popwreckoning

Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley and her man, Johnny Rice, whom you may have already seen open for her, have a new project and new tour.

Tickets are already on sale for several of these special Jenny and Johnny shows; full dates are below. Unfortunately, this means we’re going to have to wait even longer before we ever get new Rilo tunes.

For a free track download of Jenny and Johnny visit: www.jennyandjohnnymusic.com.

Tour Dates:
9/1 Santa Cruz, CA @ Rio Theater (on sale Sat 6/26 @ 10a)
9/2 San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall (on sale Sun 6/28 @ 10a)
9/3 Oakland, CA @ The New Parish (on sale Sat 6/26 @ 10a)
9/5 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge (on sale Sat 6/26 @ 10a)
9/6 Seattle, WA @ Bumbershoot Festival (on sale now)
9/8 Salt Lake City, UT @ The State Room (on sale Fri 6/25 @ 10a)
9/11 Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room (on sale Sat 6/26 @ 10a)
9/12 Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center (on sale Fri 6/25 @ Noon)
9/13 Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall (on sale Fri 6/25 @ Noon)
9/14 Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom (on sale Fri 6/25 @ 10a)
9/16 Washington, DC @ Black Cat (on sale Fri 6/25 @ Noon)
9/18 Boston, MA @ Agganis Arena (opening for Pavement – on sale now)
9/19 Brooklyn, NY @ Williamsburg Waterfront (opening for Pavement – on sale now)
9/21 Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell’s (on sale Sat 6/26 @ Noon)
9/22 Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero Theater (w/ Superchunk – on sale now)
9/23 Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle (on sale Sat 6/26 @ 10a)
9/24 Athens, GA @ 40 Watt Club (on sale Sat 6/26 @ 10a)
9/25 Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge (on sale Sat 6/26 @ 10a)
10/3 LA, CA @ Palladium (opening for Belle & Sebastian – on sale now)

Despite just releasing his debut solo album, You And Me, Kevin Barker is far from a newcomer to the scene. For the last few years he’s been recording, touring and collaborating with Devendra Banhart, Joanna Newsom, and Antony and the Johnsons, to name just a few. Now he has assembled an unbelievable group of musicians for You And Me. Produced by Thom Monahan (Vetiver, Devendra Banhart), the album features Pat Sansone (Wilco), Joanna Newsom, Jonathan Wilson (Elvis Costello, Jenny Lewis), Eric Johnson (The Shins), and Otto Hauser (Vetiver, Espers).

In college, Baker became interested in the fingerstyle guitar playing of John Fahey and Bert Jansch. He began to write songs and recorded under the name Currituck County for Teenbeat Records, Troubleman Unlimited, and Track and Field Organisation in the UK. He then moved to Brooklyn where he attended film school at Columbia University and began playing with Devendra, Antony, and Vetiver.

Coming in at just under four minutes, the title track of his new album (listen & download below) is a soft and sweet cut showcasing Barker’s smooth vocals as he sweetly sings, “There’s a dream I see / Running down to the sea / It’s you and it’s me.” A great lulling track, perfect for a snowy Saturday night by the fire with a cup of tea.

Kevin Barker – “You & Me”

You & Me will be released by Gnomonsong in January.

Kevin Barker: myspace

There are albums that are so overproduced that they lose all their authenticity. There are albums that are just right, and then there are those albums that are almost there. With just a little more studio time and mixing, former Straylight Runner Michelle DaRosa would have an amazing little album in her catalog with It Goes On, the first album from Darosa’s new band Destry.

On a first listen, It Goes On sounds a little like folky b-sides from Rilo Kiley’s first album – with Darosa’s voice paralleling Jenny Lewis’ softer tone. But with a couple more rounds you can see the potential that’s been brought together with Destry. “Don’t Forget Me” and “Home Isn’t Home” are probably the strongest examples of how this record is so easy to listen to. That’s exactly what it is – likeable folk pop.

The couple times Destry breaks away from the similar sound comes in the middle of It Goes On. “Trouble,” a bluesy track that shows the rich lower tone of DaRosa’s voice with a haunting bass line that sounds like walking down a dark, wet street and wind blowing through the trees. Right after comes the piano-laden title track, which is a cross between a ballad and a waltzy folk song. It would fit perfectly into the repertoire of pop songs that often provide the backing track on “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Let it be known that It Goes On came together as the band members sent demos back and forth, which is why it is such a simplistic and sometimes rudimentary first effort. Like I said before, if the band members had gotten together to properly collaborate and write the album, the plain shells of songs would have flourished into something even more beautiful. More producing would help Destry separate itself from its more established predecessors.

