Conducted by Capt. Obvious
Obvious: Besides being the lead singer of alt. country band Richmond Fontaine, you're also a fledgling author. I really enjoyed The Motel Life and I'm in the middle of your newest novel Northline. When did you decide to pursue the author thing?
Vlautin: I started writing fiction in earnest when I was 21 or so. I've always felt more comfortable doing it than being in a band. But it's a lot of fun being in a band so I just kept my novels to myself and then finally got enough courage to show them around. I've always liked the work ethic in writing. It's just sitting in a room and trying to figure out a story. The work ethic of a band is touring and repeating what you've already written.
Obvious: You've received favorable comparisons to Raymond Carver and John Steinbeck. I mean, holy shit, that's not bad company. How do feel about those comparisons?
Vlautin: I have to say it's nice to hear, but really I'm just a janitor compared to those guys. I know that, but I keep trying. I can't tell you enough how much both Steinbeck and Carver have meant to me. Those writers have really helped me out along the way.
Obvious: Northline comes with a soundtrack full of great instrumental tracks that really seem to fit the story. Who was involved with the soundtrack and do you plan on doing the same thing for future novels?
Vlautin: I wrote the songs for the soundtrack when I was editing the novel. Then I talked with Paul Brainard who plays in RF and asked him if he'd help me record them and we spent a summer working on it. The other guys in RF also helped out. It was a lot of fun and most of all I didn't have to write lyrics or sing or hear my voice so I wasn't as insecure as I usually am. And in general I do think the music feels like the novel. So I'm pretty happy with it.
I never usually think of music when I'm writing but this novel really took it out of me. It was a hard one for me mentally. So the songs just sort of helped me through it. What I was hoping was that when the reader was done maybe they'd listen to the CD and think about the story. Maybe it would keep the story alive a bit longer. In the future I don't know. I love instrumental music and hope to do another one someday.
Obvious: I think one of the strongest characteristics of your music is the storytelling aspect. Was the transition to writing novels an easy one and how does your state of mind differ when writing a book as opposed to writing a song?
Vlautin: The stories of the songs and the novels are married. They both come from the same side of me. The real difference between the two is that when I'm writing novels I can hide out, I disappear into them. With songs its more of a group effort and it's more about touring and being social. Writing is more my personality but without the band I'd probably never leave my place. I'd probably have a hard time just going to the store.
Obvious: I'm a big film buff and I heard that the rights to The Motel Life were sold to Guillermo Arriaga, who wrote 21 Grams and The Three Burials Of Melquiadas Estrada, and that you'd be adapting the screenplay. What's the status of that project?
Vlautin: I'm not really sure. I know Guillermo has a movie coming out soon. It's called The Burning Plan. It's the first one he's directing. It's an amazing story so he's got his hands full with that. After he's done I think we'll start working on The Motel Life. He's a brilliant guy and one of the nicer people I've met so I hope something comes out of it. But the movie world is a bit out of my league so we'll see.
Obvious: What's the status of Richmond Fontaine? Are you guys working on any new material?
Vlautin: One of the guys in the band just had a kid so we've been taking it easy but we're just starting to work on the new record. I think it'll come out in the new year and we'll tour it pretty hard.
Obvious: So which occupation do you find more rewarding: musician or novelist? If you had to choose one of the two which would it be?
Vlautin: You know I like them both and I need them both. Without the band I'd be a serious recluse. All the great things in my life I've gotten from the band and when it comes down to it I really like writing songs. But the novel is my favorite thing. It always has been. Novels are the coolest thing ever invented besides beer and horse racing.
