popwreckoning

Exactly 1 year after a manic sold-out show at Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg, English electropop / dance trio Friendly Fires have announced details of a forthcoming mix CD to be released through Rough Trade Records. The CD is one of a humorously-titled series called Bugged Out Presents Suck My Deck that has welcomed dance music acts / DJs such as Simian Mobile Disco and Brodinski to provide similar mixes. The Friendly Fires edition includes New York’s Phenomenal Handclap Band and Scandinavian disco-pop duo Lindstrom and Christabelle. While the album won’t be released until September 27, you can pre-order it now on Rough Trade’s website here.

In addition to 18 tracks hand-picked by the band from other artists, the compilation includes “Stay Here,” a collaboration with Toronto’s Azari & III. The tune will make its radio debut today on DJ Annie Mac’s Radio1 show tonight from 7 to 9 PM GMT (that’s 2 to 4 PM ET). No worries if you miss it today, it will available for 7 days after broadcast on the BBC iPlayer.

Friendly Fires have been previewing other new tracks while on the European festival circuit this summer. Their yet-to-be-titled sophomore album is due sometime in 2011, according to various media reports. Track titles include “Running Away” and “True Love”, and the band have divulged that the new release will feature the Brazilian cuíca (commonly used in samba music) and the African kalimba.

Mix CD tracklisting:
01. The Egyptian Lover – Freak-A-Holic
02. Bot’Ox – Bearded Lady Motorcycle Show
03. The Phenomenal Handclap Band – You’ll Disappear (Munk Remix)
04. Tom Trago – Lost In The Streets of NYC (Boris Werner Lost In Malta Remix)
05. Ryan Crosson – Metro Bunker (Original Mix)
06. Lindstrom and Christabelle – Baby Can’t Stop (Aeroplane Remix)
07. Rebotini – 777 (Discodeine Remix)
08. Tensnake – Coma Cat
09. Munk – La Musica (Azari & III Remix)
10. Friendly Fires and Azari & III – Stay Here
11. Redshape – Dog Day
12. The 2 Bears – Be Strong
13. Butch – No Worries
14. George Kranz – Din Daa Daa
15. Jody “Fingers” Finch – Jack Your Big Booty (BHQ No Acid Vocal)
16. BDI – City & Industry
17. Alan Fitzpatrick – Green Light
18. Boo Williams – Mortal Trance
19. Round Two – New Day (Club Vocal Mix)

Thumbnail Photo: Mary Chang

Friendly Fires: website | myspace | Friendly Fires review | Remix Monday: “Skeleton Boy” | @ Black Cat | @ Dot to Dot Festival | interview with pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3 | Mercury Prize Nominations Announced | New Video on MTV, To Play Jimmy Kimmel and Winter Nylon Tour, Release Expanded Version of Debut Album | @ Lollapalooza 2009 | @ le poisson rouge | @ Music Hall of Williamsburg | on Jimmy Kimmel | Remix Monday: “Paris” | @ Paradise | Friendly Fires / Holy Ghost! – 12″ Split Single

The popular Arizona rock band that has inspired practically any modern alternative rock band in existence has announced the upcoming release of Invented. Jimmy Eat World will release Invented September 28, 2010.

The band reunited with their Bleed American producer, Mark Trombino, for this record. He also recorded Static Prevails and Clarity with the band.

The first single, “My Best Theory,” hits radio in August. Stay tuned for tour dates from the band at www.jimmyeatworld.com.

On September 28th, Vagrant Records will release the latest studio album from Pete Yorn.

Produced by Frank Black (The Pixies), this visceral 11-song collection follows Yorn’s two 2009 releases. Back & Fourth, hailed as “haunting” by Entertainment Weekly. While Rolling Stone said,”Yorn has found his voice on Back and Fourth, a mostly acoustic beauty.” It was followed in September by Break Up, a collaboration with Scarlett Johansson that Paste said “succeeds in its ambitious goal of capturing the spirit – if not the sound – of the late 60’s musical partnership between Serge Giansbourg and Brigette Bardot.”

Yorn’s forthcoming album, a self-titled volume with a plain black cover, was recorded on the spur-of-the-moment, in the summer of 2008. Yorn was in the middle of making Back & Fourth in Nebraska when he got an email from Black suggesting that they record some tunes. Intrigued by the notion of experimenting with Frank, Yorn hopped a plane to Salem, OR, where the two set up an impromptu studio. They recorded the albumin a mere five days – even though the singer-songwriter-guitaristcame down with the flu two days into the process.