But as a first effort, It Goes On works on the most basic level – it’s pleasant to listen to.

Track Listing:
01. Don’t Forget Me
02. So Far Away
03. Leave the Lights On
04. Big Mouths
05. Trouble
06. It Goes On
07. Home Isn’t Home
08. I Made A Mistake
09. Sing My Song
10. Took the Money
11. Tearing It Apart

Destry: website | myspace

Amy Millan isn’t what you might expect from a Canadian alt-rock, indie siren with two cloistered, heart-rending albums tucked under her seemingly fragile wings. The songs off her sophomore solo album, Masters of the Burial, are hushed and harrowing impressions culled from the absence of what once was, evoking a kind of visceral desire to sing the loss, a feeling that has one easily captured. Despite the delicacy of her sound, on stage at the Mercury Lounge in New York, Millan’s performance was nothing less than an emboldened call to arms for the lone, broken, and estranged…read: a sardined bunch of thirty-somethings on a late Thursday night who actually bought albums by Stars and Broken Social Scene in an actual, like, “record store” way back when, who have been sweating sad indie rock for more than a decade, and didn’t start thinking country was cool when Jenny Lewis came along in high-waisted denim short-shorts.

Commanding the stage with her husky, earthen vox, dug-up folk-inspired live performance, and cache of consummate stage companions, who create rich, old Western- style weavings of sound with banjos, drums, and an upright bass, Millan gave one of the most honest performances I’ve seen in a very long time. This was a show without show if you know what I mean, no pretense, just truthful, honest to song, music torn from the scrapbook of her soul. Millan was humble, down to earth, and gave the vivid impression that the songs were almost seeping from the cracks in her gristly skin. Millan live is like sipping moonshine at dusk, on a good friend’s porch, catching hints of the magnolia tree around the bend…it’s just like being home.

Masters of the Burial, her latest release, is available now on Arts & Crafts records.

Amy Millan: website | myspace | Masters of the Burial review

Saddle Creek knows a powerful female voice when they hear one. They helped launch the career of Jenny Lewis, have been the home to the phenomenal ladies in Azure Ray and their sister label Team Love boasts the gang vocals of the tap-dancing gals in Tilly and the Wall. The latest female-fronted band to join the roster, Land of Talk, is no different. Singer Lizzie Powell lives up to the legacy of the Saddle Creek gals.

If you missed out on the talk about Land of Talk, no worries. We’ve got you covered. You can download a new mp3 off the group’s forthcoming Fun and Laughter EP. The song is called “May You Never.” Just right click and save as to download or stream on our site.

Land of Talk – May You Never

The Fun and Laughter EP includes four new songs and three videos. The hard copy comes with original art by the band.

Track Listing:
01. Sixteen Asterisk
02. May You Never
03. As Me
04. A Series Of Small Flames
05. The Man Who Breaks Things (Dark Shuffle) – Video
06. Troubled – Video
07. Some Are Lakes – Video

Tour Dates:
Oct. 27 – Casbah / San Diego, CA
Oct. 29 – Spaceland / Los Angeles, CA
Oct. 30 – Cellar Door / Visalia, CA
Nov. 2 – Cafe Du Nord / San Francisco, CA
Nov. 4 – Doug Fir Lounge / Portland, OR
Nov. 5 – High Dive / Seattle, WA
Nov. 6 – Nightlight / Bellingham, WA
Nov. 7 – Biltmore Cabaret / Vancouver, BC

Land of Talk: website | myspace

Allowing me to be a bit brash for a moment, consider yourself lucky you’re hearing about this band now, well ahead of all your other friends who “remembers when” this and that band was hand printing stickers. Xylos will be your new favorite band. Xylos, a group that is composed of East Coast darlings, and who recently hit the “Bands To Know” L Magazine list, introduces themselves with a five song EP. And if you don’t pick it up immediately, you should be ashamed of yourselves.

They call it Bedrooms, but the album art features a skinny little thing in a bikini standing shy alone on a beach. As one giant 24 minute feast, it plays beautifully and can keep up with your musical A.D.D.

In fact, there are so many different sounds and influences—Spanish guitar, electronic, world beats, Jenny Lewis-like swooning, shakers, auto-tune, heavy and soft acoustic—that it should be all wrong. Except the approach is so slight and tender, that even those slow songs come out romantic and whole.

“In The Bedroom” opens with a sticky sweet rhythm and electronic accoutrement, a little like a good Discovery—in fact, if Discovery hadn’t overkilled it with such ridiculous vocal manipulation, they would sound as damn good as this Xylos tune. It’s not a boring first impression, even though the track carries much of the same sound, it’s a good sound, and the end hints at drummer Mike Greenfield’s talent.