Richmond Fontaine: http://blog.richmondfontaine.com/
Willy Vlautin: http://www.willyvlautin.com
Listen:
MP3: Richmond Fontaine - The Water Wars
MP3: Richmond Fontaine - Northline
7.31.2008
Interview: Willy Vlautin of Richmond Fontaine
7.29.2008
July Mixtape
SIDE A
1. Calexico - Two Silver Trees
2. Port O'Brien - Stuck On A Boat
3. Patchwork - Spaceships
4. Takka Takka - Everybody Say
5. Brown Bird - The Brokedown Palace Of My Head
6. Paper Rival - Cassandra
7. Mogwai - The Sun Smells Too Loud
SIDE B
1. Chad VanGaalen - Willow Tree
2. The Burning Hell - Goodbye Ukulele
3. Department Of Eagles - In Ear Park
4. Ra Ra Riot - Dying Is Fine
5. Setting Sun - How Long
6. Liz Durrett - Wild As Them
7. Parts & Labor - Nowhere Nigh
7.28.2008
Bowery Boy Blue
You Should Know
One of my favorite things to do is drive up North into the mountains of Georgia and North Carolina. Bowery Boy Blue's new album Stalk That Myth sounds like the perfect companion to the winding narrow roads of that terrain. Set to be released tomorrow, Bowery Boy Blue's new album is also tailor-made for fans of Neil Young, Will Oldham, and Magnolia Electric Co. Developed out of lead singer Zeb Gould's solo material, the album clocks in at a brisk yet impactful 32 minutes. Gould's vocals are actually eerily reminiscent of Jason Molina's at times and it's backed by crunching guitar chords, strings, and even horns. Stalk That Myth opens with the sparsely melancholic "Dead Great Town," but tracks such as "They Sleep Standing, Like Cranes" exhibit the band's capacity to bring the Son Volt-esque country rock. While Bowery Boy Blue's brand of Americana isn't exactly earth shattering, Stalk That Myth is as listenable as anything else in the genre and it puts Gould on the list of songwriters to take note of. Highly recommended for fans of folk-rock/Americana fare. -- Capt. Obvious
Listen:
MP3: Bowery Boy Blue - Come Closer, Sisters
MP3: Bowery Boy Blue - Great Dead Town
Tags: Bowery Boy Blue, Stalk That Myth, Captain Obvious
7.27.2008
Glissando: With Our Arms Wide Open We March Towards The Burning Sea (2008)
New Wax
I must admit that when I gave the new Glissando album its first spin, I feared another bland entry from the increasingly homogenized post-rock factory. Sometimes it’s great to be wrong. Fresh from Gizeh’s UK presses, Glissando’s With Our Arms Wide Open We March Towards the Burning Sea feels austere and glacial; it will move you, however slowly. To delightful effect, much of the album vacillates between Richard Knox’s desolate key arrangements and Elly May Irving’s haunting vocals, though trombone, guitar, percussion, spoken word, and electronic digressions keep things from growing stale. It’s hard to believe that a mere duo is capable of producing such a vast sound, but apparently the record is backed by an ensemble featuring members from iLiKETRAiNS and Her Name is Calla. Expect some vocal cameos from these groups as well. This album boasts impressive breadth and versatility, yet Glissando know not to spread themselves too thin. Just when you think you’ve got their sound pegged, “Floods,” track three, establishes a thirteen-minute icy drone that would swivel even the spacey heads of Stars of the Lid. And don’t assume that “Floods” is the only drone track on the album; others pop up when you least expect them. To be sure, this is no thirty-minute quickie record. With Our Arms Wide Open manages to reference a bevy of influential predecessors; you’ll likely hear invocations of Cocteau Twins, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Eluvium, and the aforementioned Stars of the Lid [Glissando regularly book shows with SOTL]. Yet Glissando insist on leaving their own idiosyncratic boot print on the post-rock genre. I’m especially grateful to announce that there’s really no chance of confusing this album with the ever-propagating Explosions in the Sky / Mono / Pelican / Red Sparowes clone bands. Irving’s lyrics, including such gumdrop song titles as “We Are Depleting” and “White Silence and the Fragile Reality” effect a certain plainspoken melancholy which culminates with “Grekken” and its haunting refrain: “You made me kill myself.” Another lyrical gem: “There's a method to our madness / But tonight the answer's lost.”
