popwreckoning

Until last summer, I didn’t know much about drum and bass band Pendulum, except that young people in the UK (the main audience of BBC Radio1) adored them so much that anything as much as a hint to new Pendulum material would cause mass shockwaves through Twitter. No one I knew on this side of the Atlantic knew who they were, and I expected a similar lack of knowledge in Scandinavia. But wow, what a reception the band got at Roskilde Festival last summer. I witnessed a manic crowd reaction, but in a way, I expected it: the genius of Pendulum – and also of Immersion, their most mainstream release to date – is the combination of heavy guitars and drums and quick-tempo emanating electronics that interest guys with dance beats and lead singer Rob Swire‘s sexy vocals that have proved quite popular with girls.

Here are the basics: Pendulum started out in Perth, Australia as a drum and bass band in the early Noughties. The group – then just Swire, bassist Gareth McGrillen, and DJ Paul Harding – soon relocated to the UK, the ancestral home of rave music (they’re now based in London). This turned out to be a fateful move, as after gaining several bandmates, the band released their 2005 debut album, Hold Your Colour, which contained their first UK singles top 40 hit, the double A-sided “Slam” / “Out Here.” Their second album, In Silico, was their first release in America. Coming up later this month, their third album, Immersion, will be released stateside, more than 6 months after the UK release of the album and its reaching #1 on the UK Top 40 albums chart the week of its release. Immersion reflects a more electronic-heavy, dance-driven sound than its two predecessors.

“Genesis” is the opening track of the album, and it begins not unlike something you’d hear on the Lord of the Rings soundtrack. It sets the stage for the grandeur your ears are going to experience next, mixing right into instrumental “Salt in the Wounds.” Halfway through, the songs break down, making you think it’s going to mellow out for the rest of the 6 minutes, but in the 4th minute, it’s clear Pendulum is not done making your heart race, going back to frenetic, thudding beats. This song, along with singles “Watercolour,” “Witchcraft,” and “Crush,” are ones that make you jump up and down in a packed club of sweating bodies. Or at an open air music festival, as I witnessed at Roskilde.

But the best part of this album are “The Island – Pt. I (Dawn)” and “The Island – Pt. II (Dusk)”, two halves of a sonic masterpiece. Part one is a Rocky-esque pump-up kind of song, with programming and beats not too soft and not too heavy – just perfect. Swire’s expansive vocals, as if calling out across his homeland of Australia, are alternately sweet and sweltering. “Close your eyes / let’s forget again / as you drag me down / I will take you in / what are you waiting for? / just surrender here tonight / what are you waiting for? / as we go towards the light…” – gulp. I could listen to this track all day. Rob Swire, call me. Then part two takes over, as the electronic wizardry take center stage, the track concluding with more conventional tropical beats.

The album also has some interesting and high-profile guests. Liam Howlett of seminal big beat English electronic group the Prodigy lent his cowriting and production talents to “Immunize”; while it’s no “Breathe ” or “Invaders Must Die,” it’s still pretty good. Prog/psych band Porcupine Tree founder Steve Wilson cowrote and sings on “The Fountain,” which sounds neither proggy or psychedelic and is instead the most unique track on the album, driven by piano along with the electronic beats and drums.

Metalheads will enjoy the more instrument-driven “Comprachicos” as well as “Self vs. Self,” a more straight-forward collaboration (vocals and traditional band instruments) between Pendulum and Swedish death metal band In Flames. Understandably, the latter features more aggressive (and in my opinion, quite scary) vocals from In Flames‘ Anders Fridén. This, along with “Set Me on Fire,” with vocals sounding vaguely Will.I.Am reggae, are probably the only numbers on Immersion that feel out of place.

Immersion is the kind of album that if you are into electronic music at all, you’ll appreciate the attention to detail this band has put into every single track. A couple weeks ago I was reading a UK electronic music magazine’s interview with Swire, and there was a photo of a small sampling of the complicated electronic equipment used to create the Pendulum sound. It’s astonishing what musicians and producers can do with electronics these days to make truly exciting music. If you get the chance to see Pendulum live this year, do it – you won’t be disappointed, I promise. The band make a special live appearance at Miami’s Ultra Music Festival at the end of March; I imagine surrounded by their peers and loads of fans, that would be the ultimate way to experience them.

Immersion will be released on Atlantic Records on January 25, 2011 in America.