If the opener was beachy, “Wrapped In A Page” is a foggy autumn evening on a porch in the mountains. Still lingering, still bringing about a newer noise with strings floating throughout. The xylophone and percussion do a quirky duet leading to an epic verse where dubbing and boy-girl proclamations give you goosebumps. And although “Yellow Flip Flops” sounds like a sunny one meant for a walk along Long Beach Island, we hear birds, some 70s folk, and that Jenny reference I mentioned (though singer Nikki Lancy has a better composition to work with). And once again, wait for the end. There’s an impressive solo bout that reminds me of a Bryan Adams riff. But pleasantly, not in that condescending, lame way. By the time “This House We Built” and “Testament” arrives, you’ll understand how the EP is mood-based, never pinned down with a certain theme or heartbreak.

The album was a basis for frontman Eric Zeiler’s haikus. And hell, if that’s what it takes, plus a group of childhood friends, a Craigslist post, and talented four (not one) songwriting minds entangling perfectly together, than expect more genius out of the English department.

I recently read that the band was so young (let’s hope they throw a killer one-year anniversary party this month) that they come across as amazing but raw; that they hadn’t found their sound yet. And I want to scream as loud as I can that if they change, I walk.

If you need more, like I did, there are some demos available on MySpace. They also drop their first full-length in the fall, to be followed with massive touring of the UK and our States. Pay attention—you’ll want to be front row, and those of you that are constantly awaiting the newest indie darlings, watch for who they bring to open.

Bedrooms is available now for free download on the band’s website. Get it here!

Xylos: website | myspace

Heartless Bastards turned quite a few heads this year at SXSW, and the indie rock band will get the chance to play to even more people across the land via a North American tour. The Austin-based quartet, fronted by feisty vocalist Erika Wennerstrom, will be busy this summer, touring through August as support for some of the music biz’s heavy hitters – including Jenny Lewis, Andrew Bird, and the Decemberists. They are also scheduled to appear at several festivals, including the Philadelphia Folk Festival on August 15 and San Francisco’s Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival on August 30.

Recently, the Bastards taped a live set for the esteemed public television music program “Austin City Limits”; this is scheduled to hit American television screens this fall. Alex Maas (of the Black Angels), a good friend of the band, is a special guest on the episode, duetting with Wennerstrom on an evocative reinterpretation of the Tim Hardin-penned ’60s folk hit “If I Were a Carpenter”. Have a listen.

If I Were a Carpenter, performed by Erika Wennerstrom and Alex Maas

Wennerstrom and Maas (with Dave Colvin and Jesse Ebaugh of Heartless Bastards) have also been hard at work with a side project, Sweet Tea, taking on classic country and adding their own spin to it. A studio version of “If I Were a Carpenter” will be the band’s first single, to be available digitally later this month and physically on September 1. A limited edition 7″ single will also be released later this year.

Tour dates
Jul 10 – Greek Theatre – Los Angeles (supporting Andrew Bird)
Jul 11 – Marquee Theatre / Tempe (supporting Jenny Lewis)
Jul 31 – All Points West Music & Arts Festival / Jersey City
Aug 02 – Osheaga Music and Arts Festival / Montreal
Aug 03 – Kool Haus / Toronto (supporting the Decemberists)
Aug 05 – Orpheum Theatre / Madison (supporting the Decemberists)
Aug 06 – Metro / Chicago (supporting the Decemberists)
Aug 07 – Lollapalooza / Chicago
Aug 08 – Egyptian Room / Indianapolis (supporting the Decemberists)
Aug 11 – Royal Oak Music Theatre / Royal Oak, MI (supporting the Decemberists)
Aug 14 – Byham Theatre / Pittsburgh (supporting the Decemberists)
Aug 15 – Philadelphia Folk Festival – Schwenksville, PA
Aug 16 – Mountain Park / Holyoke, MA – (supporting the Decemberists)
Aug 25 – Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre / Salt Lake City (supporting the Avett Brothers)
Aug 26 – Knitting Factory / Boise (supporting the Avett Brothers)
Aug 28 – Paramount Theatre / Seattle (supporting the Avett Brothers)
Aug 29 – Britt Fest / Jacksonville, OR (supporting the Avett Brothers)
Aug 30 – Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival / San Francisco
Oct 03 – Austin City Limits Festival / Austin

Heartless Bastards: website | myspace | @ Maxwell’s, Hoboken, NJ | Tour Stop: Maxwell’s in Hoboken, NJ 2/4

Photo: Joshua Hammond

Day 3 of Bonnaroo promised to be huge. Unfortunately, after going to bed after 4 am and waking up to the ridiculously humid weather in Tennessee, the only thing I could foresee being huge was my headache. I honestly don’t know how some of those people can show up to this fest and hardly eat or sleep, while drinking and doing drugs and still function enough to make it from band to band. Is there some secret Bonnaroo trick that I was missing as a first timer?

