The last time Gang of Four released an album Yahoo had just had its global takeover, O.J. Simpson was still on trial and Bill Clinton was still President. Since the start of their career in 1979, they’ve released seven full-lengths and influenced bands in the better half of five different decades. One has to wonder if the recent popularizing of bands such as Franz Ferdinand or Bloc Party would have ever been possible had it not been for Gang of Four. Hell, even Kurt Cobain describes Nirvana as starting as a “Gang of Four…ripoff.” Their thumb print on music is cannot realistically be minimized as fleeting.
However, like most bands 15 years removed from the scene, Gang of Four’s reemergence is absolutely a hit or miss occurrence. While they crank out a few fairly catchy post-punk numbers at the start of Content, such as “She Said You Made a Thing of Me” and “Who Am I,” the B-side seems pretty compact with fairly forgettable tunes. I found myself extremely unimpressed with the overly repetitive“A Fruitfly in a Beehive” which reminds me of simplified version of a bad Police song. Things shift even further south on the follow up track, “It was never going to turn out too good.” With robotic vocals placed over ignorable guitar riffs signifies not only the album at its worst, but possibly also the band’s career.
It is always rather disheartening to witness the unraveling of such a historic band. However, while life long fans of this band will be happy to have a few new titles to add to their catalog, I have no doubt they will be disappointed with the bulk product that Content is. At some point, songs which damage the overall credibility of a band’s legacy outweigh the benefits of a few new songs. Sadly, it might just be that time for Gang of Four.
I want to take a long drive through the mountains listening to the new the Decemberists‘ albumThe King is Dead: in the springtime, when the glaciers are just starting to melt and it’s not so hot so we can drive with the windows down instead of using the air conditioning, with our hands making waves outside the car windows along to the breeze.
It hit me today as I was walking my dog with my earbuds in listening to “June Hymn,” one of the latter songs on The King is Dead, how much I loved it. I’d heard the song live back when I saw the Decemberists at MusicFest Northwest in Portland September, but I’d forgotten how beautiful it was.
Beautiful. If I had to come up with one word to describe The King is Dead, it would be that. A stark difference from the epic folk opera The Hazards of Love, and closer to the feeling of The Crane Wife, but far simpler. The King is Dead is a collection of truly lovely ballads, heartbreaking laments, and down-home ditties. Even though the band consists of seven regular members, many of the best songs on the album, “January Hymn,” “June Hymn,” and “Dear Avery” feature for the most part front man Colin Meloy’s acoustic guitar and his wonderful harmonies with guest Gillian Welch.
The album starts off with the upbeat “Don’t Carry It All,” which aptly begins with the harmonica, giving us a glaring hint of what’s to come. We continue on with “Calamity Song,” a song that at first listen is catchy and delightful, but with Meloy’s clever song-crafting, you come to realize that it’s about the end of civilization. With phrases like “queen of supply-side bonhomie bone-drab” and “in the year of the chewable Ambien tab,” no wonder Meloy can trick us into singing along gleefully to a song about the end of days. Nearing the end of the album come a couple of sure-hits, “This Is Why We Fight” and “Down By The Water,” the latter of which was released back in November 2010.
There are a few songs on the album that almost remind me of “yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum,” but not a campy pirate shanty. Probably due to the accordion and fiddle, “Rox in the Box” makes you want to grab a pint and hike up your skirt and do a little jig, figuratively speaking. But the Decemberists’ sound is so very much their own, none of it seems out of place.
Now I don’t like country, but based on everything that the Decemberists employ on this album, you could call it country. Country…folk…rock…whatever it is, I like it. If all country sounded like this, with the subtle mandolin, banjo, not-so-subtle harmonica, and accordion, I’d be a country fan.
Earlier I said I’d like to listen to this album whilst driving through the mountains. I lied. I’d like to listen to it everywhere. It’s a throwback to when music, when life, when everything was simpler. Even to when recording was simpler, seeing that The King Is Dead was actually recorded in a barn outside Portland.
I’d be all for a barn tour. Now that would be the perfect place to listen to it, in a barn laying in a pile of old straw with the sun creeping in through the cracks in the decaying wood walls.
There’s a saying that I like to consider part of my musical philosophy – just because a song is catchy it doesn’t make it good. That’s the problem with so many albums these days, andJames Blunt’s new effort Some Kind of Trouble is no different.
