A couple of weeks ago, Cold War Kids released their follow up to their sophomore slump, Loyalty to Loyalty, with the stellar Behave Yourself EP. Despite being only 14 minutes long, this record is as big of a step in the right direction as Loyalty was a step in the wrong direction. After the release of the Loyalty in late 2008, followed by several poor reviews of their live shows, I had all but written them off when I heard Behave. After grooving to, being swooned by and then being inspired by Behave Yourself, once again I find myself eagerly awaiting the next project from Cold War Kids. Especially since I just recently heard that on their next record they are going to be working with producer Jacquire King, whose most recent credits include the new Norah Jones record, which we loved, and one of the best rock records of 2008, Kings of Leon’s Only By the Night.
This post isn’t so much about music, as it is about our inability to tweet correctly.
I’m going to give it one more go, or it might be something we just don’t do for a while.
Cross your fingers?
Ben Walker – You’re No One if You’re Not on Twitter
EDIT: I fixed it! Hooray!
Brooklyn-based trio Yeasayer amble back from a three year self-induced exile with what sounds like a trippy jungle-clearing drum circle turned synth-heavy blip hop rave: Odd Blood. With their second full-length album, this tight-knit group of family members (lead singer and bassist are cousins) and childhood friends (lead singer and guitarist grew up ogether) step away from the urban folk roots of their acclaimed debut, All Hour Cymbals and reach out to an equally appealing subcategory of the musical spectrum, electronica. As on “Mondegreen” and “Love Me Girl,” quasi-frontman and lead singer Chris Keating occasionally takes a page out of Empire of the Sun’s book with his overly dramatic high-pitch utterances that cut the flow almost too noticeably. Unlike Luke Steele though, Keating knows he is no the emperor of any celestial bodies – or dance floors for that matter. This sophomore release does not disappoint the anxious fan craving new tunes to fill their oversized headphones. Fortunately, Yeasayer has managed to find the happy medium between sticking to the familiar and experimenting with the foreign.
Although Odd Blood touches on styles from several eras of musical and artistic evolution, Yeasayer remains at its core a psychedelic band hat enjoys challenging itself. Indeed the most spot-on description of their sound came from the three gentlemen themselves: “Middle Eastern-psych-snap-gospel.” Guitarist Anand Wilder steps up his game, innovating new and even more transcendent distortions for the ear’s pleasure. “Strange Reunions” is a glorified jam session of which any Cry Baby critic would be proud. Bassist Ira Wolf Tuton proves he is certainly not afraid to fan the flames of experimentation; occasionally transforming his four strings into a digital flute like it is no big deal. The slow, tongue-in-cheek ins and outs of “The Children” display an unheard of grandeur for “that other string instrument” – the much-too-often ignored bass. Vocalist Chris Keating shows the most noteworthy strokes of genius of the album; even if he is unwilling to admit it. Keating is the heart and soul of Yeasayer. He vents an increasing curiosity with synthesizers like a kid with a new toy on his hands, not quite fully mastering it before putting it to real use. Rolling and thumping through the thickets of raw poetry, the fatherly ballad that is “Ambling Alp” attests to Keating’s songwriting talent in case this whole keyboard business does not work out. No need for precautions though. The warped bass beats and oh-so-danceable ivory riffs of “Rome” form easily the best song of the album…and perhaps the year.
Often compared to the likes of Animal Collective, MGMT, and Grizzly Bear, Yeasayer despises the idea of “scenes” or any gathering of several artists dictating what sounds good or bad. What sets these three musicians apart from other under-the-surface bands can be summed up with one word – chemistry. As evident on their lovable, energetic La Blogotheque sessions, the members of Yeasayer know each other through and through, their strengths and weaknesses, their preferences and pet peeves. With only two songs under three minutes in length, this sophomore release proves that Yeasayer is no mere throwaway indie blip on the radar screen. Odd Blood begs for dissection, ushering forth new discoveries with every listen.