After downing a few Advils and using a water bottle to semi clean up, we made our way back to the main grounds for Day 3. Though it was early in the morning, already ILO and the Coral Reefer AllStars were getting a lot of buzz. And rightly so, turns out this basically was a set of Jimmy Buffett and friends singing his songs. It was weird to see a usual headliner start things off.

So as Buffett was making his way down Margaritaville, Joshua and I made our own visit to Dearland and caught Elvis Perkins in Dearland. I had seen these guys before and they were just as bombastic, if not more. Constantly switching between instruments and tempos, the guys give folk tunes an edge. Just as before, the drummer really impressed when he came out from behind the set with his one man band get up. There was just one sad moment in this set when Perkins tried to get Becky Stark, who was at Bonnaroo on Saturday to perform with the Decemberists, to join him on stage for a song she had performed with them on the record. It must have been too early for Stark because the boys had to play on without her.

Like a ping pong ball, we bounced back to the Which Stage to catch a bit of Heartless Bastards. With a name like that, I was expecting something completely different and was pleasantly surprised by the front woman’s voice rock voice with a bit of a twang.

Bon Iver was next on the agenda and this group was apparently high on the list for many as Drew Barrymore and Justin Long were spotted in attendance. It was a good set to watch and for “Yo La Tengo” the boys in Elvis Perkins in Dearland even came back out to join in the number.

Saturday was a busy day, so Joshua and I had to split up for a bit to catch all the acts that we wanted to see. Having a love for redheads, he went over to That Tent to see indie darling Jenny Lewis who rocked her solo works and was even joined by Elvis Costello for a number.

Meanwhile, I stuck around This Tent for Of Montreal, which I think was the smart move. Their theatrical performance was one set that was not worth missing and whether you like their often high-pitched sound or not, I recommend seeing them at least once in your lifetime. In fact, this performance was so big, I gave it its own post.

We couldn’t miss the legendary Wilco, so Josh and I regrouped to walk over to the What Stage for some Jeff Tweedy action. As we were walking there, I had to stop to see the band that was rocking the Troo Music Lounge. Alas, BrakesBrakesBrakes, we will meet again. With the recent death of a Wilco player, and knowing that Tweedy has a tendency to be a bit more of a curmudgeon than most, I was surprised with how genuinely excited the band seemed to be at playing Bonnaroo. They delivered all the hits and left the crowd pleased, but as usual, there were so many cool things going on at Bonnaroo, it wasn’t long before we were off to see our next bands.

Partly because I knew my mom would kick me if she knew I skipped him, I went to That Tent to see some of Elvis Costello. I guess in this case, mother knew best, because Costello is a classic for a reason. He had me charmed the moment he waved his hat as he walked on stage.

From here I went over to the Decemberists, who were acting out their tale of the Hazards of Love. Not too different than when I saw them a few weeks ago, Shara Worden, really was the brightest of all the gems in that band. Although, I must admit, that Stark wasn’t as wispy and a lot more confident this time around. They ended with a cover of a Heart song.

Meanwhile, Josh was watching the rock storm that was Mars Volta. They were delivering old hits and new songs off their soon to be released album.

Nobody was up against the Boss, so Josh and I regrouped for Bruce Springsteen. Bruce was there to please and which was noticed by the crowd who was yelling “Bruuuce” not “Boooo”, which sound surprisingly similar when chanted by thousands. I preferred the people shouting “Bruceroo” instead. Not only did he bring out all the hits, but he even played requests from the crowd. That’s right, as a response to a crowd request, he even played “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” in the middle of June. If anybody can get away with that, it is the Boss.

Josh and I split again and he went to shoot NIN’s final show on American soil. A weird mixture of sadness and great joy filled the crowd as they said goodbye to Trent Reznor amid a mix of smoke and stage fire.

I left early to see some of Yeasayer. I walked by a weird circus sort of performance on the Sonic Stage before witnessing the beauty that was Yeasayer’s set up.

Yeasayer played amidst a stage filled with glowing orbs of different sizes. Their indie yelps and synth heavy tunes resonated nicely off the orbs.

