, Jamie Yates, Rick Yates and Michael Yates", so I'm not going to dig further into the names. Jacob is the former frontman for defunct Uncle John & Whitelock, which was known for their live performances. I don't have the opportunity to see them live, but based on recording and other reviews, they can rockabilly stomp and sing a boozy ballad with the best of them.

The band is releasing an album entitled Luck and the end of the month, also on Re: Peater Records. If I can get a hold of a copy, I'll review it for you on these pages.

A clip of Jacob Yates and the Pearly Gate Lock Pickers live:


"Can't Stop" is another split with the SHe'S HiT lads.


The following two songs comprised a 2010 release by the band.



Although we usually put two or three bands in our New Sounds of Scotland series, we're going to give the entire stage to Jacob Yates and the Pearly Gate Lock Pickers today.

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REVIEW: Cults, Cults

When the buzz about a relatively new band increases to the level that most of the blogs and e-zines are breathlessly urging you to pay attention, many of us have a tendency to resist. But in the case of the new self-titled album from Cults, I urge you to embrace it. Cults is a swaggering and sexy set of sugar-coated songs of (slightly twitchy) romance, broken hearts and low level unease. For me, quite simply, it is eleven nuggets of joy.

Listen to "You Know What I Mean" while you keep reading.


New York based Cults was formed by transplanted Californians Brian Oblivion and Madeline Follin, who previously studied film. The band now has grown to five members. When I first listened to the songs on this album, I felt the same excitement I felt when I first heard The Raveonettes' "Attack of the Ghost Riders". Like The Raveonettes, Cults take a elements of classic pop music and update them for current audiences. And both groups rely on a guitar driven sound with percussion and bass up in the mix, coupled with female vocals. However, Cults don't aim for the Phil Spector/wall of sound effect with multiple reverb connections, employed so well by the Danish duo. Cults favor surfy, even rootsy, guitar figures with more modern rhythmic patterns for the bass and drum and a few vocal samples.

Given Cults' founders formerly studied film, perhaps it is no coincidence that I (and other reviewers as well) find the songs on the album have a cinematic quality. But despite the bouncing melodies and sugary vocals, this isn't John Hughes soundtrack material; it is Tim Burton/David Lynch stuff. And perhaps there is no better example that the dark little backwards storytelling in the video for album opener, "Abducted" (sorry, you may need to endure an advertisement). The song is a love song, telling the male and female sides of a relationship in terms of a psychological abduction. And it isn't a happy story.


The songs on Cults manage to be simultaneously exuberant and dark, with catchy melodies and vocals that draw you into the drama embodied by the lyrics. For example, a superficial listen to "Go Outside" subsequent evokes a sunshine and happiness created by the melody and girl-group vocals. But the song begins with a clip of Jim Jones (of Jonestown cult suicide infamy) and the lyrics reveal the singer's dissatisfaction with a companion that won't go outside, but rather chooses to "stay inside and sleep the light away". The song closes with "I think that you should wake up/I think I want to live my life and you're just in the way".
"Go Outside"


In my opinion there isn't a bad track on this album. Don't overlook the second track from the end, "Romper"; it is a stomping track that leaves a good aftertaste. Should you be bothered that it is over in fewer than 35 minutes? Of course not--do as I do and hit the replay button. You'll have over an hour of joy.

The vampy "Most Wanted"


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Moon Duo: Mazes

Just last week, I was wondering when we'd get something new from Wooden Shjips, a psychedelic band from SF I discovered last fall. Yeah, I know, you already knew about them...

Going over a few recent KEXP podcasts, I discovered a Kevin Cole podcast (Vol 249, "Hey Ho Let's Go") that contained this song:



Lo and behold, that's Ripley Johnson, the lead guitarist from Wooden Shjips! Moon Duo has been making music for a few years, and this is their latest, released March 29 on Sacred Bones Records.

Moon Duo- Mazes by sacredbones

Here's a live in-studio performance on KEXP from last year.