Though I highly recommend With Our Arms Wide Open to anyone with ears, I must voice one nagging complaint: Pelican called, and they want their title back. Oh, and Godspeed You! Black Emperor called. They said “ditto.” Oh, and Creed called. They want their . . . ah, forget it. -- Kilgore Trout
Listen:
MP3: Glissando - Grekken
Tags:
7.24.2008
Grouper: Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill (2008)
New Wax
Grouper is Portland songwriter Liz Harris, and information on her is somewhat scarce so the music will have to do the talking. Listening to her new album Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill feels like a Vicodin-induced haze. Like that time I flipped my car on the interstate and wrecked my arm and they gave me enough pills to numb a killer whale. Grouper's new album is chalk-full of beautiful bedroom melodies cloaked with enough murk to create a sustained sense of melancholy. With a grainy photograph of a creepy little girl in a black hat in the woods serving as the cover art and the disturbing album title, the stage is set for a dark experience. In actuality, the album contains a wealth of beauty. Take the absolutely gorgeous "Heavy Water/I'd Rather Be Sleeping," which is probably the most lyrically comprehensible track on an album so texturally dense that Harris' vocals sometimes feel buried. In a melody sure to be stuck in your head for days, Harris sings: "Love is enormous/ It's lifting me up/ I'd rather be sleeping." This is late night/empty street music at its best, and Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill is astoundingly rich in atmosphere even though its basically built on only a girl's voice and her guitar. A haunting and worthwhile album I'd recommend to any fan of slowcore. -- Capt. Obvious
Listen:
MP3: Grouper - Heavy Water/I'd Rather Be Sleeping
MP3: Grouper - Invisible
Tags:
7.23.2008
7.22.2008
The Avett Brothers: The Second Gleam EP (2008)
New Wax
Sometime it takes seeing a band up close to truly appreciate their significance. While I liked what I'd heard from The Avett Brothers, they didn't become one of my favorite bands until I saw them play live. There is an energy and presence there seldom attained by other bands. Apparently that energy was enough to impress Rick Rubin, who has signed to band to Columbia imprint American Recordings. It should be interesting to hear what the next Avett album will sound like with Rubin at the helm. I guess you could do worse than having the guy partly responsible for some of Johnny Cash's most intriguing material behind the boards. As a stopgap between 2007's Emotionalism and their next full-length, the band offers up The Second Gleam EP. Like the original The Gleam EP, the new EP is of the mellow variety. While the undisputed standout track is "Murder In The City," a musing on the strength of family, the rest of the EP is also wonderful. Built on mostly bare-bones acoustic arrangements, The Second Gleam is as heartfelt as any of the band's previous material. You won't find a more talented or humble group of guys and they deserve all the accolades that come their way. In case you haven't yet, also check out our interview with Scott Avett. -- Capt. Obvious
Listen:
MP3: The Avett Brothers - Murder In The City
Tags:
7.20.2008
The Dark Knight (2008)
Celluloid
Christopher Nolan Filmmaking 101: if you want to construct a decent Batman flick, you don’t strap Schwarzenegger to a Frigidaire and feed him shitty one-liners. You don’t festoon the batsuit with man-nipples either. You pull in some serious talent and a solid script. And when fans identify Katie Holmes as the weakest link in an otherwise stellar movie, you find an excuse to replace her with Maggie Gyllenhaal for the sequel. It’s precisely this type of discretion and maturity that makes The Dark Knight great. That’s right—great.
For those of us who are already familiar with Batman Begins, I’ll try to focus on what’s new this time around. For starters, expect the same engaging mix of action and drama that you enjoyed in the first film, but with some surprising and some not-so-surprising updates to the bat gadgets and the villains. Christian Bale, Michael Caine, and Morgan Freeman maintain their rock-solid roles while a more developed and assertive Gary Oldman steps up as Gordon [he shouts so frequently you can actually pick up on the British accent]. One of the few disappointing aspects of the sequel is that Scarecrow, played by Cillian Murphy, is virtually non-existent in the film. The good news is that the story is so engaging and so gravid with compelling villains that you won’t miss him much.
