popwreckoning

We now come to the final Radiohead revisited giveaway, and this time, for the 2009 deluxe edition of Hail To The Thief, which hands down is my favorite album in the entire catalog.  It might be my favorite because it incorporates all the different musical styles on the previous albums, or because it is considered a least favorite, or a “throw-away” album by some fans.

Regardless of the reason, this is Radiohead’s ultimate masterpiece, with two tablespoons of the guitar-heavy OK Computer, a cup of the experimental and electronic Kid A, one-quart of piano, and a pinch of The Bends.

The album arguably has the best 1-2 punch of all of Radiohead’s albums with the multi-sectioned and eventually intense “2+2=5”, followed by the equally as powerful and building “Sit Down, Stand Up.”  How can one not be rocking out at the two-minute mark of the opening track?  For as layered as “2+2=5” sounds, it is one the more cleaner sounding guitar parts in long while.

“Sit Down, Stand Up” has one the funkiest and syncopated piano rhythms I have heard Jonny Greenwood ever play.  Atop that playing is a repeated “Sit down, stand up” until borderline creepy phrases of “walk into the jaws of hell” and “we can wipe you out anytime.”  For the final minute and 15 seconds,  “the raindrops” is repeated above an intense, trance-like music accompaniment inducing head banging.

“Sail to the Moon” reminds me of “Karma Police” and “Pyramid Song” with the heavy piano, which of course I thoroughly enjoy hearing.  I can never get too much of piano in any song.

After the Kid A-like “Backdrifts,” we go down memory lane to Radiohead’s second album The Bends. “Go To Sleep” has that guitar, alt-rock sound, bringing back their roots.  Even though the band has ascended by leaps and bounds musically, they can never escape their initial influences.  Some call it a blessing, and others call it a curse.

The next three tracks of “Where I End and You Begin,”  “We Suck Young Blood” and “The Gloaming” is a return to the experimental and trippy elements found on Kid A and Amnesiac.

Radiohead then goes back in time once again, but this time to Ok Computer, the days where they straddled the line between alt-rock and experimental with the lead-off single “There There”, “I Will” and “A Punch Up At a Wedding.”

With one more Kid A type song in “Myxomatosis,” the album comes to a close with the Amnesiac-like “Scatterbrain” and “A Wolf at the Door.”

Next time you sit down and listen to Hail to the Thief, really try and think of this album with ingredients from Radiohead’s back catalog.  It is almost a “Best Of” without actually having any previously released songs from prior albums.  If anything, I view this ultimate masterpiece as an homage to everything they had done, an amalgamation, if you will, of all that makes Radiohead arguably the most challenging, and never-conforming-to-mainstream-radio band the music industry has ever heard.

For grins, here is the tracklist for Hail to the Thief with the album it compliments, or rather, the “Best Of” feel:

1.  2+2=5 (Amnesiac)
2.  Sit Down, Stand Up (Kid A)
3.  Sail To the Moon (OK Computer)
4.  Backdrifts (Kid A)
5.  Go To Sleep (The Bends)
6.  Where I End and You Begin (Amnesiac)
7.  We Suck Young Blood (Kid A)
8.  The Gloaming (Kid A)
9.  There There (OK Computer)
10.  I Will (Ok Computer)
11.  A Punch Up At A Wedding (Ok Computer)
12.  Myxomatosis (Kid A)
13.  Scatterbrain (Amnesiac)
14.  A Wolf At the Door (Amnesiac)

The second disc contains b-sides from the “There There,” “Go To Sleep” and “2+2=5” singles.  Included among them are a live track of “Fog (Again),” a remix of “Myxomatosis” appropriately titled “Remyxomatosis,” the first demo version of “There There,” a remix of “Scatterbrain” and another version of “I Will.”

In addition, there are also live tracks from the Jo Whiley Show from May 28, 2003, Live at Earls Court in London from November 26, 2003 and Zane Lowe from December 8, 2003.

The DVD contains the promotional music videos to the three singles, including a promo video for “Sit Down Stand Up,” and live video footage from Belfort Festival, and Later…With Jools Holland.

The deluxe edition also contains the sleeve covers for the three singles, the booklet from the original album release, and a poster from the special edition released in 2003.