Had seen their name, probably on double bills with some other bands I like, but this is the first I've heard of their music, and I like it a lot. If you like Neu, Sonic Youth, Velvet Underground, or maybe the place where those three would theoretically overlap, you ought to check out Moon Duo. Really good music, made with care and some incredible guitar work.

Moon Duo Myspace

Moon Duo Website

Midnight World Pop Scout-17: Jacques Green; Woven Bones; Circle Pit

Welcome to the 17th edition of our quick exposure to pop around the globe. This week we have an act from Canada, and we've done some lazy scouting via a label in my back yard, although it has given us bands in Australia and Brooklyn.

"Another Girl" from Jacques Green is a stunning track from this Canadian R&B/House artist. I know little about Greene other than he is from Montreal and records on the LuckyMe and Night Slugs labels.



There are a number of quality songs at the Soundcloud link below.

Recent tune "Rinse"



Rinse, march 24th by Jacques Greene


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Now we have a home delivery of psychedelic garage/noise pop from Woven Bones. Woven Bones are from Austin, Texas but relocated to Brooklyn. They have released a couple of songs for Hardly Art Records, and will be releasing a full length for that label later this year. They previously release records on the Sweet Rot Records label, among others. I love the sound this band makes.

"I Gotta Get"



"Creepy Bone" is a previous release for Sweet Rot Records:



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Circle Pit is a duo formed a few years ago in Sydney, Australia by Angela Bermuda and Jack Mannix. For live shows the group expands to include Harriet Hudson, All Haddock and Jeff Lewis. In the United States, Circle Pit is signed to Hardly Art Records, a subsidiary of Seattle's Sub Pop.

Following is the video for their single, "Speed Limits":



Here are two songs, "Slave" and "Honey", which show the band's slowcore, goth face.

Circle Pit - Slave / Honey by hardlyartrecords

The band has a poppier face, as well, demonstrated by "Another Trick":



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Emerging Seattle Bands: Sports

You may be under the delusion that the life of a music blogger is all high pay, limos, private jets, fancy parties and beautiful companions. And of course you'd mostly be right. But some bands, the very people we are striving to launch into their own world of limos, private jets and groupies, make it harder. Yes, I'm looking at you, Sports. Put "sports" in a search engine and see what you get. And I don't even like baseball!

However, I forgive this Seattle electro rock outfit because they sound so damn good. Here is "Every World Is A World of Your Own":



Sports lists their record label as Crash Symbols, but they don't provide much other information.

Here you can stream their 8-track album, Sports (nice, I can search for "sports" "sports"), which was released in April.



If you like the sound of this album, it is available at the Bandcamp link below for name-your-price.

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REVIEW: Robert Pollard - Lord of the Birdcage

Bob Pollard's poetry put to music? Reminds me a bit of the song "Factory of Raw Essentials", 1:25 of meandering, beautifully-sung poetry from 2002's Universal Truths and Cycles of which I never tire... when Bob wants to put the lyrics front and center, it usually yields results like that... and this:

"I got a smashed middle finger
Let me explain that
Big kids were shooting the rock
It was a nine pound rock
I tried to stop the rock
You can’t stop the rock
It rolled over my finger
Crushed it like a grape..."

You can't stop the rock. True, and ain't that a great thing? Here's a nice explication of this song at No Ugly Babies.

This record definitely meanders and it is nowhere near as focused as the Lifeguards or Boston Spaceships discs he released earlier this year... but that's kind of the point of poetry: exploration of the sounds and relationships of words. Considering the words themselves, not so much what they mean, but how they sound, can be a very rewarding way to listen to Pollard. It's just a little more obvious here.

And it finishes strong, with "Holy Fire", an angular rocker, leading into "Ash Ript Telecopter", which just rocks.

Here's another one of the rockers, "Aspersion":



Listen in its entirety at Spinner.

Buy download at GBV Digital, and CD at Factory of Raw Essentials. Or do what I did, go by your local record store and buy a copy. Reward them for stocking Bob's records.

