popwreckoning

As a record label, Paris’s Kitsune seem unable to make a misstep when signing bands. The latest artists they took a chance with that made it huge here in the U.S.? Hopefully La Roux and Two Door Cinema Club ring some bells for you. And it’s quite possible that the first album Kitsune releases on this side of the Atlantic, thanks to a recent deal with Cooperative Music and Downtown Records, could be just as big. As might be expected from their name, Is Tropical, a dance trio from London, make tropical music. And their debut album Native To, which quite possibly might be “the” soundtrack to the summer, is dropping just in time for the warmer weather, this Tuesday.

Early on in the game, Kitsune gave away “The Greeks” as a free download. With its quick guitar line, infectious chorus and relentless beats, it’s no surprise it’s been a runaway success online. Certainly, some of its popularity has to do with the unveiling of its NSFW promo video featuring kids in shooting each other, cartoon blood flying. Not really my thing at all, but I guess dubious promotion is better than no promotion. I like “South Pacific,” the opening track, much more; it’s got the same guitars as ‘The Greeks’ but is more mellow and less frenetic, which is better for summer driving music anyway. It’s like a tropical version of the The’s “This is the Day”. Watch the video for it below.

The tropicalia vibe continues through “Land of the Nod,” sounding like it could easily be placed as the background music for a Club Med advert, and “Clouds,” suitable for a Super Mario game set in the islands, mon (if Nintendo ever decides to go there, that is). “Think We’re Alone” will remind you of Cut Copy. And I did say this band was “dance”, and this is clear in the track “Lies” (not to be confused with Fenech-Soler‘s “Lies”). Compressed synths stretch around this track’s corner, and the words “they don’t love you / they just need a little sex sometimes / gotta shine through / don’t beat yourself up for being too blind,” while cynical, they ring true about some of the worst liaisons, don’t they? “Berlin” sounds like Kraftwerk redux, but with more heart. And vocals echoing all the while.

Here is the main problem I have with Native To: while of course there is echo and reverb on dance albums, for some reason, there’s too much of both on here. I admit that to some people, this is endearing because it gives the music a “lighter”, floating on air-type of quality. But a song like “Zombie,” with a dark vocal and even darker buzzing synth, tells you this band is capable of being a heavier band. It’ll be interesting to see what direction they take for future material – whether they stick with the tropical, dance beat formula or go somewhere else.

This is a good question, because there are songs on here that just don’t relate to the others. “What????” isn’t satisfying, with quickfire rap as an overlay on an otherwise hohum synth base. After Lupe Fiasco “lifted” the chorus from Modest Mouse‘s “Float On” for his recent single, “The Show Goes On,” you should be looking at the Is Tropical tune “Take My Chances” with a jaundiced eye. The melody’s a bit similar, isn’t it? Groan. The album ends with the instrumental jam “Seasick Mutiny.” It’s okay, just repetitive. While there are definitely some worthwhile tracks on Native To, I can’t call it a 100% stellar album. But it’s definitely worth looking into if you want to equip your car with some fun new tunes this summer.

Native To by Is Tropical will be released in North America on June 14 on Downtown Records.

Tracklisting
01. South Pacific
02. Land of the Nod
03. Lies
04. The Greeks
05. What????
06. Clouds
07. Take My Chances
08. Oranges
09. Berlin
10. Think We’re Alone
11. Zombie
12. Seasick Mutiny

Is Tropical: website | myspace

Mad Rad, Das Racist and The Thermals brought the house down at the free Sasquatch Launch Party at the Showbox at the Market last night, where the lineup to the now four-day festival would be announced.

Put on by Livenation and Sasquatch creator Adam Zacks, the launch party was MC’d by Comedian Todd Barry, who kept the crowd entertained between sets with dry wit and some fake teaser headliners.

“If you love me now, you’ll love when I play a set between headliners Elvis Presley and the Beatles, and tickets are only $7!” Barry proclaimed sarcastically to the less-than-attentive crowd. But I guess that’s what you get when you have a free show.