“Frank didn’t give a shit about getting sick, so we stayed in the flow,” recalls Yorn. “He has an incredible ability to distill a song down to its core.”

Frank recalls, “Pete told me he wanted to better define himself as an artist. I think he just wanted to rock out. But as we headed down a path of realization I stripped him down a whole bunch. We battled in the best sort of way. I tried to get the session into a fearless and raw place, and to his artistic credit Pete took his songwriting to a fearless and raw place. This listener will find his or herself sitting right next to Pete on the couch. And the record totally rocks out.”

The resulting songs are raw, born of shattered nerves and shifting dreams – yet edged with hope.

Yorn will be touring in Fall 2010 in conjunction with the new album’s release. Tour dates will be announced shortly.

Track Listing:
1. Precious Stone
2. Rock Crowd
3. Velcro Shoes
4. Paradise Cove I
5. Badman
6. The Chase
7. Sans Fear
8. Always
9. Stronger than
10. Future Life
11. Wheels

Philip Selway of Radiohead will release his first solo album, Familial, August 31 on Nonesuch Records. The album will be available for pre-order late June.

A collection of sublimely fragile, haunting and heartfelt songs, Familial is likely to surprise many-and not solely because these beautifully understated performances are coming from a drummer. Familial is so persuasively good as to make a case for Selway as a natural born singer-songwriter.

The very first seeds of Familial were planted in 2001 when Neil Finn organized an impromptu gathering of talent, including Johnny Marr, Eddie Vedder, Lisa Germano, former Soul Coughing bassist Sebastian Steinberg, Selway and his Radiohead bandmate Ed O’Brien, in aid of charity. The resulting album 7 Worlds Collide was credited to Neil Finn and Friends, but when the project was revived in 2008 the singing/songwriting was divided among the ranks, which by then included members of Wilco. During those sessions at Finn’s Auckland studio, Philip came up with Familial’s “The Ties That Bind Us,” on which he made his debut as a lead vocalist. That song, and an earlier number, “The Witching Hour”–also on Familial-appeared on 7WC’s The Sun Came Out album, released August 2009.

Back home, Selway asked Courtyard Studios’ resident engineer and producer Ian Davenport to work with him on sessions that would yield Familial. Selway then invited Germano, Steinberg, and Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche and multi-instrumentalist Patrick Sansone to join him in the studio. Familial finds these varied and accomplished creative voices working in concert to craft a subtly complex and completely hypnotic atmosphere. Curiously, traditional drumming is virtually absent from the record, which favors underlying textures and loops for percussion. At times Familial’s beats and instrumental colours are so subtle, it seems as if the acoustic air in the room is setting the mood, leaving space for the lyrics, which clearly come from the most intimate of places.

On their first single off Champ, Canadian alternative rockers Tokyo Police Club state, “It’s good to be back.”

While, that’s all fine and dandy for the band, the real question remained: will audiences and fans be glad to have them back? Only the rest of Champ would tell…

Tokyo Police Club impressed with their EPs, but it seems their full-length, Elephant Shell, brought out some mixed feelings, although at 30 minutes, my only complaint was that it was more like a third EP than a full LP. So what would happen with Champ?

With Champ, the band seems to have mellowed a bit from the previous works. It’s almost ironic, that on a song titled, “Breackneck Speed,” the band is playing at one of their slowest tempos to date. Don’t get me wrong, it is still a great and catchy song, but for those who got hooked on the crazy syncopation of “Tessellate,” you might be shocked at some of the more straight up beats.

The album begins with a sustained organ tone overlaid with the static fuzz you get as if honing on a radio frequency. “Favourite Food,” is a gritty anti-love song, “a heart attack on a plate” and “knees are scratched and eyes are black,” are a few of the pleasant images TPC conjures up. Mmm. Black eyes and cardiac arrest. Tasty. The punching choruses of  “Favourite Colour follows, before single, “Breakneck Speed.”