Hail To The Thief (standalone album) – 5 out of 5 stars
Hail To The Thief (2 CD/1 DCD) – 5 out of 5 stars

Disc 2 Track List:
(Taken from “There There” single)
1.  Paperbag Writer
2.  Where Bluebirds Fly

(Taken from “Go To Sleep” single)
3.  I Am Citizen Insane
4.  Fog (Again) – Live
5.  Gagging Order
6.  I Am A Wicked Child

(Taken from “2+2=5” single)
7.  Remyxomatosis (Cristian Vogel RMX)
8.  There There (First Demo)
9.  Skttrbrain (Four Tet RMX)
10.  I Will (Los Angeles Version)

(Jo Whiley Show – 28/05/93)
11.  Sail To the Moon

(Live at Earls Court, London – 26/11/03)
12.  2+2=5

(Zane Lowe – 08/12/03)
13.  Go To Sleep

DVD Track list:
(Music Videos)
There There
Go To Sleep
2+2=5
Sit Down Stand Up

(Live at Belfort Festival)
2+2=5

(Later…With Jools Holland 27/05/03)
There There
Go To Sleep
2+2=5
Where I End And You Begin

Editors’ Note: PopWreckoning has one unopened copy of this special edition of Hail to the Thief to be given away to a resident of the United States. To win, all you have to do is comment with your favorite song from the album Hail to the Thief and explain why the song stands out to you. The comment that stands out to the Editors the most, wins.

Please remember to include a working email address so we might contact you for mailing information. Contest will run until June 10.

Primarily recorded during the same time as Kid A, Radiohead delivers Amnesiac less than a year after its predecessor.  With the successful experimentation done on the prior album, it was going to be difficult to follow up with anything at that level.  See, I am a firm believer that there are crap, ok, good, and excellent albums.  But then there are the rare albums that are a step above an excellent album, and for me that was Kid A.

So because Amnesiac was mainly recorded during the same time as Kid A, there are those same experimental elements found throughout the album.  However, a more accurate description would be to call it a unification of textures found on both OK Computer and Kid A.

“Packt Like Sardines In a Crushed Tin Box” begins with a sound like Kid A – the first 30 seconds is nothing but beats and grooves before a melodic instrument enters.  It is as if the songs “Kid A” and “Idioteque” had a baby.

The first single “Pyramid Song” is another favored among many fans of Radiohead.  One of the biggest discussions has been about the time signature.  Arguments have been made for 6/8, 2/4, 6/8 repeated.  Others have also argued there is no time signature, it is just felt, which is a sound argument in this case, but the majority of music has time signatures and one can still be “felt.”  I even once read a claim that it uses an old African time signature.  16/4, and 16/8 have also been popular claims as well, depending on where you place the value of each beat.

My own opinion is that it is a simple 4/4 time signature with the phrase extending over 4 measures.  The beauty of “Pyramid Song” is that it takes something simple and makes it complex through syncopation and beat displacement, and that is the genius behind Radiohead.

“Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors” makes me think that if the voice found on the song “Fitter/Happier” was signed to a one-song record contract, this would be his claim to fame.

It takes four songs into Amnesiac and almost 2 minutes into “You And Whose Army?” for any discernable early Radiohead to rise up through all of the experimentation in an almost dreamlike flashback to the days of Pablo Honey and The Bends. In essence, the band breaks through its own amnesiac and remembers for the briefest of moments where they came from.

There is a striking similarity between “I Might Be Wrong” and “The National Anthem” from Kid A. Is it possible that “The National Anthem,” may have been some kind of blueprint for “I Might Be Wrong?”  Or that could just be crazy talk.

Amnesiac looses its momentum with the 3-song set of “Morning Bell/Amnesiac,” “Dollars & Cents” and “Hunting Bears.”  All three songs seem to start and go nowhere, and clocking in at a combined 10 minutes, that is a huge hit on the 40-minute album.

If our dreams had a soundtrack, I believe “Like Spinning Plates” would be the score.  The disjointed and cloudy music, in fact creepy sounding at times, would compliment the eerie visions that our subconscious feeds us in our sleep.

Amnesiac comes to a close with a final lounge/jazz like song, in a smoke-filled bar, with the booze flowing freely.  “Life In a Glass House” sounds like a good ol’ time drunken jam session.  Though, I don’t feel it is the appropriate closer for the album, and think “Like Spinning Plates” would have been more suitable.