Old Stuff Friday - The Soul Corner - The Watts 103rd St Rhythm Band

The Soul Corner has been to Chicago, traveled down South and nearly set up residence in the Motor City. So it's time we head to the West coast.

And man does this bring back memories for me. When I was a young kid in 1969 and "Do Your Thing" came on the radio, you could guarantee the parents were turning it down and sending you the disapproving look. I think that whole jungle thing made them a little nervous.

This cooks, starts with an easy sunny day vibe, then just gets down. Love the crazy guitar sounds in the last minute.



Let's give Charles Wright and his crew one more, "Express Yourself", with a fun video that should put a smile on your face as you head into the first weekend of June, dare I say, almost summer:

Lo-Fi Goodness: Crystal Swells

Up the road a bit from me is Vancouver, British Columbia. The music scene up there mostly is a mystery to me. But if Crystal Swells are any indication, I'll have to pay more attention. The sound is garage/noise pop, and is played with plenty of energy. This may be the perfect soundtrack for your end of the week pints. Hey, I think I'll try that...

You can stream their entire six track January 2011 release, Goethe Head Soup, here. If you like it, it is $2 US at the Bandcamp link below. And it may be worth it just for the name of the album.



They also released an album, Crystal Mountain Girls, in 2010. A link for a free download of that album is at the Bandcamp site.

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Cool Video Thursday

Domino Records has released this video for "Breaking Fun", which will be the first single from Mirror Mirror by Sons and Daughters. As you can hear, in this album the band is moving towards the more minimal style of its earlier work, Love the Cup and The Repulsion Box.


From Is Tropical, this one takes me back to childhood:

IS TROPICAL - THE GREEKS (official music video) from EL NINO on Vimeo.

And here is "Zorbing" from the debut album by Stornoway. Anyone feeling a bit dizzy?


Finally, a nice video from The Onion's AV Club about Ardent Studios.

Memphis: Ardent Studios - Home to Big Star, The Replacements, Isaac Hayes, and more

REVIEW: Steve Earle - I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive, CD and Novel

Having beaten drug addiction, imprisonment, divorces and untold struggles, Steve Earle is making up for lost time. His string of records over the past 15 years has been extraordinarily good, for my money better than the music that made him a star 25 years ago.

He’s acting on TVs shows The Wire and Treme. He married the gifted country singer Allison Moorer and they have a new baby. And now he has published his first novel, I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) with the same title as his brand new CD (New West Records).

Earle’s newest music hits on all his favorite touch points – folk, country, rock, Cajun, Celtic, bluegrass. He is quick to credit Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark as his mentors, and that type of story based, careful writing remains Earle’s strength.

Not surprising for a guy in his mid-50s releasing his 14th studio record, I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive does not break new ground or see Earle reinvent himself. Why would we want that? Instead, we get a series of very well crafted songs, with Earle’s writing at the top of his game. He brought in T Bone Burnett to produce, a major break from Earle’s usual self-production. Burnett, in turn, brought in an A list of musicians – including Greg Leisz, Sara Watkins, T Bone himself on guitars, and perhaps most importantly, the great Jay Bellerose on drums. The recording was done very quickly, in less than a week, and has a warm, organic, live feel. Every song is a strong one and the writing here is simply outstanding.

Here’s the lead track “Waiting for the Sky to Fall”:



And just because he’s in love, a new Daddy, in the best shape of his life, and artistically hitting on all cylinders, Earle hasn’t gone soft or given up his unflinching political voice. There’s a raging anti-George W. Bush rant (“Little Emperor”), and two about the ravaging of South Louisiana (“The Gulf of Mexico” and “This City”).





If you have ever enjoyed Steve Earle's music, but not checked in awhile, I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive is well worth getting. If you are a younger reader here or somehow missed the boat on him but enjoy Americana music, it’s a perfectly fine place to start.