Spoon – Transference (released Jan. 18th)
Grade: B-/B
For Fans of: Guster, The Shins, Liam Finn
I’m pretty surre I’ve heard the argument made that every album, first through eleventy-billionth, is a band’s most important effort. Essentially, if you put out a horrible album, it can kill your career. When you get to sixth, the pool for comparison thins, and (under certain circumstances) it becomes a success in and of itself. This is where we are with Spoon and their newest, Transference.
Now, as I thought of other bands with six or more albums, my mind was of course drawn to Radiohead and analogies ran wild (hence the title). In a very rough way, Spoon is in the same place Radiohead was in with the release of Hail to the Thief (bear with me). The major difference being, Spoon’s last two albums have been their most accessible, while Radiohead’s 4th and 5th efforts were almost intentionally alienating. Spoon has picked up a lot of steam since “Gimme Fiction,” including multiple songs being featured on NBC’s “Chuck.” Accordingly, the boys were faced with a crossroad. A larger audience means more expectations. A good band shakes them with style. Radiohead (again same place, different circumstances) let loose and made the least accessible of their records with Hail to the Thief. Spoon, on the other hand, has taken a much more gradual step. (And no, I don’t think Spoon is better than Radiohead. Pshhh.)
On first listen, I was a little disappointed. I kept waiting for the radio-esque single and killer hook along the lines of “Don’t You Evah” or “I Summon You,” but it never really came. I was guilty of wanting another Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, but I got something different, a little more cohesive and a little darker. And while I think there is a stronger glue holding Transference together than previous albums, the same cohesion has made it less memorable. By no means is Transference a flop. It has its own staying power, but it isn’t a catchy staying power.
Spoon’s bread and butter lies in not trying too hard, and they haven’t fled camp. The Spoon of old is recognizable, just with a few new tricks. They’ve been evolving over time, think “The Ghost of You Lingers,” and in due course Transference contains just a few more “Ghost”-like tracks. There is some synth-percussion on “Who Makes Your Money,” strange vocal delays on “Is Love Forever?,” and mid-song “I Saw the Light” completely changes directions, but for the most part it works.
Considering where Spoon is in their career, Transference makes sense. If they don’t start broadening out, all of their quirks will become predictably unpredictable. The same thing that has made Spoon so likable (simple, low-fi pop), is also their handcuff. There is only so much you can do with a buzzy guitar, drum, and an old upright piano. I see Transference as being a sort of stepping stone. A stepping stone with substance. Not my favorite album of the young year, but one I’m glad to have in my library.
Spoon – Written in Reverse (Removed at the Request of Web Sheriff)
You can also check out a listen of the new album at NPR.
Grass Widow, a rising all-girl rock trio from San Francisco, spoke to super fan and IHYEB contributing writer Brady Tackett through e-mail correspondence over the winter break. With two wonderful releases behind them (a self-titled LP and EP), the ladies are now poised for their next record.
Brady: How does San Fran influence the music? What’s your favorite surf band?
Raven Mahon: Definitely our environment influences us, but not necessarily in a summer of ‘67 kind of way or a California Surfin’ Safari kind of way. I’d say our foundation rests in the scene that existed in the Bay Area a few years back, before the explosions of MySpace and modern networking technology. When Hannah and I were in our first band together, Shitstorm, (which Lillian later joined) we played with friends in the parks a lot, practiced with a generator out by the bay and were essentially non-existent on the internet, as were most of our friends’ bands. I feel fortunate to have that time to reference, in an age when so much happens in virtual world.
Hannah Lew: I love surf music, but have never thought of SF as a surf town. I know people that surf here, but it’s too foggy for that sunny beach vibe. We do have a lot of So-Cal transplants here that bring the sunshine. Really if you tour through here, you’ll come to know that it’s sort of an island. It’s 6 hours to LA, 12 hours to Portland, and I don’t know how many hours east you’d have to go to hit a city, but basically we’re sort of isolated from the rest of the country. We kind of just do our own thing.