After Mad Rad and Das Racist played their sets, the lineup was announced in a video like previous years, which was played twice over, most likely so people could get a second look because they were freaking out too much over the Flaming Lips.

So far the lineup includes:

Death Cab for Cutie, the Decemberists, Modest Mouse, the Foo Fighters, Robyn, Wilco, Flying Lotus, Bright Eyes, Flogging Molly, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Das Racist, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Iron & Wine, The Flaming Lips.Black Mountain, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, the Head and the Heart, Mad Rad, the Moondoggies, Noah & The Whale, Sam Roberts Band, Secret Sisters, Twin Shadow, Wye Oak, Tig Notaro, Smith Westerns, Rival Schools, Foster the People, Alberta Cross, S. Carey, White Denim, Washed Out, Gold Panda, Dan Mangan, Axis of Awesome, The Globes, Cotton Jones, Jaill, Basia Bulat, Other Lives, The Bronx, White Arrows, Pepper Rabbit, Talkdemonic, Rebecca Gates and The Consortium, The Young Evils, Bassnectar, Pink Martini, Cold War Kids, Old 97′s, Ratatat, Wolf Parade, Chromeo, Guided By Voices, Yeasayer, Beach House, Local Natives, Matt & Kim, Deerhunter, Mstrkrft, Trailer Park Boys, Sleigh Bells, Major Lazer, Skrillex, Fitz & The Tantrums, !!!, Archers of Loaf, Against Me!, The Thermals, Best Coast, CSS, Surfer Blood, Jenny & Johnny, Bonobo (DJ Set), City and Colour, Reggie Watts, K-Os, Gayngs, Tim Minchin, The Drums, The Radio Dept., Young the Giant, The Antlers, Sharon Van Etten, Villagers, Stornoway, Aloe Blacc.

Tickets go on sale on Feb. 14th starting at $79.50 per day and $285 for three-day passes.

Go to http://sasquatchfestival.com/ for more information or to purchase tickets.

“The Mouse” ruled Kansas City again. Everyone standing inside the sold out Crossroads on Tuesday night knew it; the people joining on the surrounding balconies knew it and “The Mouse” (as one under-the-influence man repeatedly referred to Seattle indie- rock outfit Modest Mouse as) knew it. But no matter how much Modest Mouse did rule, this was no ordinary show. Not from where I was standing anyway. “Why?” you ask. Well, take into consideration these ten random notes about the show and then ask yourself that same question.
1. The opening band (Avi Buffalo) barely looked old enough to drive, let alone be touring with one of the decade’s most recognized bands. But, despite how young they may have looked, they were easily some of the most talented musicians I’ve ever seen.
2. I was bumped from behind as a young woman passed out in between bands. Behold, victim #1. (I’m sure it was just the heat getting to her.)
3. The down time in between bands seemed ridiculously long. However, they did manage to tune Modest Mouse front man Isaac Brock’s guitar a handful of times. I remember thinking to myself, “That damn guitar better stay in tune.”
4. Despite the stagehands’ countless efforts, Isaac Brock’s guitar still managed to be out of tune. No worries though, Brock played it off as if the rest of the band was playing in the wrong key. They stopped the song, Brock demonstrated the correct way to play the song, and they confidently restarted the song like nothing ever happened. This is “The Mouse” we’re talking about here.
5. Halfway through Modest Mouse’s set, “the heat” claimed another body. Behold, victim #2.
6. “Trailer Trash” was requested for the seventeenth time by a kind, loud-mouthed fellow standing a few feet behind me.
7. Brock kindly, and abruptly, wished the audience a good night as the band exited the stage.
8. As the crowd grew increasingly anxious for a Modest Mouse encore, repeated attempts of claps and chants proved to be nothing more than a failure. Do those ever work?
9. As the band made their way back onto the stage for the encore, “Trailer Trash” was requested for a twentieth time by that same kind, loud-mouthed young man standing behind me.
10. Isaac Brock bantered with the audience during the encore. This wasn’t the first time during the show either. Weird.