I’m about 2/3 of the way through the novel and loving it. I went to see Earle read from I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive at a local bookstore last week. He was warmer, funnier and more self-deprecating than I expected (somehow I had him pegged as an artist I love who I would be well advised not to approach if I ran into in an airport). He says he was inspired by the Harry Potter series, by which I think he meant to create something that moved freely from the real to the fantastical. Here we have the ghost of Hank Williams Sr. lurking about starting conversations, a well meaning drug addled fake doctor, a mysterious young Mexican girl who seems to be performing miracles, very realistic street and drug scenes, all set in San Antonio in 1963. The Kennedy assassination is worked in there too. It’s raw, real, funny, and warm in an odd way. Life, death, love, loss, redemption, it's all there.

Good writing is good writing, song or novel. Steve Earle is making the most of his gifts and proving he can do it all.

Link for the novel: http://www.amazon.com/Ill-Never-This-World-Alive/dp/0618820965/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1306986737&sr=1-1

Artist web page: http://steveearle.com/

Globes - "A Stitch Couldn't Save the World" from Future Self

Maybe this isn't new to you. But it is to me, so here you go. Globes is a band from Spokane, Washington that plays rock music. They released an album, Future Self, on May 10, featuring the excellent song "A Stitch Couldn't Save the World". [UPDATE: The band's management sent a link to this official video which premiered on "My Old Kentucky Blog"].



Listen at MySpace:

Future Self by the Globes

Download the track "Stay Awake"here, or "A Stitch Couldn't Save the World" here, and visit their label, Barsuk Records, to buy the music and learn some more about their ongoing tour.

They're touring this summer with Archers of Loaf, the Get Up Kids and some other acts. These guys are pretty good, and seem like just the type of up and coming band to upstage a headliner. Bet the headliners tinker with the volume on their speakers...

Emerging Northwest band: Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside

A fresh and delighting new discovery is Portland, Oregon band Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside. The band has a retro sound that fuses jazz, big band, blues and classic pop. And if you give the album a listen below (you're a bit of a fool if you don't), you'll discover that it all sounds a bit dirty, too, which is no criticism in my mind. As you'll discover, Sallie has a really big voice and the band is a very good set of musicians.

Here a video that travels through time and genres:

Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside - I Swear from Matthew Ross on Vimeo.

Sallie moved to Portland from North Carolina in 2006; the band was formed in 2008. The members are Sallie Ford, Jeff Munger, Tyler Tornfelt & Ford Tennis. The band's full length, Dirty Radio, was released on May 23rd. And you can give it a trial spin here:





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New Sounds of Scotland-Part 16: King Post Kitsch; The Spook School

Our lead off act today is Charlie from Glasgow, um, I mean King Post Kitsch. The King's music seems to me to be lo-fi noise/garage folk, and I enjoy it quite a bit. Here is the title song of his new album, "Don't You Touch My Fucking Honeytone". By the way, for those of you who lead sheltered lives, a Honeytone is a type of portable amp with a belt clip that a street musician might carry around (What? You thought I was going to explain another word in that song title?).
King Post Kitsch - Don't You Touch My Fucking Honeytone by Song, by Toad
His Majesty records on Matthew Young's Edinburgh label, Song By Toad Records. The album is available at Matthew's site.

And if you'd like to listen to more of His Majesty's musical musings, you can listen to Some Call It Hell, But Its Home, his previous EP, here. And it is available free at the Bandcamp link below.


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A band that is quite new to me but seems quite promising is Edinburgh "indie-pop-rock 'n roll"outfit The Spook School. The band consists of Naomi Todd, Adam Todd, Anna Cory, and Niall McCamley. As of this point, they are unsigned, but the band's nice two song EP is available for streaming here, and for hard copy purchase or name-your-price download at their Bandcamp site:


And if you buy the CD, the gang would like you to know:

They're all individually numbered, so you can say "I was there man! I liked them before they sold-out and did that advert where they ate McDonalds in the back of a Mercedes with Rupert Murdoch whilst kicking a small dog until it died a slow and painful death."