Brady: The press calls your music ‘punk.’ Does the political climate have an influence on songwriting?
Raven: I’m definitely aware that music itself can be a forum for discussions of political and/or social issues, and respect artists and musicians who are taking the opportunity to use their voices in that way. Our music tends to be more personal and based on our individual experiences, but we chose to exist as a band in an intentional way. That is where we feel we can express our politics. We participate in benefits and donate as a band, to causes we believe in, like the San Francisco All-Ages Show Space Project, Girls Rock Camp and now relief efforts in Haiti.
Hannah: We’re faced with many decisions everyday about how to do things as a band. When we play shows it gives us the chance to create an environment where people of all races and genders can participate. We’ve never felt comfortable inserting any didactic messages into our lyrics or preaching at shows. For me, our music exists in a non-verbal place, where ideas and images can thrive, but not necessarily any “messages.”
Brady: What are your songs about and what will they be about in five years?
Lillian Maring: Our internal climates inspire what hopefully comes through in each song. We each have a tendency to deconstruct everyday experiences. The music itself may be upbeat but the lyrical content is often, for us, like condensing an hour’s worth of psychoanalysis into a couple minutes of melody.
Hannah: Our songs are generally about what we are going through or what we are passionate about/interested in. That being said, we are constantly taking those experiences and synthesizing them into something that we would hope could be universal and not self-indulgent. We’re able to write about very personal subject matter through our music, using metaphors and leaving room for people to insert their own stories. Sort of like a book without a cover.
Brady: What’s your favorite song that you’ve released thus far?
Lillian: We don’t play this one out anymore, but I really like “Time Could Bend,” from our self-titled LP on Make A Mess Records.
Raven: Hmmm.. I don’t have a favorite. But I like playing “Tattoo” and a song we’re about to release called “Uncertain Memory.”
Hannah: It’s like choosing your favorite child: I guess “Lulu’s Lips.”
Brady: What are Grass Widow’s plans for 2010?
Lillian: Release another full length, go to Europe. Help start an all-ages venue in SF.
Raven: To dedicate a lot of time to the project.
Hannah: To make this next record and tour!
Brady: How long have you guys known each other/been playing together?
Lillian: I met Hannah in the spring of 2006. I started playing with Hannah and Raven, as a fill-in drummer for their previous band Shitstorm, when I moved to SF in 2007.
Raven: Hannah and I met through our mutual friend, Wu Li Leung, who was also in Shitstorm. That was about 7 years ago?
Hannah: We’ve been playing as Grass Widow for around two-and-a-half years.
Brady: Hannah, there are some of your short films on your site. Any plans to use those in your work with the band?
Hannah: We’ve been throwing around some music video ideas that maybe we’ll have time to do when we’re done recording . I kind of work totally differently as a filmmaker than I do as a band member. I work better alone creatively as a filmmaker, whereas the band is so triangularly collaborative. Our collaboration is really special and satisfying, but I do look forward to having the time to focus on film. I’ve been working on a script that I may develop into a film in a year or so. You can check out my films at Hannahlew.com.
Brady: What do you do for fun?
Lillian: Shuffleboard, Web mastering.
Raven: Sleeping.
Hannah: Will Shortz, Monday thru Wednesday.
Brady: How often do you practice and where?
Raven: We have a practice space in a meat locker. For real. It’s about five square feet and we share it with our friends, Rank/Xerox (and Nodzzz for a while) and some stragglers.
Hannah: We practice once a week usually. Then we listen to our practice tapes and practice in our heads constantly. Constantly.
Brady: Dream tour (where and with what bands)?
Lillian: The world.
Raven: New Zealand, Turkey… with bands from those places.
Hannah: I’ll go where she goes.
Brady: What do you love about music?
Raven: It’s older than words.
Lillian: Music can provide an opportunity to transcend the literal or obvious interpretations of daily life, to create a space in which to form your own ideals and motivations. It can be a link to another world, another culture. It unites people.
Hannah: I can’t describe it.