I was never a huge fan of James Blunt, mainly because his simple and sweet “You’re Beautiful” got overplayed to the point that when I heard the opening melody, I immediately turned it off. But as an album, Back to Bedlamwas very stripped-down. It was mainly piano and vocals and overall pleasant to listen to. The lyrics weren’t muddled with too much instrumentation or overproduced audio. It sounded very clean. I didn’t even hear his second album All the Lost Souls, so I can’t judge that one. However, with his new record Some Kind of Trouble, Blunt has fallen into what I like to call the “Train Trap.” Because Train used to be a good band before they were too enticed by “rockstar” status and wrote songs like “Hey Soul Sister” and the cheap ploy “Marry Me.”
Now I’m not saying James Blunt has gone that far, but his new record has autotune. Not like Lil’ Wayne autotune, but more like Justin Bieber autotune. With the autotune, Blunt’s simple sound arrangements went out the door and turned into grandiose sugary pop songs. His voice was what made people stop and listen before because it was so different, but now it just doesn’t sound the same.
There are a couple ballads where I see a glimmer of what Blunt was before, but for the most part Some Kind of Trouble is a bunch of radio-ready filler songs. The first song “Stay the Night” is perhaps the most reminiscent of “Hey Soul Sister” with a joyous choir at the end, and you could easily sing Train’s song along with Blunt’s rhythm. In fact, I’m sure of it. But if anything was going to be the first single, the overwhelmingly chipper song it probably the one you want to go with.
For the most part, Some Kind of Trouble is more optimistic and less pretentious than his debut, but there’s nothing particularly memorable and it’s too scatter-brained. You have the sunny quirky songs like “So Far Gone” and “I’ll Be Your Man” (the latter of which actually does include clapping). But then there are also the overwrought “Heart of Gold” and “If Time Is All I have” which sound like 70’s-era Elton John lite.
However, the album isn’t all bad. “Dangerous” takes the pop synthesizer sound and runs with it without being too out of touch. If the whole album had gone in this direction without trying to hit every single other note in Blunt’s repertoire, I think I’d have enjoyed Some Kind of Trouble much more. “These Are the Words” and “Superstar” also hints at what “Dangerous” tells us outright, with even more vocal layering – which works with Blunt’s unusual voice.
I think Blunt’s problem is too many outside influences muddling the original artist. If you’re going to change up your style, pick one and do it perfectly. Don’t pick three and do a mediocre job.
The video, filmed by Lope Serrano of the famed Spanish production company CANADA, features dancers dancing perfectly in time to the song’s frenetic rhythm. As ever, the lads are snappily dressed. Two Door Cinema Club is currently in the middle of a 2-week, co-headlining tour with Canadians Tokyo Police Club, dates below.
Tour Dates:
Jan 16 – Club Soda / Montreal^
Jan 17 – Met Cafe / Providence^*
Jan 19 – Paradise / Boston^*
Jan 20 – 9:30 Club / Washington, DC^*
Jan 21 – Terminal 5 / New York City^*
Jan 22 – Trocadero / Philadelphia^*
Jan 25 – Masquerade / Atlanta^*
Jan 26 – Crowbar / Tampa^*
Jan 27 – Social / Orlando^*
^with co-headliner Tokyo Police Club
*with support from Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
Throughout White Lies’ 2009 debutalbum To Lose My Life… was a palpable sadness that resonated with those who enjoy that brand of gothic grandeur. These are the same kind of folks that connect with bands like Echo and the Bunnymen and the Smiths. For so long, I have fought against the following argument friends: “Smiths songs make you want to slit your wrists.” Not so, if you can relate with the bleaker side of life and sympathize with such sentiment. But most people don’t identify with such a non-escapist and sometimes academic view of the world and would prefer a more commercial, fun record (In other words, the kind that buy Maroon 5, Rihanna, and Katy Perryalbums and think Lady Gaga is, like, the coolest person ever).
The best parts of the London band’s debut album were the most danceable (“Death,” for example), which probably sounds completely counterintuitive and not what most people envision at all of the gothy, post-punk genre. If you ever get the chance to watch the hordes of regulars at the Mousetrap Britpop night here in Washington, you’ll understand. Morrissey famously once sang in the Smiths song “Unlovable,” “I wear black on the outside / ‘cos black is how I feel on the inside,” and in our black clothes, boots, and eyeliner, this is our dance music.