Ending out the night was MGMT. This finally explained Drew Barrymore’s strange face paint from earlier as I soon learned that it was actually quite common for MGMT fans to don facepaint for the group a la the “Time to Pretend” music video.

The band played songs from their album, about three new songs and were even joined by Chairlift’s Caroline Polachek for a few numbers. That Tent was glow stick central as the crowd danced away to the band’s too cool for school rock tunes. If you couldn’t see, which was the main complaint from this packed tent, I wouldn’t worry. The guys weren’t that crazy on stage and mostly just delivered a tight sound.

Another late night, but overall a fun day. Just one more recap to go and loads more pictures. Look out for Day 4…

Bonnaroo: website | Day 1 | Day 2 | Of Montreal @ This Tent | Spotted: Drew Barrymore | Quick News 1 | Quick News 2

Internet is sparse and hard to come by when you’re camping, but Joshua and I wanted to let you know what we have in store in our Bonnaroo coverage when we can get back to a secure connection. Here are some of the craziest Bonnaroo moments:

Bruce Springsteen pulled a girl on stage because she was wearing an “I Heart Jersey” shirt. New Courtney Cox Arquette?

Bruce Springsteen played “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” as per a crowd request.

Triumph the Insult Dog sang with Bruce Springsteen.

Of Montreal broke  all their instruments and dived into the crowd as feathers shot out cannons.

Paul Oakenfeld played until 6 am.

Elvis Costello joined Jenny Lewis on stage.

Jimmy Buffett kicked off the Saturday shows.

Drew Barrymore and Justin Long watched several sets from side stage.

NIN finished their last American show.

More to come in greater detail and with pictures!

If you’re still stuck in 90s mode listening to “Lovefool”, by the Caridgans, it is time to get with the present. Nina Persson’s, of the Cardigans, current project, A Camp, has blossomed into a strong alternative pop group filled with lush instrumental landscapes and Persson’s distinctive voice that blends the best of Andrea Corr with Jenny Lewis.

Currently touring behind the release of the group’s second album (first in US), Colonia, A Camp played the Record Bar for a small but enthusiastic audience. Canada’s Gentleman Reg opened. The white-capped Reg sang indie rock tunes in a high-range voice that almost sounded falsetto, without really being falsetto. When his female keyboard player joined him on vocals, the group sounded a little like Los Campesinos if Brian Aubert of the Silversun Pickups was the singer in place of Gareth. The group was tight in their skills, but lackluster in their lack of movement and stage dynamic.

In contrast to the opener, A Camp made use of every inch of stage and treated each song almost as if it were a theatrical performance. Persson threw her arms up over her head, clutched her heart, and reached for the crowd in time with the music. Her husband, Nathan Larson, on bass would matched her twisty arm movements with dance moves as his own and guitarist Niclas Frisk, popped his collar and raised his guitar up high. Often their songs were constructed and presented in such a way that it would have been just as easy to have used A Camp songs to do a musical and movie instead of Abba.

Although the Record Bar is already an intimate venue, A Camp made it even more so by decorating the stage in hanging lanterns, partitions, and a sparkly sign over the keyboard reading “A Camp.” The Victorian decorations worked well with the feelings and emotions behind the music and when even the stage decorations were not enough, Persson’s would ask “Dr. Light” to bring down the lights even more.

The set was a balance of songs off Colonia, A Camp and the soon to be released Covers EP (out June 9). While songs like “Angel of Sadness”, “Algebra”, and “My America” were crowd favorites, Nina Persson’s duet with opener Reg on “Golden Teeth and Silver Medals” was the heart of the performance. Holding hands and pulling each other close, Persson ended the heartfelt song about “how you can’t sometimes get what you’re hoping for, but you get second best and that can be fine” by resting her head on Reg’s shoulder in a tender moment.

A Camp ended with “Stronger than Jesus” before returning for a two song encore and genuinely thanking the audience asking them back and for saving them from the smoking patio. Perhaps continuing the theatrical trend or perhaps simply because they are one of the nicest and sweetest bands you’d ever see, A Camp completed the show with a bow and a curtsy.

Check A Camp out on tour and look out for their Covers EP on June 9th featuring covers of Daniel Johnston, Grace Jones, David Bowie and more.

Set List:
The Crowning
Love Has Left the Room
Frequent Flyer
Angel of Sadness
Walking the Cow (Daniel Johnston)
Golden Teeth and Silver Medals
I’ve Done It Again (Grace Jones)
Bear on the Beach
I Signed the Line
Algebra
I Can Buy You
Chinatown
My America
Stronger than Jesus
//
Song for the Leftovers
???

A Camp: website | myspace

Photos by: Scott Spychalski