Alright so maybe this wasn’t such an odd show for Modest Mouse. In fact, the only thing from this list that may be weird is Brock being so chatty with the audience. Other than that, “The Mouse” is still “The Mouse.” For years now they have never managed to disappoint me and they definitely didn’t start on Tuesday night. I don’t think they disappointed any one in attendance Tuesday night, aside from the “Trailer Trash” man. They never did play that for him.

Written by Chris Robbins. Photos by Todd Zimmer.

I recently had a chat with guitarist Sam Halliday of up-and-coming Irish indie rock/pop band Two Door Cinema Club. The band was in New York City to do requisite press before getting ready for two shows in the city. Sam tells me about how much they enjoyed Austin (and their tasty food in large quantities) and the music festival experience, and we talk about their debut album Tourist History and their promo videos. Read on.

Mary Chang, PopWreckoning: Hello Sam. So how are you guys, where are you guys at the moment? And what are you doing?
Sam Halliday, Two Door Cinema Club: Yeah, we’re good. We’re presently in New York City at our hotel in Manhattan. We have a bit of promo today, then we have a show in Brooklyn tomorrow and at the Bowery Ballroom on Wednesday.
MC: So how are you enjoying New York? Is it your first time there?
SH: No, it’s my third time. But the other guys [guitarist/lead singer Alex Trimble and bassist Kev Baird], it’s their first time. We arrived at about 2 a.m…
MC: Oh wow…!
SH: Yeah, and we went straight out to, sort of, go see Times Square. They’d never been here before so…
MC: Excellent. So I guess you’re the globetrotter of the group then?
SH: Yes, I guess, yeah! (laughs)

MC: So let’s talk about your debut album, Tourist History. I’ve been playing it a lot since it came out. It’s really fantastic. If you had to explain what you sounded like to an American who’d never hear any of your songs, how would you describe it?
SH: Um, I think it’s not quite rock music; it’s not quite indie music; it’s not quite electro music. I think if you’re open to any type of music I think you might like it. It’s very accessible. You know, it’s a lot of upbeat [sound]. And you know, I mean, we love it, we think it’s a great album. We think it’s for everybody. We loved bands like Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse and Bloc Party; they’re kind of the bands that we agreed on early. We love all types of music but those were the bands we bond over most.

MC: So your name…back in February I sat in on an interactive chat with the Gigwise folks the three of you did in London…
SH: Yes!
MC: …during which you replied to an English fan that it came from the Tudor Cinema near where you lived in Ireland.
SH: Yes…
MC: I’m sure everyone’s asking you about the band name on this tour and where it comes from. (Sam laughs) Have you been back since to tell the proprietor of the Tudor Cinema that his theatre is now famous?
SH: We went back [to Ireland] before we kinda became a bit big, we went back and recorded like a music video, for “Something Good Can Work.” This was a couple years ago. Just a friend did it with us recorded it over there. We moved off to doing different things and we can’t see him anymore, sadly. And then we kind of did the official one. Yeah, we haven’t been back as a band. Yeah, it would be good to go back, I think.

MC: The three of you are from Bangor, in Northern Ireland, right?
SH: Yes.
MC: But I’ve heard that you now call London home.
SH: Ohhh…I wouldn’t personally call London home.
MC: Okay, so it’s a temporary home then?
SH: It’s more of a base. I call it a base. We have a band flat there. You know, it’s great because it’s easy to get flights from Heathrow [Airport] and things, it’s just very handy that way. And honestly, we have our management there, and there’s lots of press people in London. So it’s a good place to have a base. But you go home and have friends and family in Bangor.
MC: What has been your family and friends’ reaction to all that’s happened to you guys so far?
SH: They’re very supportive and very happy, yeah. In my experience, my mum would always be on our Facebook page and our Twitter page, paying attention and telling me before I read it what people are saying on things, read reviews. It’s very exciting [for her] I think.