Now let’s get down to brass tacks: there’s the issue of Heath Ledger to settle. The buzz was established well before Ledger’s untimely demise. Some claimed that the circumstances surrounding Ledger’s death would cause viewers to overrate his performance. Well, I wouldn’t quite go so far as to suggest that Ledger eclipses Nicholson’s celebrated 1989 performance, but I will argue that Ledger offers us the darkest, most tortured, and most complex Joker to grace the screen. In a sick sort of way, Ledger’s Joker, with his distorted sense of ethics, positions himself [somewhat like Conrad’s Kurtz] as the most sane and ethical character in Gotham. His desires move us beyond the superficial motivators of wealth and power. Instead, Ledger’s Joker exults in the chaos of modernity. He rejects the paradoxical nature of ethical behavior in lieu of anarchy. And Ledger absolutely nails it; he breathes it; he lives it; he gets it.
Now that Ledger’s praises have been sung, other wild card additions include Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dowes and Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent. Some will remember Eckhart as the charisma-oozing Big Tobacco lobbyist from Thank You for Smoking. He thrived as the silver-tongued Nick Naylor and he thrives as the hard-nosed Dent. Without giving too much away here, I will voice the minor complaint that Dent’s progress as a character feels decidedly rushed to me. Like Spiderman III, The Dark Knight attempts to stuff 20 ounces of movie into an 8 ounce box. This film runs long, and your bladder will let you know about it. But my greater concern is the lingering question of what becomes of the Gotham City villains. Obviously Ledger will not be returning, and I really can’t imagine a Batman character or actor capable of matching his screen presence.
Bottom line: this genre has the tendency to bifurcate into what’s a good and what’s a heinous comic book movie. What separates The Dark Knight from dregs like Batman and Robin, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and Judge Dredd is that it allows us to forget the confines of the comic book genre. What emerges is a well-crafted and engaging film with heart and intelligence that just so happens to be based on a comic book. -- Kilgore Trout
Verdict:
Tags: The Dark Knight, Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Christopher Nolan
7.18.2008
Blog Roundup 7.18.08
Props
When You Awake has a mixtape put together by Jesse Ainslie from Castanets entitled "Top 10 Songs With Wich To Slow."
Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands has an mp3 of the studio version of the amazing "Murder In The City," which will be on The Avett Brothers' new EP The Second Gleam. In case you hadn't heard, the band has recently signed to Columbia imprint American Recordings and will be working with producer Rick Rubin.
Six Eyes has a nice little interview with The National's Matt Berninger along with some songs from the band's Austin City Limits set.
Quick Before It Melts has some news on the upcoming Conor Oberst album (which will not be considered a "Bright Eyes" album) along with a decent track entitled "Danny Callahan."
Can You See The Sunset has a ton of new album reviews, including Girl Talk, The Alkaline Trio, and Old 97's.
Tags: Blog Roundup, Captain Obvious
Lackthereof
You Should Know
While Danny Seim is probably better known as the drummer from Menomena, he's actually been recording under the Lackthereof name since 1997. Granted, the first six Lackthereof albums were CD-R's given away to friends, but that all ended in 2004 when Portland label FILMguerrero released the album Christian the Christian. Now signed to the always reliable Barsuk Records, Danny Seim is set to release his latest Lackthereof album entitled Your Anchor on July 22nd. Recorded entirely in his home studio, Your Anchor has a lo-fi feel while incorporating shades of the experimentalism you'd expect from his other band. Seim's baritone voice is reminiscent at times of Beck or The National's Matt Berninger, which is fitting considering the last song on the album is a cover of "Fake Empire." Clocking in at barely over 30 minutes, Your Anchor exhibits Seim's effortless navigation through a variety of genres. Along with Seim's solid songwriting, the production on the album, which includes a diverse array of drum sounds, further strengthens the effort. Definitely worth a listen. -- Capt. Obvious