Ritual, White Lies‘s second album, is comprised of similar building blocks used to make To Lose My Life… The high – and potentially the most crowd-pleasing – points of the album are the less dark, more synthy and more inspiring moments. “Is Love,” the album’s opener, starts in the shadows with Harry McVeigh’s usually unemotional intonations, but the track is lifted up into seemingly happier, almost power pop territory thanks to synths. “The Power and the Glory” is White Lies pop trapped in the ’80s.
“Bigger Than Us,” the first single to be released from the album, is brisk in tempo and has a sweeping chorus that fans of White Lies have come to expect from the band that brought us previous singles “Farewell to the Fairground” and “To Lose My Life.” Best track on the album, hands down. First time I heard it onBBC Radio, I could feel the tears welling up: “and I feel like I’m breaking up, but I wanted to stay / headlights on the hillside, don’t take me this way / I don’t want you to hold me, I want you to pray / this is bigger than us.” Epic. (Actually, thinking more about the lyrics, the song might be a nod to the Smiths‘ “This Charming Man” or “There is a Light That Never Goes Out.”)
The buzzing guitars of “Holy Ghost” are sexy and the tune’s verses sound like a homage to the Police’s “Roxanne.” But the chorus is bizarre: “maybe someday I can move like you / maybe someday I can scream like you / I’m not looking for a holy ghost.” I would love to get inside the brain of the band’s bassist and chief lyricist Charles Cave one day. Also unique is “Peace and Quiet,” with a double-tracked chorus almost approaching gospel (“I feel this great pressure coming down on me / and the tide of my bliss, pulling at your sympathy“), new age synths, and an atmospheric yet chill vibe reminiscent of Broken Bells’ debut last year. Not what I would have expected from White Lies at all.
The punishing rhythm of “Turn the Bells” is hypnotic, but there’s no denying it, it’s dark. “Streetlights” is custom made for the terminally depressed, it’s a desperate cry to the world: “hold tight for heartbreak / buckle up for loneliness / right time to get away / where I’m going, I couldn’t care.” Tough stuff. “Strangers” contains the refrain “there’s nothing stranger than to love someone,” the protagonist anxiously trying to love a woman who is emotionally unavailable and not returning his deepest affections. You might not want to listen to this if you’re going through a rough patch in a relationship.
But these are the inevitable, more sinister, more difficult to swallow moments from Ritual. They represent the most comfortable territory for White Lies: writing songs that express the pain and sorrow of everyday situations. That said, this album is really for people who can see past the initial gray sheen of depression the band uses to paint the surface of their songs; under the surface, there are always profound feelings. There are deep emotions in every track, examined and intellectualized, ready to be taken into the hearts of people who can appreciate those emotions.
Ritual by White Lies will be released in America on January 18 on Geffen Records.
Track Listing:
01. Is Love
02. Strangers
03. Bigger Than Us
04. Peace and Quiet
05. Streetlights
06. Holy Ghost
07. Turn the Bells
08. The Power and the Glory
09. Bad Love
10. Come Down
In case you hadn’t heard, Brent Knopf has left Menomena. No, he hasn’t announced that he’ll be leaving after this next tour – the original Menomena lineup is no more as of last week. Pitchfork was the first to report it last Friday, and I have to say – I was more than just a little bit upset.
While the news is heartbreaking to those of us who were planning on seeing them in Austin in March for SXSW, the remaining members will still be going on with this tour. Whether you still want to see them is still questionable, but I do have some good news for you.
Knopf’s announcement was not his retirement announcement, more like “I’ve left the band to pursue other things.” Knopf will now be exclusively working on Ramona Falls music, which is good news in itself, but quite bittersweet.
Being a big fan of Menomena, and the last record in particular, I’m still holding out hope that Knopf will one day return to Danny Seim andJustin Harris to rekindle the odd and amazing genius that they’ve created over the last ten years, but I’m not counting on it.
So while we mourn the loss of one of Portland’s finest, take a gander at some of their most memorable videos, live performances, and some stuff you may not have seen.
And if you haven’t heard any of Knopf’s Ramona Falls stuff, take a gander.
Ramona Falls – “Russia”
If you still would like to see what remains of the band on their upcoming tour, dates are below. But I know I’m glad I had the chance to see them play in their hometown back in September, at perhaps one of the best shows I saw in 2010, maybe ever.
The tour will feature Paul Alcott on keyboards, rounding out the quartet.