MC: So it sounds like you’ve barely been able to take a breath with all the relentless touring. You’ve been around Europe and then America with Phoenix, and now are in the middle of your first headlining tour of North America. From what I hear, your shows have been going down great with the locals and you’re selling out most everywhere, so congratulations on that.
SH: Thanks.
MC: What’s been your most memorable show so far this year?
SH: (whistles) Well, it was only last week, but I think one of the real highlights was when we played in L.A. last week. You know, the Troubadour show? It’s just crazy, because it’s kind of our first headline show of America. Having been from somewhere small and having never played here, and we’ve never come here before. It’s crazy that how well we were received! It’s just amazing, feeling like we’ve “gone” somewhere! It was cool. Other than that, since the album has been released, all the shows, you know, have kind of stepped up in attendance and it’s really been amazing, because people know more of the songs and they sing a bit more, because they enjoy the album. The [album] launches were great in Belfast, in London, and in Paris.

MC: Great. Do you have a worst moment? Or any funny tour stories you care to share?
SH: Ooh…um… (laughs) oh boy…you know, everything’s been great, really. It really has. Touring with Phoenix was a great experience, they’re lovely, lovely guys. It was so great to tour with a band that was much better and more experienced. You learn so much, in terms how they act, how they play their sets. I can’t think of any stories off the top of my head…I dunno! (laughs)

MC: Before coming over to North America, how did you prepare for your first-ever shows on this side of the pond?
SH: Oh, I dunno, I guess we’ve been so busy! Over the past year touring all over Europe. So we were really excited to go somewhere new. It’s always really great to go somewhere new. It’s great to go to places you’ve played before, but it’s somewhere new. It’s just real exciting. I think we’ve been playing together for long enough that we’re confident in our live show – well, I am. So we weren’t too nervous about the show, we were more excited to play to new people.
MC: I think it was Fearne Cotton’s Radio1 programme in February when you guys did a set and a short interview…she asked you what you were looking forward to, and this was far, far in advance of you guys coming over here. And one of you said visiting Texas. I know you guys have been to Texas now, and you were in Austin. I read on your Twitter that when you were in Austin, Kev got a tattoo and you bought a guitar…?
SH: Haha, yeah, that’s right.
MC: So what did you think of Texas? Did it live up to everything you thought it was going to be?
SH: Yeah, it was brilliant. It’s just so different. Everywhere in America is so different between cities and states. But Texas was really cool. We got to spend a couple days in Austin in particular. Great weather, being able to sit in our dressing room, outside, in the late hours of the night. Just kind of laid-back atmosphere sort of a city. Yeah, um, obviously Kevin got a tattoo…(I laugh)…of the cat’s eyes from our album [cover]. And then we went to a pawn shop. We wanted to do a kind of typical American thing and so we would go around to pawn shops and picked around. And we went and found this amazing old guitar. I really wanted to get a guitar from this tour, to kind of have something to remember it by, so it was a great find.
MC: That’s cool.
SH: And we had some great Texas barbecue.
MC: How does it compare to the food at home?
SH: Oh, there’s a lot more of it here!
MC: (laughs) That’s what most people [from outside America] tell me!
SH: The portions are, very, uh, large.
MC: Yeah, sometimes they last for days, usually.
SH: Yeah! We actually have a competition, it’s quite sad. We have a competition, because we knew your American food was very tasty and very big. So we have a competition to see…we’ve documented each other’s weights, so we’re having a competition to see who put on the most [weight from the tour]. Whoever puts on the most has to take the person who puts on the least out to dinner.
MC: Oh, okay.
SH: I know, not very rock ‘n’ roll. (both laugh)