Tracklisting:
01. Genesis
02. Salt in the Wounds
03. Watercolour
04. Set Me on Fire
05. Crush
06. Under the Waves
07. Immunize (feat. Liam Howlett [the Prodigy])
08. The Island – Pt. I (Dawn)
09. The Island – Pt. 2 (Dusk)
10. Comprachicos
11. The Vulture
12. Witchcraft
13. Self vs Self (feat. In Flames)
14. The Fountain (feat. Steve Wilson [Porcupine Tree])
15. Encoder

Tour Dates
Jan 20 – Bank Atlantic Center / Sunrise, FL*
Jan 22 – St. Pete Times Forum / Tampa*
Jan 23 – Philips Arena / Atlanta*
Jan 25 – Joe Louis Arena / Detroit*
Jan 26 – United Center / Chicago*
Jan 28 – Xcel Energy Center / St. Paul*
Jan 29 – Sprint Center / Kansas City*
Jan 31 – Wells Fargo Center / Philadelphia*
Feb 01 – TD Garden / Boston*
Feb 02 – Guvernment / Toronto#
Feb 04 – Madison Square Garden / New York City*
Feb 05 – Irving Plaza / New York City#
Feb 07 – Bell Centre / Montreal*
Feb 08 – Air Canada Centre / Toronto*
Feb 10 – Verizon Center / Washington, DC*
Feb 11 – Mohegan Sun Arena / Uncasville, CT*
Feb 16 – Ogden Theatre / Denver#
Feb 17 – In the Venue / Salt Lake City#
Feb 19 – Showbox SoDo / Seattle#
Feb 20 – Commodore Ballroom / Vancouver#
Feb 23 – Fillmore / San Francisco#
Feb 25 – Wiltern / Los Angeles#
Feb 26 – House of Blues / Las Vegas#
Mar 25-27 – Ultra Music Festival / Miami
#with Innerpartysystem
*supporting Linkin Park

Pendulum: website | myspace

London indie folk pop outfit Noah and the Whale have just released the promo video for “L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.”

The track is from their forthcoming third album, Last Night on Earth, to be released on March 7 on Young and Lost Club in the UK (we’re not sure about the US release date as of yet). The tune is classic Noah and the Whale – primary singer/songwriter Charlie Fink‘s fragile yet life-affirming vocals backed back equally impressive folk-tinged pop instrumentation.

If you live in Los Angeles, New York City, or Toronto, you’re in luck: the band will be making appearances in those cities in the second half of March.

Tour Dates
Mar 15 – Troubadour / Los Angeles
Mar 21-22 – Bowery Ballroom / New York City
Mar 24 – Mod Club / Toronto

Noah and the Whale: website | myspace | The First Days of Spring review | @ black cat | interview with:

One of the hottest and unique-sounding English bands of the moment, Everything Everything, played a special orchestral gig Wednesday night (December 15) at London’s Union Chapel. Called “the Man Alive Ensemble Show,” it has to be one of the first gigs of its kind, as there was a special iPhone / iPad app developed for the performance, allowing fans to interact with each other and send questions to the band before the actual show last week, and those with the app could view the show in real time from their electronic devices.

However, if you’re like me and don’t have an iPhone, the group also smartly set a website so anyone with internet access could watch the show as well. Man Alive, the band’s debut album, was released in late August in the UK on Geffen Records and I’m sure it’ll appear with an official release on this side of the Atlantic in short order. This is definitely a band you’ll want to keep your eye on.

This was the last gig of the year for the Manchester-based band – Jonathan Higgs (lead vocals / guitar), Alex Robertshaw (guitar), Jeremy Pritchard (bass), and Michael Spearman (drums) – and featured themselves playing their debut album in its entirety with a 16-piece orchestra. The show will be archived and available to stream for the next 3 months. To stream the gig and watch videos of the band answering fans’ questions, audience reactions after the show, and a special post-show interview with the band, go here. Months of work and practice into making this show a reality paid off as you can hear the great reaction from the audience at one of the most intimate, beautiful places to play in London.

If you’re interested in reading anything and everything (no pun intended) on Everything Everything, I’d like to direct you to probably the best-looking fan site for a band I’ve ever seen, Everything Everything Everything.