CD Two contains b-sides from the “Pyramid Song,” and “Knives Out” singles, including live tracks recorded from Canal+ Studios on April 28, 2001, and “Like Spinning Plates” from the I Might Be Wrong : Live Recordings release.

I think Amnesiac would have been a solid album if the 3-song low moment was replaced with the b-sides “The Amazing Sounds of Orgy,” “Fast Track” and “Worry Wort.”  To me, these songs are far superior to “Morning Bell,” “Dollars and Cents” and “Hunting Bears.”

These B-sides are interesting in that “The National Anthem” is completely different from the take on Kid A, and the live versions of “Packt Like Sardines” and “Like Spinning Plates” have lost their electronic/experimentation feel found on the album and take on an alt-rock form.

The deluxe edition gives us a little more on the DVD than did the releases of OK Computer and Kid A. The DVD contains the promo music videos for the above-mentioned singles plus “I Might Be Wrong” and “Push Pulk/Spinning Plates.”  It also contains live footage from Top of the Pops and Later…With Jools Holland.  There are 11 tracks on the DVD, so that is a step up from the previous two releases.

The deluxe edition also contains the sleeve covers for “Pyramid Song” and “Knives Out,” the original album insert for Amnesiac and a library card for the album.

My biggest complaint with the production of the deluxe edition is that they kept the original font alignment from the album release.  While I understand the nostalgic value, I hated it then, and I hate it now.  They didn’t choose right align, or left align to keep it organized.  Instead, it’s this horrible version of “justify” that makes it very difficult to read.

And if it was done as some sort of connection to the theme of the album title or the music itself, I still don’t like it.  I wish on the deluxe edition release that they fixed the original font alignment.

Amnesiac (standalone album) – 3 ½ out of 5 stars

Amnesiac (2 CD/1 DVD) – 4 out of 5 stars

Disc 2 Track list:
(Taken from “Pyramid Song” single)
1.  The Amazing Sounds of Orgy
2.  Trans-Atlantic Drawl
3.  Fast-Track
4.  Kinetic

(Taken from “Knives Out” single)
5.  Worrywort
6.  Fog
7.  Life In a Glasshouse (Full-length version)

(Taken from Canal+ Studios – 28/04/11)
8.  You and Whose Army?
9.  Packt Like Sardines in a Crushed Tin Box
10.  Dollars and Cents
11.  I Might Be Wrong
12.  Knives Out
13.  Pyramid Song

(Taken from I Might Be Wrong – Live Recordings)
14.  Like Spinning Plates

DVD Track list:
(Music Videos)
Pyramid Song
Knives Out
I Might Be Wrong
Push Pulk/Spinning Plates

(Top of the Pops 17/08/01)
Knives Out

(Later…With Jools Holland 09/06/01)
Packt like Sardines in a Crushed Tin Box
Knives Out
Life In a Glasshouse
I Might Be Wrong

Editors’ Note: PopWreckoning has one unopened copy of this special edition of Amnesiac to be given away to a resident of the United States. To win, all you have to do is comment with your favorite song from the album Amnesiac and explain why the song stands out to you. The comment that stands out to the Editors the most, wins.

Please remember to include a working email address so we might contact you for mailing information. Contest will run until June 10.

St. Louis favorites Ludo head out for a summer tour with 20+ dates including both the east and west coast. The tour, called Space Dracula’s Basketball Expo, will also include Sparks The Rescue, Tommy and the High Pilots, Stamps (featuring Bob from The Hush Sound) and select dates with Without A Face.

Check out tour dates here: www.ludosummertour.com

And watch the video below:

Dylan Champagne claims to wear many musical hats and he’s not kidding. He released an acoustic album in 2008, charting on the CMJ top 200; he sings and plays guitar for a new-wave punk band called The Dysfunctions; he’s a a part of a secret society of composers who meet monthly; and he fronted the now defunct math-core band One Step Shift. And his newest endeavor Love Songs of the Apocalypse, Volume 1 explores punk, prog, and 70′s pop roots with acoustic leanings. Champagne describes it as “Springsteenesque acoustic prog-punk” or perhaps “acoustic lyric-driven rock with strange time signatures, a strong pop sensibility and nostalgic themes.”