MC: So I’ve had a look at your very busy summer schedule. You’ve confirmed festival appearances at Glasto[nbury] (England), Hove (Norway), Benicassim (Spain), Summersonic (Japan), and Reading/Leeds (England) among many others. You played Glastonbury for the first time last year…what are your feelings on the summer festival circuit?
SH: Ah, they’re so much fun, it’s kind of great, because you see so many bands. Like, being on tour all the time, you don’t get to see that many, unless you they ask you to tour with them. But being at festivals is amazing because…especially at Glastonbury, we’re spending the whole weekend there, so we’ll get to see loads of bands, which will be cool. We’re real excited to be doing all the European ones this year, and Australia and Japan, because you know, last year we only did one outside the UK. It was amazing, it was our favorite last year. It’s called Riga in Latvia. It’s a totally different kind of vibe than the European ones. So it’ll be great to experience all those.

MC: So you have signed to the French label Kitsune Maison for your European releases and Glassnote Records here in America. How did the Kitsune people find you?
SH: They were trying to put another one of their parties in Paris, and they were trying to find an up-and-coming UK band to bring over. And so a promoter in France told them about us, and then whenever they listened to us, I think they liked us a lot more than they thought they would, and [they] wanted to put out our single. And then our relationship just grew from there. And then they released our single and finally our album. It’s great. It all felt really natural.
MC: What is it like being Irish on a French label? Did it seem weird that a British label didn’t come to you first, or another European one?
SH: I mean, yeah, maybe it sounds a little weird. But for us, being from Bangor, we weren’t really connected to the London music scene all that much. We’d only played in London a couple times before we signed the record deal, and it’s just…it’s don’t really have a connection with that sort of scene. For us, we feel apart from that, just as much as we feel part from the Paris music scene. And they seemed like the right label for us, we didn’t want to go with a major label, and they were really passionate about working with us.
MC: Have you been able to hang out with the other UK bands they’ve signed like Delphic and La Roux?
SH: Well, we got a chance to tour with Delphic back in October in the UK. Yeah, we really hit it off with them, they were really great guys, into the same, similar stuff. So we formed a little friendship with them. We’ve seen them a few times since, they’re fun. Can’t really think of any other people…Kitsune is really good with DJs and things, some great people have remixed our stuff through Kitsune. That sort of thing.

MC: Going back to your debut album, Tourist History, is definitely one of my fave releases of 2010 so far, I really love the album. Loads of fun, poppy, peppy, and brilliant. How long did it take to record everything and put together?
SH: The one thing we do, once we write a song, we would demo it ourselves, and kind of get it to the point where it’s not the best recording, but we know where all the parts are, of what we’d want to be in the song. So we had this whole album demoed ourselves, and then it was about getting to a studio and doing it professionally, you know, getting a producer’s point of view and things, and trying different things like. So then we went to the end of June then we finished tracking by the end of July, and it took a month to mix the album. Once that was finished, we had some further mixing done with Philippe Zadr [the producer of Phoenix's albums United and Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix and a member of French house duo Cassius] in his studio in Paris, and for the songs that might be singles. It was great getting people’s different perspectives on our music and we respect their work, so it was amazing.

MC: Your promo videos. The “I Can Talk” video was actually the first videos of yours I ever saw. It was so frenetic, Alex’s head was coming off, clothes were flying around…whose idea was that?
SH: That was a French team called Megaforce, that was from a suggestion of Kitsune’s. They came out with that.
MC: It’s a real cool-looking video!
SH: Yeah, it was the first proper video. And we shot it in a really crammed chateau in Paris.
MC: Yeah, I was wondering about that. Because it has a very old-fashioned dollhouse kind of feeling, almost.
SH: Yeah, you don’t really see a lot of it in the video.

MC: A while ago you guys released a newish video for “Something Good Can Work” [watch video here]. In this new one, you guys are at a fancy resort, the forest, the desert, an amusement park. Where did you go to film all the scenes for it?
SH: We got to go to Gran Canaria [the second most populous island of the Canary Islands], and everything was shot there. Yeah, they’ve got a little different kind of scenes there, they have forest, and mountains, and nice beaches and sand dunes and things.
MC: Hopefully you got some vacation time in then?
SH: No, unfortunately we were only there for 2 days.
MC: Only 2 days? Golly. Well I hope you get to spend some time there in the future, because it looked so beautiful on screen. When I first saw it in March, I was thinking, “this is the perfect summer song.”
SH: We wanted to capture that kind of sunshine, the summery feel with it.