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Midnight World Pop Scout-16: Vieux Farka Touré; Burning God Little; Dog Is Blue;

Ah, we are up to our 16th edition of pop from around the globe. Yes, we work our fingers to the bone scouting good music, and all you need to do is relax and enjoy it.


I operate with very few rules here: Write about music I like, spell most words correctly, don't press the "publish" button unless mostly sober (this one is more of a guideline than an actual rule), don't insult anyone's close relatives, and pay attention any time Vieux Farka Touré releases and album. So here we are, with Touré releasing The Secret on Six Degrees Records.

The opening track, "Sokosondou"



The Secret, produced by Soulive's Eric Krasno, builds on Touré's strengths in combining traditional music of his native Mali with American blues. Moreover, it includes collaborations with Dave Matthews, Derek Trucks, John Scofield, and another African guitar legend, Vieux's father, Ali Farka Touré.

"The Secret" -- Father and son, in their last recorded session before Ali died. Nothing more needs be said.



"Lakkal"



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Chill sounds from Burning God Little is our next offering. Burning God Little is the performing name for Martin Hartgen from Oslo, Norway. Hartgen's music fuses elements of shoegaze, dream-pop, and electronic. It is good, upbeat stuff.

"Notes on Being Snowblind"



Here is "Tusen Bita"

Tusen Bita by Burning God Little

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Toronto duo Dog is Blue describe their music as "garage folk". As I understand it, the idea is to take the themes from folk but leave behind the earnestness. The members are Paul Watson and Laura Heaney.

"Tortoise"



"Southern Ontario"



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Another Gil Scott-Heron comment

His voice still was strong last year. His 2010 album I'm New Here included this wonderful title track:


My second favorite track on the album was "Me and the Devil":

RIP Gil Scott-Heron

Gil Scott-Heron died yesterday after years of struggle with various demons.

But his legacy is significant. "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" in 1970 was like capturing lightning in a bottle. Staggering. If you've never heard it, or at least not for a long time, you owe yourself a careful listen.



And seemingly every Facebook friend I have has posted something about Gil since yesterday. I had not seen this video before. And what a great piece of music.



I woke up today thinking I'd do this next week for the Soul Corner but it shouldn't wait.

Obituary: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/29/arts/music/gil-scott-heron-voice-of-black-culture-dies-at-62.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=Gil+Scott-heron&st=nyt

Did you hear? Radical Face.

One of the joys of my life is that my teenage daughter has impeccable taste in music. By that I don't mean to say she likes everything I like. That actually would amount to a certain level of taste on my own part that I do not claim. Our relative musical leanings could be charted with a two-circle venn diagram, with the overlapping part making up the majority of the surface area. (I have this buddy, Jay, who lives in San Diego. I don't really know what he does, but I do know he can do awesome venn diagrams. If I can find one of his old ones, I'll try to link to it. They're freaking awesome. You don't think a venn diagram can be awesome until you've seen one of Jay's.) But she can't stand some of the harsher crap I play, and sometimes she'll put something on that she thinks is great but which is unidentifiable as to genre, unless there is a genre called Utter Shite.

But were it not for her, we'd never have played bands in our house like Neutral Milk Hotel, or Silver Jews, or, more recently, Girls and Frightened Rabbit, and bunch of others. For whatever reason, I'd considered and never pulled the trigger on any of those bands, and she thankfully corrected those mistakes. Then there are the times she'll bring something home that I've not only not considered, but never even heard of, and one of those times is what this post is about.

A couple of years ago she put on the album Ghost, by a Jacksonville Beach, Florida musician named Ben Cooper who records as Radical Face, among other things. She said 'you have to hear this.' I probably responded with an appropriately skeptical "you have just wasted your money" paternal grunt or something, and then was pretty much blown away at first listen. It's so expansive and beautiful that it's hard to believe it was recorded in a bedroom studio by one guy. It's mercifully spare in electronics, and rich in acoustic guitar -- except where the drama of a symphonic flourish is necessary.