For those fans craving the older sounds of TPC with the unbridled vocals that made “Your English Is Good” so great, “Wait Up (Boots of Danger)” is the track for you. The band alternates between walls of sound on the verses before hitting a cleaner, and ridiculously catchy, chorus. If “Wait Up” takes you back to the familiar sound of TPC, brace for shock with “Bambi.” It barely sounds like them and if anything, almost has a Julian Casablancas thing going on.

“End of a Spark” and the old timey love song “Hands Reversed” embrace the slower tempo thing that TPC all of a sudden seems to love. “Gone” is more upbeat and danceable. “Big Off” reminds of the band’s older style, but more in tune, and its big drums give a good fanfare to what is my favorite song on the album: “Not Sick.” “Not Sick” at first seemed a little ridiculous to me, but I soon found I couldn’t get that chorus…”Carolina! Happy belated..” out of my head. Plus what isn’t to love with that irregular synth pattern?

As a whole, the album is a strange sort of coming of age story for the band as they try to come to terms with what their sound is and where they fit into the musical world. This is a more refined Tokyo Police Club, but is this a good or a bad monster they have created with Champ? “Tell me it’s good to be back,” the band says, in the closing number “Frankenstein.” Well, TPC, there’s still some hiccups here and there, but yeah, it is really good to have you back.

Champ was released on June 8. Tokyo Police Club is currently on tour and full dates can be seen at tokyopoliceclub.com.

. “Wait Up” Remix by DOM

Track Listing:
1. Favourite Food
2. Favourite Colour
3. Breakneck Speed
4. Wait Up (Boots of Danger)
5. Bambi
6. End of a Spark
7. Hands Reversed
8. Gone
9. Big Difference
10. Not Sick
11. Frankenstein

A lazy journalist could easy get out of actually reviewing American Slang, the newest album from Gaslight Anthem. It honestly wouldn’t be that difficult to revisit reviews of The ‘59 Sound, referencing the same bullet points and similarities. At the end of the day it would look something like this: One part witty Bruce Springsteen reference here, respect for the New Brunswick music scene there. Throw in 500 words about the differences between punk and radio friendly power pop bands and you’ve got copy. Yet reviews like that, made famous by trash rags like Absolute Punk and Pitchfork, run rapid as the leaders of music journalism.  But, they really are just bullshit reads, hiding behind its falsely perceived elitist views of music folklore and punk history, aren’t they?  I mean, seriously, do you really think “God Save the Queen” and “Rudy Can’t Fail” will be historically better pieces of art if Green Day hadn’t existed to destroy punk?

More importantly, that mentality does nothing to actually promote a band for their accomplishments on an album they’ve worked hard to complete. I meant, if Gaslight Anthem wanted us do nothing but reference their previous albums and influences, what would be the point of even recording a new cut?  Why ignore the constant lyrical content, catchy guitar riffs and strong story lines to simply state, “Hey, this album sounds like the last one.”

I mean, if you take a second and look at American Slang as a unique piece of Americana, rather than a chapter in Gaslight Anthem’s novel of a music career you’ll see it not only stands perfectly fine on its own two feet, but hits the ground running from the word go.  Flooded with working class references and blue color pride, the music represents exactly what the band itself stands for; clocking into and doing what it takes to earn your paycheck.  The band has earn the respect of both press and fans by touring endlessly and promoting themselves extensively along the way. That’s why they’ve landed spots on festivals stages and radio stations nation wide. It’s not selling out. It’s not taking the safe road following the success of a brilliantly constructed album. It’s not because they sound slightly similar to The Boss. It’s sticking to their roots.

Giving this band anything less than your respect for that is a cop out by the banner waving lowest form of music critics selling you their copy with insults for sake of insult.

Track Listing:
1. American Slang
2. Stay Lucky
3. Bring It On
4. The Diamond Church Street Choir
5. The Queen of Lower Chelsea
6. Orphans
7. Boxer
8. Old Haunts
9. The Spirit Of Jazz
10. We Did It When We Were Young

Even though this album came out a couple weeks ago, and even though it isn’t technically summer yet, I’ve deemed Cowboy Indian Bear’s debut album Each Other All the Time as one of the most satisfying summer albums you’ll find for this season’s long, hot days and easy, carefree nights.

The melodies are uncomplicated, the percussion is crisp and consistent, and this Lawrence, KS band’s minimalist approach to harmonies and instrumentation is excitable and energetic, a perfect soundtrack for the liveliness and spirit the summer sun provides.