Listen:
MP3: Lackthereof - Choir Practice
MP3: Lackthereof - Last November
Tags:
7.17.2008
7.16.2008
Our Sleepless Forest (2008)
New Wax
Comprised of a startlingly young trio of South Londoners, Our Sleepless Forest may have struck ambient/experimental/space rock gold with their eponymous debut album. Well-caffeinated, I sat here puzzling over what to review: this album or the latest release from The World on Higher Downs. I finally realized Our Sleepless Forest offers more complexity—more daring. The group conjures a diverse aural tapestry, with references ranging from the distant vocals and reverb-y percussion of Cocteau Twins, the icy, electronic twitch of Múm, the sustained drone of Stars of the Lid, some of Radiohead’s more fractured and abstract moments, and maybe even Enya’s signature instrumental surge. Not content with perpetuating what’s becoming mainstream post-rock or ambient, the group takes some big risks, invoking oddities such as bird calls and splashing water on “The Tinderbox,” chirping insects on “Air Castles,” and haunting, low-fi vocals on “Doors in Limbo” and “White Bird.” But the album boasts much more than gimmicks; there’s some rich instrumental magic taking place on tracks like “White Bird.” Perhaps the only downer is the dominance of somewhat cheesy beat box sounds on a few tracks. OSF is worth the journey, but don’t forget to pack a space helmet. -- Kilgore Trout
Listen:
MP3: Our Sleepless Forest - The Tinderbox
MP3: Our Sleepless Forest - Doors In Limbo
Tags:
Wild Strawberries (1957)
Films Revisited
While I'm far from well-versed on the subject matter, I've attempted to delve into the catalogs of some of the most revered filmmakers of the past century. Like many of us, my initial cinematic encounter with Ingmar Bergman's work was The Seventh Seal, a widely regarded masterpiece of cinema that deals with death and existence. The other night I randomly happened upon another one of Bergman's highly regarded films, Wild Strawberries. While I had seen the film many years ago in college, I honestly couldn't remember it very well. I'm glad I stumbled upon it because its impact was much more poignant this time around. The film centers around an old man and professor named Isak Borg (Victor Sjöström) who has enjoyed a successful medical career and is scheduled to receive an honorary doctorate in recognition of his contributions to the field. The night before he is to travel to Lund to receive the award he has a surreal dream in which he sees a handless clock and witnesses a funeral cart crash that leaves a broken coffin at his feet. In a representation of his own mortality, Isak looks inside the coffin only to see and be grabbed by himself. The next morning his daughter-in-law Marianne, who is undergoing a trial separation from Isak's son Evald, hitches a ride with the old man. The journey through the Swedish countryside that ensues drudges up old memories and the characters Isak meets along the way awaken even more ghosts from his past. With a seamless weaving of reality, dreams, and flashbacks in which Isak's present self freely inhabits space, Bergman leads the audience into the recesses of one man's psyche. Wild Strawberries portrays the emotional journey of a man who must come to terms with his past and accept the inevitability of his impending death. A highly recommended and heartbreakingly humane film. -- Capt. Obvious
7.15.2008
Paleo
You Should Know
Paleo is David Andrew Strackany and his prolificness as a songwriter makes Ryan Adams seem like a slackass. From April 2006 to April 2007, Paleo undertook and successfully completed a project entitled The Song Diary. Every single day during that timespan, Paleo recorded a song. As if this wasn't impressive enough, he did so while touring and traveling through 152 cities and playing 215 shows. It all adds up to more than 17 hours of music and it's available absolutely free of charge on his website. The music Paleo makes is of the lo-fi freak folk variety and his vocals sound like a scratchier version of Devendra Banhart's. While the sheer audacity of such a project would probably deserve a mention nonetheless, Paleo's music is actually worthwhile. If you delve into his massive collection of songs you'll find some real gems. Just don't try to do all at once. It's going to take awhile. -- Capt. Obvious