Anything with the word ‘apocalypse’ in the title is enough to gain the interest of the Millennial Generation. With shows like The Walking Dead and movies Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland, we seem to have a fascination with brain-eating crazies that pop up at the end of the world. Dylan Champagne says that he’s been having apocalyptic dreams since he was just a boy. “I suppose the reoccurring apocalyptic dreams began when I was about 9. It was the 80′s and Reagan was king,  and everywhere you looked was nuclear this that and the other. Love Songs of the Apocalypse Volume 1 is a shout-out to the mid-sized semi-urban dystopia in my head.”

The album starts with “Baby in a Bear Suit” and it’s a refreshing listen. Champagne has a wonderful baritone register that he takes full advantage of, and my immediate reaction was a comparison to Jarrod Gorbel of The Honorary Title. He has sometimes painfully honest lyrics and a lot of them are tongue-in-cheek. It’s a nice change of pace to hear songs with a simple and straight-to-the-point message; sometimes you just don’t want to figure out complex poetry and metaphors. Sometime you want to hear it like it is.

Champagne’s songs are certainly lyrically driven and we get a glimpse of apocalyptic feelings with lines like “flying high above the zombie streets/cutting class and breaking bottles in the creek/and your friends all bite their tongues/and you might as well be dead.” The album begins on a soft note and at this point I would definitely call it acoustic. But the tempo steadily progresses through the album with “Dealt” and “The Daily Albatross,” and we reach wailing electric guitars on “California Song.” “Finally Ready” is a welcome break, listeners get a chance to catch their breath for a minute with a calmer piano-infused song. It’s one of my favorites of the album; I have a soft spot for piano in my acoustic-y rock music. “Empty Notebooks” continues with the chilled out theme, and “The Ballad of J Flato” is just what it sounds like: a lovely ballad that might seem to lull a person to sleep, save for the last minute or so that explodes with a burst of energy, carrying the listener through the rest of the album. “Forester Pass in Chinatown Slippers” is a look back at the strictly low-key acoustic beginnings of the album, and the rest of the album is smooth sailing, save for the last song “The Short Goodbye” which is a catchy little sing-along piece featuring a tinkling piano and female vocals to wrap things up on a sweet note.

This isn’t an album I’d normally pick up, but I can honestly say I’m a fan. Put this record on when you’re having a musically ADD day; it features a little bit of everything and in forty-five minutes or so, you’ll be feeling satisfied no matter what your initial craving was for.

Track Listing:

1. Baby in a Bear Suit
2. Dealt
3. The Daily Albatross
4. California Song
5. Finally Ready
6. Empty Notebooks
7. The Ballad of J Flato
8. Forester Pass in Chinatown Slippers
9. Row Homes in the Desert
10. Greenfield Manifesto
11. The Short Goodbye

www.brokeinoakland.com/dylan

Sometimes, press releases are interesting things. The press release for They Will Find You Here notes that “Sleepy Vikings has previously and unsuccessfully described its sound as ‘southern shoegaze.’” The shoegaze is there, almost. The southern isn’t noticeable at all. Hailing from Florida, Sleepy Vikings’ tend more towards introspective indie pop, but the songs do swirl in a way that could be called shoegaze. Whatever you want to call it, it’s great stuff. These songs are fascinating lyrically, and they get better with each listen.

The album starts great with a simple guitar line. The song “These days” starts quickly and the vocals emote: “times are getting tough.” It sets the stage for the rest of the album. It features a lot of meandering guitars, and male/female vocals.

The second song, “Calm” is a fantastic breakup song: “It’s over and I’m not sad anymore. I don’t remember what feeling sad was for.” Then a fantastic refrain: “calm down my head.” The song moves along, and ends right on time. It might be tempting to draw these things out, but Sleepy Vikings have a very strong pop sensibility.

The best thing here, “Dear Long Distance” comes near the end of the album. It builds slowly, and the lyrics are fascinating: “being free felt a lot like being scared, so I guess I was chased. And I’m not going back to the place I left for dead again.” The song seems to be about escaping youth. It’s complex, and seems designed for repeat listening.

Sleepy Vikings play a style of music that is difficult to pull off well, and they do pull it off. This album is absolutely fantastic, and is highly recommended.