Really, though, the best way to describe it is to say it's a movie score looking for a Wes Anderson film. Here's a really nice video for the first proper song on the album, "Welcome Home.

The album didn't receive many reviews when it came out in 2007, and those it did receive included a few tepid responses. I think full-on terrific, all the way through. Here's another track off Ghost, called "Wrapped in Piano Strings."

I found myself checking up on Radical Face recently and discovered they/he released a 6 song EP, Touch the Sky, via Berlin's Morr Music, and that the plan was to release 3(!) full-lengths, 40 songs all told, during 2011. Apparently a dispute with the label erupted, and the damned lawyers got involved (imagine: German Lawyers! Ja vohl!). Now he appears to have put that behind him, and is planning to do the releases himself. I'll keep an eye out, because who doesn't want to reward that kind of DIY spirit? Here's a really nice tune from the EP, called "Doorways."

Radical Face website -- Ben's a really good writer. Check it out.

Tournamental Update - Neil Young Shouldn't Need Our Help, But He Does...

I'm intrigued enough to subscribe to the RSS feed for this little music competition bracket, and learned to my horror today that Iron Maiden is beating Neil Young. I guess Neil's a pacifist and all that, but still.

Vote if you wanna: Tournamental - Neil Young v Iron Maiden

Why do I care? I have no idea...

Update... and it ain't an Iron Maiden video:

Old Stuff Friday - The Soul Corner - Stevie Wonder

The Soul Corner takes requests and this week we got one for the great Stevie Wonder, whom of course we were going to get to at some point. I am from Detroit after all, and Stevie is one of my mainest of main men. He's a gifted giant of a musician, and a talented writer, philanthropist, community leader, singer, producer, and a great American. He's in the Bob Dylan / Ray Charles stratosphere, in a league of his own.

So we can't highlight just one song as we generally try to do here.

Stevie's most creative period was 1972-76 when he released 5 classic concept albums that took Motown and R&B to heights not achieved before or since. The Beatles and Stones might have put 5 in a row out this good, we could argue the point, but that's about it. This run was and remains a staggering achievement. The musical and thematic reach of these records cannot be overstated.

We could write a book on this period, but we'll settle for 5 quite varied songs to ever so partially tell the story.

We'll go in chronological order, starting with Music of My Mind, which along with Marvin Gaye's What's Going On, took Motown to far more personal and experimental terrain. This vid is a later live version of "Superwoman" from that record. It was a bold step forward for Stevie, far from the standard Motown sound. I love this vocal, especially at the song's conclusion. You've heard thousands of break up songs in your life, but few with this kind of raw emotion.



Next up, from Talking Book, the great "Superstition", which took Stevie and Motown to rock radio, and used the Hohner clavinet keyboard to great effect:



Following on that was Innervisions with one of my personal favorites "Livin for the City", an unflinching tour of urban black America at a time long before CNN or Spike Lee or any understanding of that world for a great deal of America:



Fulfillingness' First Finale came next, what a great name for a record by the way, which included "Boogie On Reggae Woman", just as Bob Marley was catching on the US. But unlike Eric Clapton or Johnny Nash, Stevie didn't water it down just crassly looking for a hit. Stevie took the innovative beat, bent it, experimented and transformed it into something even more fresh and exciting. This is one of the great all time jams:



And last but certainly not least in this quintuplet of genius, was the double record Songs in the Key of Life, one of those pieces of nearly unparallaled American artistry that everyone needs to own a copy of. The choice here is "Pastime Paradise", a bold experimental song that broke a ton of new ground and influenced everything after it from prog rock to hip hop. It's an incredible piece of music.



Rock, soul, R&B, experimental, progressive, love ballads ("You Are the Sunshine of My Life"), a classic ode to a child coming into the world ("Isn't She Lovely"), Stevie did it all and then some in these 5 records in just 4 years. He was at the top of his game -- composing , producing, writing profound lyrics, and playing nearly every instrument. Wow. The Soul Corner bows down to the uniquely talented and peerless Stevie Wonder.