Listen:
MP3: Paleo - In The Morning Linda Dies
MP3: Paleo - The Horns Of Happiness
MP3: Paleo - Somewhere There Is A Mountain
Tags:
Your Meat Is Mine
You Should Know
Some people hate them and think they are trashy. Some people merely view them as a form of artistic expression. I happen to fall in the latter category and I've always got my eyes peeled for innovative and new styles in all forms of art, including tattoo artwork. Awhile back a friend of mine pointed me to a site called Your Meat Is Mine, which features the tattoo work of Yann David from Paris. Now, if you're looking to get a realistic portrait of your beloved Rottweiler Rufus, you probably don't want to go to Yann, but if you want something creative and unconventional I couldn't think of anyone better. Yann's style is very expressionistic and abstract and utilizes space in an interesting manner. While his work isn't going to appeal to everyone, there's no denying its originality. To me, he's like Tim Burton with a tattoo gun. Definitely have a look at his extensive gallery of tattoos. It might just change the way you look at the burgeoning artform. -- Capt. Obvious
Listen:
MP3: The Mountain Goats - Cobra Tattoo
MP3: Owen - That Tattoo Isn't Funny Anymore
Tags:
The Covers Mixtape VII
SIDE A
1. Right Away Great Captain - Letter From A Concerned Follower (Pedro The Lion Cover)
2. Wakey Wakey - Two Headed Boy Part 1 (Neutral Milk Hotel Cover)
3. Jeff Tweedy - Crack A Smile (Jandek Cover)
4. Grizzly Bear - He Hit Me (The Crystals Cover)
5. Johnny Cash - Satisfied Mind (Red Hayes/Jack Rhodes Cover)
6. Josh Rouse - Straight To Hell (The Clash Cover)
7. The New Frontiers - Look At Miss Ohio (Gillian Welch Cover)
SIDE B
1. Marissa Nadler - Cortez The Killer (Neil Young Cover)
2. Britt Daniel - Isolation (John Lennon Cover)
3. Elliott Smith - Isn't It A Pity (George Harrison Cover)
4. Jesse Malin - Walk On The Wild Side (Lou Reed Cover)
5. The Young Republic - Isis (Bob Dylan Cover)
6. The Veils - State Trooper (Bruce Springsteen Cover)
7. Devendra Banhart - Colorado Girl (Townes Van Zandt Cover)
8. This Is Ivy League - Crown Of Love (Arcade Fire Cover)
7.14.2008
7.12.2008
Maps & Atlases
You Should Know
I usually like bands you can use the word "angular" to describe, and Chicago's Maps & Atlases fits the bill. The band formed in 2004 and they combine mathy instrumentation with melodic vocals. While the band's new EP You And Me And The Mountain may not sound as American Football-ish as their 2006 EP Trees, Swallows, Houses, the band still displays an undeniable flair for technicality while weaving accessible songs. While the guitar work is top-notch on the EP, the percussion, which includes the use of xylophone and glockenspiel, is a manic mish-mash of sounds that's equally as impressive. The mini album's production also utilizes some clever layering by interweaving poppy harmonies with the band's tight playing. This release, which better capitalizes on the band's strengths than their first EP, easily puts them on the map as a band to watch and it should create some real buzz for a debut full-length. If you're like me and you weren't nuts about the last Minus The Bear album, You And Me And The Mountain should put a smile on your face. -- Capt. Obvious
Listen:
MP3: Maps & Atlases - You And Me And The Mountain
MP3: Maps & Atlases - Every Place Is A House (from Trees, Swallows, Houses)
Tags:
Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band: 13 Blues For Thirteen Moons (2008)
New Wax
Fans of A Silver Mt. Zion have long been clamoring for a follow-up to 2005’s stunning Horses in the Sky, and those acerbic Canadians have finally delivered with 13 Blues for Thirteen Moons, their fifth LP on Constellation Records.
The first thing to note about this thirteen-track album is the first twelve tracks blow by in just under a deuce. That’s because these untitled “tracks” are more like an intro than anything else. Essentially, the album begins with “1,000,000 Died to Make this Sound,” the thirteenth track (hence the album title). The atmospheric guitar tinkering on the opening “tracks” isn’t unlistenable, but you’re left wondering if maybe the band is having a laugh.