MC: I have Steve Lamacq to thank for playing “Something Good Can Work,” a long while ago it feels like, on his 6music programme. I have my own strong opinion on the subject, but what are your thoughts on the BBC’s proposed closure of 6music? [In early March, Director General Mark Thompson of the BBC Trust announced that BBC 6music, along with the Asian Network, may be closed due to budget cuts.]
SH: Oh yeah, it’s awful. I mean, especially because Radio1 is kind of being taken over by r&b and just bland pop tunes. There’s really not a lot of room for up-and-coming or not commercially appealing bands. So yeah, and especially because we got our first airplay on 6music, and without it we wouldn’t have gotten so much attention.

MC: Speaking of the UK, have you been following the general election while you have been in America?
SH: Yes, we have been, just on the BBC News website. I’m not really too involved in our politics.
MC: Any of you endorsing any particular political party?
SH: I think this is the problem, I don’t think anyone wants to be in government. Completely. I think that’s the problem here. I dunno, I don’t really know too much about it.
MC: Neither do I, but it was interesting watching everything unfold real time on the website.
SH: Yeah.

SH: I’m being told I need to move on…
MC: Okay, so one final question. Based on the crazy reception for your first tour of America, so when are you guys coming back here?
SH: We’re going to come back in October.
MC: Great.
SH: Yeah, very soon.
MC: Well, thank you so much Sam, I appreciate it, I know you’re very busy doing a lot of press. So enjoy New York and I will see you guys on Thursday [in Philadelphia].
SH: Brilliant, can’t wait!
MC: Take care.
SH: Thanks.

Two Door Cinema Club‘s debut album Tourist History is available now from Glassnote Records. The band has several more dates in North America before their first headlining tour of our continent ends May 17 in Toronto.

Tour Dates
May 11 – Bell House / Brooklyn
May 12 – Bowery Ballroom / New York City
May 13 – Johnny Brenda’s / Philadelphia
May 15 – Great Scott / Boston
May 16 – Salla Rossa / Montreal
May 17 – Wrongbar / Toronto

Two Door Cinema Club: website | myspace | Two Door Cinema Club To Tour with Phoenix in Spring, Headline First North American Tour | “Something Good Can Work” video | @ Constitution Hall

The story behind the name of the band School of Seven Bells goes something like this: in 2004, Benjamin Curtis and twin sisters Alejandra and Claudia Deheza were on tour in previous (now defunct?) bands. Alejandra Deheza saw a show on public television about a mythical pickpocket academy called the “School of Seven Bells”, which supposedly operated on the premise that seven minds working together towards one goal could go on to do great things. Two years later, the band became known by the School of Seven Bells moniker and for their unique sound, mixing guitars, synths, and the sisters’ harmonizing vocals and creating swirly masterpieces. They stopped by Washington’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Hotel Sunday night.

I can only presume the first act “playing” was the local electronica act Dub Pixel, because the woman behind the laptop and the man in the sound booth with the guitar (or was it a bass? I really couldn’t tell from a distance) never formally introduced themselves or the band itself. For about a half-hour, we were aurally and visually assaulted with a dramatic, cinematic soundscape, complete with a drony voiceover that sound like a whacked out psychologist. His intoning urged us to give ourselves over to the music and relax. I found this was impossible if you were truly paying attention to the video being shown on the stage-length screen, where freaky looking eyeballs, cutouts from silent movies, cities on fire, and the like flickered and morphed. As I looked around me, I couldn’t tell if the crowd was actually mesmerized by what they saw and heard or if they were staring at the screen, unsure on how to react because the music was too mellow and not beat-heavy enough to dance to. When their presentation was over, the “group” got a respectable round of applause.