“Heart Be” is one of those spirited tracks, offering a solid, danceable beat that drives its way into “Mathematicians/Colour,” a layered, distinct song with quick, sharp percussion and captivating harmonies. Toward the end of the album, “Conjunction Junction” keeps the fun going with a full, lush sound that flows into “Color Well,” a track that is a very smooth, a cool, refreshing drink to ease the heat of the album’s sunny tracks. The album ends with a haunting finale, “1545 Mass/Each Other All the Time,” a cacophony of layered voices that brings Each Other All the Time to a memorable close.

Each Other All the Time is indie rock but it’s more than that. The songs contain surprises, hints of wonder and vibrancy that can be hard to accomplish with a full-length debut. “Please Be Kind to All Your Ghosts” claims: “We gave our goddamn best and somehow managed to fall flat upon our backs.” But perhaps it was only when they were on their backs that they were able to catch a glimpse of the full summer sky. Certainly, Each Other All the Time feels as expansive and rolling as a lingering skyward gaze, full of sounds that fit the summer, no matter what that summer brings.

Track Listing:

01 Madeline

02 Oh, Madison!

03 Santiago

04 Heart Be

05 Mathematicians/Colour

06 Tribute

07 Saline

08 Bear Vs.

09 Conjunction Junction

10 Color Well

11 Pleaes Be Kind to All Your Ghosts

12 1545 Mass/Each Other All the Time

Okay, so I readily admit it. I don’t listen to a lot of American bands. I do, however, have a defense: if you turn on your car radio in Washington, DC, scroll up and down the dial all you want, but you won’t be able to find a good station that plays all “new” American rock ‘n’ roll. (There is a rock station in the area that I like, but the problem is they play a lot of Red Hot Chili Peppers and Nirvana, which is fine if you want to relive the ’90s but not if you want to discover new bands.) To seek out the next biggest American rock band, I’ve used one of two methods: either listen to the good mix of stuff played on BBC 6music (through which I found out about the Airborne Toxic Event, the Gaslight Anthem, and Titus Andronicus) or show up early to gigs as to check out opening bands.

The latter method applies to how I found out about New York band the Dig, who supported Editors in February at the 9:30 Club. I always feel bad for opening bands. Unless you happen to be lucky and are already famous before you’ve agreed to sign on to support a bigger band on their headlining tour, the venue is likely to be mostly empty when it comes time for you to play. This was true at the 9:30, but the Dig worked it like pros, and by the end of their set everyone around me was smiling, obviously converted into fans. Workhorses of the American rock world, this band has toured around the country a lot, and it showed in their pretty much seamless live performance. Live shows are one thing; but can the band deliver on record, on their debut Electric Toys? I would say yes, a resounding yes. One better: this debut effort was produced by Bryce Goggin, who has previously worked with Pavement (on their 1994 opus Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain) and Antony and the Johnsons. Intrigued?

Like New Hampshire band Wild Light, the Dig features different members switching off for who sings lead. Bassist Emile Mosseri takes lead vocals on what I consider the more middle of the road radio-friendly tunes. “You’re Already Gone” tells the story about, from what I gather, the morning after but with a twist – the emotionally unavailable woman has split and the man is lamenting that she’s left so quickly. The result? A peculiar but wholly romantic tune (with lyrics like “I just want to hear you say good night again” and “all the city lights will light your skin“) with a wicked guitar groove. Tom Chaplin (Keane)-like vocals feature in “Carry Me Home,” just that electric guitars are the prominent instrument on this song, not keyboards. ” The drums by Jamie Alegre drive “Sick Sad Morning” along as Mosseri pleads, “why don’t you pick up the phone?” and later yelps in yearning.

In contrast, guitarist David Baldwin sings lead on “I Just Wanna Talk to You,” a tune with almost Southern swagger. Take that, Kings of Leon. “She’s Going to Kill That Boy” and “Two Sisters in Love” are equally searing, with rocking choruses. “He’s a Woman” has a psychedelic bent, with crashing drums and swirly guitars. These are the kind of songs you want to have along for a long car ride in the summer, windows rolled down, speakers blasting. The album cover of Electric Toys features a red velvet cupcake, cream cheese frosting, and a perfect maraschino cherry. I highly recommend taking a great big bite. Dig in.

Electric Toys will be released in America on June 8 on Megaforce Distribution.