Since they sustain some of the more classical punk rock convictions, some have labeled A Silver Mt. Zion as a “protest band.” If the political tensions of Horses in the Sky felt a bit heavy-handed to you, expect 13 Blues to follow suit. The lyrics suggest an angst-y, volatile outlook on world politics, with special tongue-lashings reserved for the empowered—political leaders, pundits, and bankers. In a sharp departure from previous Godspeed or ASMZ releases, 13 Blues is gravid with lyrics, all of them rhetorically charged and often gut-wrenching. In “1,000,000 Died to Make this Sound,” the speaker seems to go after mainstream complacency, remarking “Your band / your band is bland / your band is bland ambition.” The following track—“13 Blues for Thirteen Moons”—may work as a critique of compulsory militarism, with the insistent refrain “I just want some action.” The track then shifts into what feels like a nightmarish state-of-the-union address: “The hangman’s got a hard-on / the pretty minstrels sway / the pundit reeks of coffin / the banker rapes a maid.” On “BlindBlindBlind,” the speaker remarks “We want punks in the palace / cause punks got the loveliest dreams,” while predictably, members of The Establishment inspire the speaker’s distrust: “Policemen in parallel lines / Blind! Blind! Blind!”
13 Blues hails the debut of new drummer Eric Craven, and while the rest of the band’s line-up remains basically unchanged, the arrangements sound much more riff-based, with less emphasis on strings and haunting key melodies. Though still minimalist, the sound is much more bombastic than previous efforts like “God Bless Our Dead Marines” or “Hang On to Each Other.” This is not pretty music; quite often, dissonance and grit prevail. Singer/guitarist Efrim Menuck’s voice still carries its trademark idiosyncrasies and cuts through the mix more prominently than ever, but aside from the last few minutes of “BlindBlindBlind,” there are fewer sing-song harmonies. The first listen is a bit like entering a swimming pool too late into the year—it’s pretty cold and a little uninviting, though punctuated with moments of stark beauty.
As their album artwork frequently implies, bird metaphors often inspire hope within the ASMZ’s music. Throughout the horrors of the present, it seems, “the hearts of birds keep on thundering.” This recurring image of freedom juxtaposed with crooked authoritarians begs the question of just what 13 Blues is arguing for. Most of us are a bit too grown up and/or indoctrinated to give anarchy any serious consideration. Regardless, ASMZ are ready for some changes.
Memorable line: “We’re building train wrecks in the setting sun.”
Listen:
MP3: Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band - BlindBlindBlind
Tags:
7.11.2008
Blog Roundup 7.11.08
Props
The 405 discusses the new Bloc Party single "Mercury," which I'm not all that crazy about. Maybe it will grow on me.
Nine Bullets has introduced me to so much great music of the Americana, country, folk, bluegrass variety. If this is your bag, you can't get much better than this blog.
Obscure Sound has a great compilation of their favorite tracks from June, including a song from Dr. Dog, whose new album Fate is getting heavy rotation on my iTunes.
Local Vertical offers up a post including 25 of his favorite tracks of 2008 so far. Lots of great stuff on this compilation including a lot of new bands I'll have to check out.
Sound As Language has a great interview section. Lots of great bands and artists to learn about and great interview questions.
Tags: Blog Roundup, Captain Obvious
7.10.2008
The Dutchess & The Duke: She's The Dutchess, He's The Duke (2008)
New Wax
Long-time friends Kimberly Morrison and Jesse Lortz are Seattle pop-folk duo The Dutchess & The Duke, and in case you were confused, their new full-length album She's The Dutchess, He's The Duke clears up the who's who in that equation. I know what you're thinking: "what is the deal with all these guy/girl indie-pop duos?" Don't worry, the band isn't just another Mates Of State knockoff. In fact, they owe more to bands like The Mamas And Papas than any current indie act. For the most part, this is stripped-down folk music with intertwining guy/girl vocals. Just listen to the album's opening track "Reservoir Park," a catchy homage to 60's folk music built on a loosely strummed acoustic guitar and centered on Lortz's vocals, which kind of resemble Mick Jagger's. While many of the songs are upbeat with jangly guitars and ragged harmonies, Lortz's lyrics aren't all sunshine and butterflies. On "Mary," Lortz sings about an ex-lover: "You taught me how to love wrong and I learned it so long ago/ Now I can't change/ You gave me two eyes to look with/ Now that I'm looking it's looking so strange." While the duo isn't exactly breaking any ground with She's The Dutchess, He's The Duke, there's a lack of pretense or showiness to their approach. These songs are stripped of any unnecessary fluff and whittled down to their essence. Most importantly, they are pretty darn good. -- Capt. Obvious