Set List
Schoolin’
QWERTY Finger
Come Alive Diana
Leave the Engine Room
Suffragette Suffragette
Two for Nero
My Kz Ur Bf
Final Form
Photoshop Handsome
NASA is on Your Side
Tin (the Manhole)
Weights

Everything Everything: website | myspace | Remix Monday: My Kz, Ur Bf | Everything Everything – “My Kz, Ur Bf” video

London post-punk rockers White Lies digitally released the first single from their forthcoming second album, Ritual, last month. Called “Bigger Than Us,” it’s got all the sweeping grandeur of “To Lose My Life” and “Farewell to the Fairground” that you remember and love. Below is the seriously bizarre video for the song – this is definitely one that is going to leave you scratching your head. Has the apocalypse come? Was there an accident in a chocolate factory? You tell us.

Ritual will drop on January 18, 2011 in the U.S. The band previewed the album in London on November 22. Excitingly, they will be playing four dates in North America early in the new year – I hope they’ll add more soon.

Tour Dates
Jan 22 – Neumo’s / Seattle
Jan 24 – Troubadour / Los Angeles
Jan 27 – Highline Ballroom / New York City
Jan 29 – Mod Club / Toronto

White Lies: website | myspace | @ Black Cat | @ Lollapalooza Day 1 | White Lies to Tour North America, Support Kings of Leon | Sophomore Album from White Lies Due in January 2011

Thumbnail photo: Mary Chang

London pop singer/songwriter (and longtime girlfriend of the Cribs‘ Ryan Jarman) Kate Nash has announced an autumn tour of North America. The tour kicks off at the San Diego House of Blues on October 27 and ends at Montclair, New Jersey’s Wellmont Theater on November 20.

Nash’s latest album, My Best Friend is You, was released in April on Fiction Records.

Tour Dates
Oct 27 – House Of Blues / San Diego
Oct 28 – Glass House / Pomona
Oct 29 – Music Box / Los Angeles
Oct 30 – Warfield / San Francisco
Nov 01 – Wonder Ballroom / Portland
Nov 02 – Showbox / Seattle
Nov 03 – Commodore Ballroom / Vancouver
Nov 05 – In the Venue / Salt Lake City
Nov 06 – Ogden Theater / Denver
Nov 08 – University At Englart Auditorium / Iowa City
Nov 09 – Vic Theatre / Chicago
Nov 11 – Newport Music Hall / Columbus
Nov 12 – Majestic / Detroit
Nov 13 – Phoenix / Toronto
Nov 15 – 9:30 Club / Washington, DC
Nov 17 – TLA / Philadelphia
Nov 18 – Paradise / Boston
Nov 19 – Terminal 5 / New York City
Nov 20 – Wellmont Theater / Montclair, NJ

Kate Nash: website | myspace

White Lies, the dark London post-punk band that was #2 on the BBC Sound of 2009 poll, have announced on their official website that their second album will be released on January 17, 2011 in the UK. Time will tell if this yet-to-be-named sophomore album will fare as well as their 2009 debut album, To Lose My Life…, which reached #1 on the UK albums chart.

According to NME, the album was produced by Alan Moulder, who over the years has worked with famed bands such as Depeche Mode, Them Crooked Vultures, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Song titles include “Holy Ghost,” “The Power and the Glory,” “Bigger Than Us,” “Is Love?,” “Streetlights,” and “Come Down.”

The band recently previewed songs from the new album at V Festival in August.

White Lies: website | myspace | @ Black Cat | @ Lollapalooza Day 1 | White Lies to Tour North America, Support Kings of Leon

Photo: Mary Chang

Australian singer/songwriter Elizabeth Morris is the frontwoman for Allo Darlin’, a London-based folk pop band that has already gotten mad props from BBC 6music DJs like Steve Lamacq and Lauren Laverne. Morris’s band have just announced plans for a club tour of America in October to occur before and after appearances at CMJ. Their first scheduled date in America is with Philadelphia band Brown Recluse on October 16.

Allo Darlin’ is signed in the UK to Fortuna Pop!, the same label as the Pains of Being at Heart. Their debut album, also called Allo Darlin’, is set to be released on October 5 in America.