Track Listing:

I had the opportunity to ask Chris Freeman of Manchester Orchestra a few questions. The band is currently in the midst of a national tour with co-headliner Cage The Elephant.

Devon Mueller, Popwreckoning: How does it feel to be releasing your third album Simple Math?

Chris Freeman, Manchester Orchestra: It feels great. We’re really very proud of this record and we’re just happy that it’s finally out. After sitting on this thing for as long as we did, one begins to gain a growing desire for feedback. You start to get into your own head about the whole thing in hopes that people will like it.

DM: Did you ever imagine the band being where it is today?

CF: Everybody hopes to be the biggest band in the world, or at least I think they do. On the slow climb that we’ve been on for the past few years, there are always moments of disbelief when we realize that we’ve been blessed enough to be able to do what we do and be successful at it.

DM: How does the writing and recording process work for you guys as a whole? Lyrics, instrumentation, live recordings, etc.?

CF: It varies a lot, but the constant is Andy writing the basic ideas for everything that we come out with; Sometimes he brings in a riff, or a fully fledged out song and we just sort of write parts around whatever he brings to the table.

DM: One could consider you a multi-instrumentalist. Is there a certain instrument you’re particularly fond of?

CF: I really enjoy playing the vibraphone. Sounds stupid but it’s a really versatile instrument; it can sound very beautiful or very haunting. We didn’t get to use one on Mean Everything To Nothing but I jumped at the chance to use one for this record.

DM: During Manchester Orchestra’s live Facebook chat/premiere of “Virgin,”  Andy said the songs on Mean Everything To Nothing were meant to scare people. What is the main focus and goal of Simple Math?

CF: We just wanted to make the best record that we could. It’s definitely an experience as a whole album and each song speaks for itself in their own unique ways. Its a growth album and that growth is evident in the sequencing and we just wanted to bring people along with us in that growth for us as a band.

DM: Any weird pre-show rituals?

CF: We started doing this high-five thing, like in the NBA where they slap hands really low and then immediately pull back. We do that now.

DM: If you could interview any band, dead or alive, who would it be and what’s the one burning question you’d ask?

CF: I’d ask David Byrne if he’d show me how he found those grooves on Remain In Light and Speaking In Tongues. I just want to know what they started with in the building process of the songs on those records.

DM: Funniest tour moment?

CF: I saw Tim slip today outside of the bus and then I yelled “NERD!!!” That was really funny.

DM: Where do you see yourself in five years?

CF: Hopefully still making records with my friends, playing shows, and living in Australia.

DM: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?

CF: Probably crying in a closet in Ohio somewhere.

Manchester Orchestra’s website: www.themanchesterorchestra.com

Do the best with what you got, is a good motto for bands to follow. However in the case of Portugal. The Man, not only did they do the best with what they had, they took it 15 levels higher. Their recent show in Kansas City resided at the Record Bar. And to say I was impressed would be an understatement. To say I was grabbed by the ears and taken on a mind-numbing, intergalactic journey would be more accurate.

With their seventh studio album set to release in July, their energy was high. But something tells me every show is performed at that level. Their sound felt as though it hooked onto each laser beam and leapt off the stage to pierce its way into the crowd. Surrounded by colors and notes the show began.

The fact that a new album was a couple months away didn’t really have much bearing on the set list. Selections were mixed from nearly every record they have written. A slighter heavier emphasis was placed on what could be considered their most successful album to date: The Satanic Satanist.

Songs like “The Home” and “The Woods” with their sexy beats and infectious (and even harmonious) vocals, meshed perfectly with a stage lit by entrancing green beams of light. The bass did a bit of a blues sashay, causing the audience to uncontrollably sway in time. Talk about a multi-sensory aesthetic experience.

The hint of machine smoke coated the aforementioned laser lights and created an environment of light blankets and perfect for a number like “Mornings.” A song that’s core is undeniably blues and soul. Take the intro guitar solo, it’s sultry, while nearly bringing a tear to your eye. The harmonies are soft and inviting. Set at an alto octave makes them comforting without losing any power.