Track Listing
01. Carry Me Home
02. Two Sisters in Love
03. You’re Already Gone
04. She’s Going to Kill That Boy
05. Penitentiary
06. Sick Sad Morning
07. He’s a Woman
08. Look Inside
09. For All Your Sins
10. Shadow
11. I Just Wanna Talk to You
12. Feel Like Somebody Else

The Dig: myspace | @ 9:30 Club | The Joy Formidable / The Dig Live Performances / Webchat on May 10 | Thrice announce 2nd leg of Summer tour w/Kevin Devine, Bad Veins & The Dig

Eels are set to release a new album entitled Tomorrow Morning, August 24, 2010 and embark on a world tour August 3. Eels leader Mark Oliver Everett, aka E calls the 14 track album the final installment of a trilogy that began with Hombre Lobo (June 2009) and End Times (January 2010). Following a four year absence, Tomorrow Morning will be the third new Eels album in a little over a year and a half and will be released on the Eels’ E Works Records label. The world tour starts in Santa Ana, California, hitting Japan, Australia, Europe, United States and Canada. It will be the first time Eels have performed live since the release of Hombre Lobo, End Times and the new album.

by Rocky Schenck

EELS 2010 World Tour dates:
August 3         Santa Ana, California   Galaxy Theater    warm-up show
August 7         Tokyo, Japan Marine Stadium, Summersonic Festival
August 8         Osaka, Japan Maishima, Summersonic Festival
August 13       Brisbane, Australia   The Tivoli
August 14      Sydney, Australia   The Enmore Theater
August 15      Melbourne, Australia   The Palace
August 20       Hasselt, Belgium    Pukkelpop Festival
August 21       Stafford, UK   V Festival
August 22       Chelmsford, UK   V Festival
August 24       Glasgow, Scotland    Academy
August 26       Birmingham, UK   Academy
August 28       Zurich, Switzerland Winterhur Festival
August 29       Paris, France   Rock en Seine Festival
August 30       Amsterdam, Holland    Paradiso
September 1    London, UK    Brixton Academy
September 3   Dublin, Ireland    Electric Picnic Festival
September 4   Manchester, UK    Academy
September 5   Luxembourg     Den Atelier
September 6    Groningen, Holland   Oosterpoort
September 7   Hamburg, Germany   Grosse Freiheit
September 8    Copenhagen, Denmark  Vega
September 10  Berlin, Germany   Astra
September 11  Munich, Germany  Theaterfabrik
September 12  Vienna, Austria    Arena
September 13  Graz, Austria    Orpheum
September 14  Hohenems, Austria    Eventcenter
September 15  Milan, Italy    Alcatraz
September 17  Barcelona, Spain    Bikini
September 19   Lisbon, Portugal    Coliseum
September 22   Philadelphia, PA    World Cafe Live
September 23   Richmond, VA   The National Theater
September 24   Boston, MA    The Royal
September 25   New York, NY    Terminal 5
September 26   Washington, DC    9:30 Club
September 28   Montreal, Canada    Le National
September 29   Toronto, Canada   The Mod
September 30   Detroit, MI    The Crofoot
October 1         Chicago, IL    The Metro
October 2         Milwaukee, WI    The Pabst Theater
October 3         Minneapolis, MN   First Avenue
October 5         Denver, CO    The Ogden Theater
October 6         Salt Lake City, UT   The Complex
October 8         Portland, OR    Roseland
October 9         Seattle, WA   TBA
October 11       San Francisco, CA   The Fillmore
October 12       Los Angeles, CA    Henry Fonda Theater

Today, May 18, marks the worldwide release of LCD Soundsystem’s purported final release: This Is Happening.

Our reviewer, Ali says that James Murphy goes out with bang on this album. There are plenty of great tracks with which to dance and sing along. Read his full review here.

To celebrate the release of the album, we’re giving away an exclusive LCD Soundsystem print and a copy of the new album. All you have to do to enter is comment and tell us what your favorite dance move is when you’re dancing to LCD Soundsystem. Entries must use a valid email address and you must live in the US to enter (sorry out-of-country readers). We’ll pick a winner Friday, May 21 at 6 p.m. CDT from the entries.

Of course, even if you don’t win, you can and should pick up the album at local stores and on iTunes. The link to buy it on iTunes is here.