Tour Dates
Oct 16 – Venue TBA / Philadelphia*
Oct 17 – Velvet Lounge / Washington, DC
Oct 18 – P.A.’s Lounge / – Boston, MA
Oct 19 – House Show – New Brunswick, NJ
Oct 20-21 – CMJ – New York, NY
Oct 25 – Spaceland / Los Angeles
Oct 27 – Rickshaw Stop / San Francisco
Oct 28 – Venue TBA / Portland
Oct 29 – Rendezvous / Seattle
Oct 30 – Mondo-ween at the Rock Shop / Brooklyn
* with Brown Recluse

Allo Darlin’: website | myspace

You’ve probably never heard of The Boxer Rebellion. No, not that one. The unsigned band from London. But I’m sure if you check out the new Drew Barrymore and Justin Long flick, “Going The Distance,” you’ll know who they are. Come to think of it, prior to a certain point in 2004, I bet you had no idea who The Shins were. I had never really heard the song “Mad World” by Tears for Fears until 20 years after Gary Jules‘ cover of it appeared in “Donnie Darko.” Nor did I know who Gary Jules was. Did you?

It’s amazing the influence movies and television have over music popularity. Whitney Houston‘s mega-hit “I Will Always Love You” skyrocketed because of “The Bodyguard.” Everyone knows Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek” because of Jason Derulo‘s sample of it, but he probably wouldn’t have used it had it not previously gained popularity from it’s appearance on “The O.C.” Perhaps the most perfect example of this is Lisa Loeb back in ’94 on the “Reality Bites” soundtrack. “Stay (I Missed You)” gives her the distinction of being the only artist to ever have a #1 Billboard hit in the US without being signed to a label. The exposure allowed her to be signed to several different labels over the past 15 years, all because Ethan Hawke and Ben Stiller liked her tape.

So what does this mean for The Boxer Rebellion? When asked if there’s any hope for a Loeb-esque Cinderella story, they say that they’ll remain unsigned by choice. Bold, but wise move when you consider the current state of the music industry. Artists signed to major labels make little to no money off of their record sales. By choosing to remain truly independent, they’ve had more success releasing their music on iTunes than they would have had otherwise. So much so that their 2009 release Union was named “Best Alternative Album” by iTunes US (Check out the PopWreckoning review here). They also get to maintain far more control over their music. No Diplo remixes unless they want to. No pressure to write any certain kinds or numbers of songs by any certain date, unless they set the standards themselves.

The movie itself looks promising. A couple has a summer romance in New York City and once they’re forced to part ways, they don’t want to let go and make a go at a long-distance relationship. The cast promises honesty and comedy, and couldn’t say enough great things about The Boxer Rebellion. The band plays an important part in the story for Justin Long’s character. Before an executive from New Line had seen the band play in Los Angeles, the filmmakers were planning to cast actors to play a fictitous band. Director Nannette Burstein claims that the band instantly fit her vision for the movie. “They have such a fresh voice, and their sound is just so cinematic. When I heard it, I could instantly imagine the scenes that their songs would play to.”

The band joins great acts such as Cat Power, Band of Skulls and Passion Pit on the soundtrack, where they contribute three songs written specifically for the movie. Check out the lead single, “If You Run,” as well as the movie. You never know if you’ll find your new favorite band because of a Drew Barrymore flick. It’s not like it hasn’t happened before.

PodWreck got the chance to interview This Town Needs Guns while on their first ever US tour from London.

In the interview, we stream their song “Rabbit” for you to enjoy.

The nominations for the 2010 Barclaycard Mercury Prize – awarded to the album deemed the best released during the prior year from the United Kingdom and Ireland – were announced earlier today, July 20, at a London ceremony by BBC 6music radio host Lauren Laverne. You may recognize several of this year’s nominees as acts previously featured on PopWreckoning.

Here are the 12 nominees for this year’s Mercury Prize:

Biffy Clyro – Only Revolutions
Corinne Bailey Rae – The Sea
Dizzee Rascal – Tongue N’ Cheek
Foals – Total Life Forever
I Am Kloot – Sky At Night
Kit Downes Trio – Golden
Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can
Mumford and Sons - Sigh No More
Paul Weller – Wake Up The Nation
Villagers - Becoming A Jackal
Wild Beasts - Two Dancers
The xx – xx

Receiving a Mercury Prize nomination (and/or winning it) generally leads to increased album sales and increased celebrity profile for a band. London rapper Speech Debelle received the honor in 2009. The 2010 Barclaycard Mercury Prize will be awarded in London on September 7. The winning act will receive a cash award of £20,000 (over $30,000 US).