One of the few new songs that made it into the night was “Got It All.” This time the tempo was set a bit faster and the vocals were a tad higher. The sound leaned closer to the Rock of a Beatles era, than the Prog Rock of a Mars Volta time.  Fancy backing vocals “prettied up” the tone, while a lead guitar found a plethora of melodies to showcase. It came complete with under tones of politics in the chorus.

Nothing about Portugal fit into the average “band mold” and this I like about them. But to push that even more, they stuck the single, [that undoubtedly would appeal to every person in that sold out show] at the second to the last spot. “People Say” easily contains the catchiest lyrics of any of their songs. Even though it’s on the less-complex level, when it comes to song structure, it was still quite enjoyable. This is one of those songs that is guaranteed to induce audience participation.

The show was unexpectedly fun, engaging, mind-blowing and all together awesome. And that’s just the live stuff; their albums are in a completely different galaxy.

You know those Target commercials? The summery ones that feature flowing floral skirts, sprinklers and lemonade stands? I know you know which ones I’m talking about. The Sleepy Rebels’ new album Yellow Tree is basically the soundtrack to those commercials. I’m not kidding. When I turned it on, I feel like the sun became brighter outside and the sky became bluer.

Not that it’s a bad thing. It is almost summer, after all, so it’s the perfect soundtrack to a day at the beach or a long car ride through the woods, with sunlight peaking through the trees. Okay, I’ll stop using sunlight analogies.

But seriously, once I got to the second track, “Let’s Take the Day Off,” I got a lot of Simon and Garfunkel vibes, only in this instance, Garfunkel is female.  Sleepy Rebels’ harmonies are pleasant and easy to listen to without being cliché or overly cheesy (think Colbie Caillat, that’s some cheese right there).

The first single “Unbelievable” is so delightful, heavy on the hand claps and trumpets, and highlights Erica Driscoll’s comforting soft voice along with her brother Bruce and bandmate Jeremy Adelman’s multi-instrumental talents. Later on the in the album, particularly on the last track “Something,” not only do we get some Simon and Garfunkel hints, but that song reminds me of early Belle and Sebastian, and that’s never a bad thing.

Not only do we get some lovely acoustic guitar throughout the album, but plenty more strings – including mandolin, banjo, violin, viola, cello, and possibly some ukulele – and I caught a bit of French horn and ocarina on “Day Off” and a flute on “Elegy.”

A flute. Really.

Let me elaborate a bit on “Elegy” – it’s such a beautiful ballad that’s reminiscent of Shakespearean tragedies. I can just picture a man sauntering around on a stage in tights and puffy sleeves swooning over a princess or something. It’s definitely something we haven’t heard much of since….well…Shakespearean times.

“Beautiful” and “We’ll Wake the World Up” are also easy flowing ballads, “Crystal Ball” is a slightly bluesy track with slide guitar, “Shoot the Breeze” is another one of the Target commercial songs, or maybe one for fabric softener. Either way, it’s bright and sunny. I’m repeating myself, aren’t I?

Well I think you get my point, but I’ll just end on this – the New York trio Sleepy Rebels leaves no room for pessimism on their latest album Yellow Tree. It’s the perfect soundtrack to summer, so I suggest you get it now while the weather is still lovely. Simple as that.

Track listing:

1. To the Hollow
2. Let’s Take the Day off
3. Unbelievable
4. You Can Make the Sunrise
5. You’re the One Thing
6. Better Day
7. The Language of You
8. Elegy
9. Beautiful
10. We’ll Wake the World Up
11. Take it Easy
12. Only One
13. Crystal Ball
14. Shoot the Breeze
15. Castles Out of Sand
16. Something

http://www.sleepyrebels.com/

Seattle rockers Aiden are currently touring behind their recently released album Disguises.

Photographer Erica Cassella caught them when they stopped in Kansas City at the Beaumont Club and shares these photos from the event:

Erica also shares the behind the scenes glimpse:

As the annual ACL festival returns to Austin this year for its 10th anniversary, they promise a big lineup filled with the hottest current acts and some major alums.

This year’s lineup boasts acts such as Stevie Wonder, Arcade Fire, Kanye West, Coldplay, My Morning Jacket, Fleet Foxes, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Nas & Damian “Jr Gong” Marley and Cee Lo. You can see the full lineup below.

This year’s Austin City Limits festival is set for September 16-18. Tickets are already available, here.