Listen:
MP3: The Dutchess And The Duke - Reservoir Park
MP3: The Dutchess And The Duke - Strangers
Tags:
7.08.2008
Ben Weaver
You Should Know
For the recording of his upcoming release The Ax In The Oak, 29-year old Minnesotan Ben Weaver traveled to Chicago where he teamed up with producer Brian Deck (Iron & Wine, Modest Mouse, Califone) at Engine Studios. The duo worked on Weaver's previous album Paper Sky, but this time around they took a more experimental approach. While The Ax In The Oak is still firmly rooted in Weaver's folk/Americana roots, new elements such as electronica have been introduced. While Ax was recorded in Chicago, much of its material was written in Berlin, where Weaver spent several weeks holed up in a courtyard apartment. The Ax In The Oak marks Ben Weaver's sixth album and his Bloodshot Records debut. The album will see stateside release August 12th. In addition to Weaver's musical endeavors, he's created a hand-made book of poems and drawings and contributed to an anthology of fiction written by songwriters. For more information, please visit Ben's website. -- Capt. Obvious
Listen:
MP3: Ben Weaver - White Snow
MP3: Ben Weaver - Alligators And Owls
Tags:
7.07.2008
The Visitor (2008)
Celluloid
Director Tom McCarthy has a thing for portraying unlikely friendships. He did it with The Station Agent and he does it again with his new film The Visitor. The film's protagonist is Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins), a widowed college professor who lives a comfortable yet increasingly lonely existence. When Walter travels to New York for a conference, he finds his rarely-visited Manhattan apartment inhabited by Tarek, a drummer from Syria, and his Senegalese girlfriend Zainab. While initially vexed by the situation, Walter compassionately allows the couple to stay until they can find a new home. While Tarek and Walter are vastly different, they strike up a fast friendship built on an appreciation for music. Walter begins taking drum lessons from Tarek and finds his otherwise-drab life rejuvenated. As you'd imagine, the fairytale comes to a crashing halt when Tarek, who is in the U.S. illegally, is picked up by police and taken to a detention center in Queens. While Walter digs into his own pockets in order to pay for an immigration lawyer for Tarek, he still can't manage to get him out. Soon after, Tarek's mother Mouna shows up and complicates Walter's life even more when the two form a quiet yet undeniable connection. Without spoiling any more of the plot, let me just say that Richard Jenkins, otherwise known as the dad from the HBO show Six Feet Under, is wonderful in this film and is well deserving of an Oscar nod for his performance. The Visitor could have easily veered into cheeseball territory but Jenkins' subdued yet powerful performance overshadows the film's flaws. Director Tom McCarthy may be a bit idyllic at times, but there's no denying that his films have heart and The Visitor certainly isn't lacking in that department. -- Capt. Obvious
Verdict:
Micah P. Hinson
You Should Know
Call me a purist, but I like my artists tortured. With a history of drug abuse and of course.. heartbreak, Micah P. Hinson more than fits the bill. While he hasn't received the same amount of exposure, Hinson's brand of country/folk has garnered the youngster (born in 1981) the kind of critical praise reserved for contemporaries such as Bright Eyes and M. Ward. The skater kid who grew up in Abeline, Texas is set to release his fourth full-length album on Jade Tree Records July 14th entitled Micah P. Hinson and the Red Empire Orchestra and it's his strongest album to date. While there are still melancholic moments scattered throughout the album, there are also some hopeful ones (which makes sense considering Hinson's recent marriage). On the short but excellent "When We Embrace," Hinson's voice is rustic in timbre and backed by female vocals. While the song sounds upbeat, it's a gravely musing about drifting apart from a lover. There is similar duality throughout the album, and Hinson has an unwaivering command of his subject matter whether he's sings about the light or the darkness. Micah P. Hinson and the Red Empire Orchestera is must-have release. -- Capt. Obvious
Listen:
MP3: Micah P. Hinson - When We Embraced
MP3: Micah P. Hinson - Come Home Quickly, Darlin'
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