03/03/11 Menomena in Minneapolis, MN at U of M Buy tickets
03/05/11 Menomena in Ames, IA at The Maintenance Shop Buy tickets
03/06/11 Menomena in Iowa City, IA at The Mill Buy tickets
03/09/11 Menomena in Columbia, MO at Blue Note Buy tickets
03/10/11 Menomena in St Louis, MO at The Gargoyle
03/11/11 Menomena in Louisville, KY at Headliners Music Ball Buy tickets
03/12/11 Menomena in Ashville, NC at The Orange Peel Buy tickets
03/15/11 Menomena in New Orleans, LA at Republic Buy tickets
03/16/11 Menomena in Houston, TX at Warehouse Live Buy tickets
Kansas City’s SSION is recording and self-releasing its next full-length record. But the extravagant act needs some help putting that record out.
SSION has a Kickstarter to help pay for the recording and limited physical release of the album by February 1.
Pledges can be as low as a $1, but those above $25 come with incentives that range from signed and kissed albums to a hand-painted leather jacket and the WOMAN’s bra.
SSION is hoping to reach $6,000 by Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m. EST. As of this writing, they’re about a third of the way to that goal.
January 4th and 5th, I tour managed for Giant Radio. When I say tour – I mean up to Chicago, two dates, then back home.
Both shows were for fellow blogger Sam Gordon who runs Chicago based Reviewsic; it was her one year anniversary of being a site.
The first night Chris Thomas, vox/guitar, did an acoustic set at the Double Door. Reviewsic had bands doing full sets upstairs and acoustic sets in between downstairs.
The second night was at Schuba’s Tavern. I was absolutely blown away by the local line-up.
To start off the night was Katie Gavin, a singer/songwriter who not only has a great voice but is an impressive guitar player. Gavin had a full set of originals along with one cover. Her rendition of “Whip My Hair Back and Forth” was quite refreshing compared to the original. Watch the cover here.
Next up, KC band Giant Radio. They showcased new songs which will be released on their upcoming full-length. Click hereto watch “Palace.”
After GR, Emblems took the stage. I didn’t have the chance to grab any video but they’re a band worth checking out. They even had a female auxiliary player. When I say auxiliary I mean she played EVERYTHING; Keys, Trumpet, Shaker, Tambourine, Glockenspiel, Vox, she sang and even played the Melodica.
Headliner for the night, Young Jesus definitely brought a crowd out. Not only were they great dudes, but they put on an entertaining show. Here’s a clip from their set.
Forget the overpriced tickets and breaking bank on greasy movie theater popcorn. Taking movie showings into your own hands and host a Private-Public Screening of Efterklang & Vincent Moon‘s collaboration: An Island.
An Island is an unconventional music performance film and an abstract documentary about a band and an island. The running time is 50 minutes. In August 2010, French filmmaker Vincent Moon met with Efterklang’s 8 piece-live band on an island off the Danish coast to make a film of performances, experiments and collaborations. For four days, the band collaborated with more than 200 local musicians, children and their families to create new performances and interpretations of songs from their 2010 release, Magic Chairs.
The film premieres in February and people can now sign up to host their own screenings running anywhere and anytime from February 1 until March 31. And we do mean anywhere – coffee shops, homes, auditoriums, a beach, but you decide.
To host a screening, visit here. For an updated list of showings to attend a screening, visit here.
The rules are:
• The screenings need to have free entrance
• The screenings need to be public.
• The screenings need to have a minimum capacity of 5 people
• The screenings need to be verified by Efterklang & Vincent Moon and only screenings that are featured on www.anisland.cc are official Private-Public Screenings
To keep this site up and running, we reserve the sidebar for ads. In that case, put your ad here.
All that's needed is for you to fill out this lovely form.
All media content contained within PopWreckoning is meant to enhance reader appreciation for the art and medium. Please support artists you discover here by purchasing albums, attending shows and buying merch.
Contact us should you wish for certain media to be removed from PopWreckoning.
Concert Calendar
Nov 23, 2011
HaHa Tonka @ Recordbar, Kansas City MO
Nov 25, 2011
Thee Oh Sees @ The Granada, Lawrence KS
The last time Gang of Four released an album Yahoo had just had its global takeover, O.J. Simpson was still on trial and Bill Clinton was still President. Since the start of their career in 1979, they’ve released seven full-lengths and influenced bands in the better half of five different decades. One has to wonder if the recent popularizing of bands such as Franz Ferdinand or Bloc Party would have ever been possible had it not been for Gang of Four. Hell, even Kurt Cobain describes Nirvana as starting as a “Gang of Four…ripoff.” Their thumb print on music is cannot realistically be minimized as fleeting.
Throughout 