Next up was Phantogram, a duo from Saratoga Springs, New York. I had checked the band out earlier on MySpace, and based on the few songs of theirs I heard, I decided that they’d be a good fit as an opener for the School of Seven Bells. I was right. Keyboardist/synth player Sarah Barthel and guitarist Josh Carter are the first duo I’ve seen in a long time that perform like one complete unit, not two disparate ones. Both sing: Barthel contributes mostly angelic vocals – think Enya but harder-edged, as in the band’s “When I’m Small” – whereas Carter’s voice is more sultry and at times humorous, at one point telling Washington to dance and “bounce!” The two of them throw their whole bodies into their performance too. If you can get past the guitar bits of “Mouthful of Diamonds” that sound awfully similar to those found in Modest Mouse’s “Float On”, it’s a well-crafted piece of electronic rock. In the currently crowded world of electronic music, I hope to hear songs by Barthel and Carter gracing a dance floor soon. Their debut album Eyelid Movies was released digitally in the UK earlier this month; one can hope for a stateside release soon.

And then it was time to hear the School of Seven Bells. The band performs under near to complete darkness, which must make Benjamin Curtis’s job very difficult, given the large number of pedals and effects in front of his feet the man has for his guitar, as well as the Mac book he’s got half-hidden in the back that no doubt holds secrets into the band’s sound. The Deheza sisters can’t be having it much easier, playing guitar and synths by feel and not by sight. The crowd swayed their bodies to the hypnotic rhythms and the Deheza sisters’ harmonious vocals. For me, the set highlight was “iamundernodisguise”, the song that introduced me to the band many moons ago, transporting me to a faraway, isolated Tibetan mountain peak, where the air is clear, the skies are blue, and all is well. I can report that their live performance set me off on a similar journey.

In addition to playing their well-known songs “Half Asleep” and “My Cabal” from their 2008 debut album Alpinisms, they also treated us to some new songs; I’m hoping we will get a new album from the band sooner than later so we can hear what else their School can “teach” us. My only complaint: the ethereal voices were at times too low in the mix and should have been upped to be better appreciated. Overall though, the band delivered a stellar set. If you like their sound, definitely check them out live.

Tour dates
Sept 28 – Local 506 / Chapel Hill, NC*
Sept 29 – Drunken Unicorn / Atlanta*
Oct 01 – Emo’s / Austin*
Oct 02 – Austin City Limits Festival / Austin
Oct 04 – Casbah / San Diego*
Oct 05 – Troubadour / Los Angeles*
Oct 06 – Slim’s / San Francisco*
Oct 08 – Doug Fir / Portland
Oct 09 – Biltmore Cabaret / Vancouver
Oct 10 – Neumo’s / Seattle
Oct 13 – 7th Street Entry / Minneapolis
Oct 14 – Empty Bottle / Chicago
Oct 15 – Lee’s Palace / Toronto
Oct 16 – Pearl Street Nightclub / Northampton, MA
Oct 17 – Paradise / Boston
Oct 23 – Webster Hall / New York City
* with Phantogram

School of Seven Bells: website | myspace
Phantogram: myspace
Dub Pixel: myspace

Trying to evaluate your favorite band’s latest album is sort of like how I imagine self-performed open-heart surgery. And to boot, having that band be Brand New—a gang that earns as much sharp-tongued bullets as it does hugs and wet dream objectivity—it’s like your words should be as ground-breaking as they come. They’re the reason I literally wear a nickel around my neck (a nod to “The No Seatbelt Song,” my dears).

This Daisy conglomeration of a rock-and-ail renegade reaction has been pleasantly ground into my ears so much that I needed a hiatus of personal opinion. So I took the inevitable route—I asked the dude that introduced me to my emotionally whip lashed boys to provide a few words. His review was so great that I had to take a back seat, because these next paragraphs simply nail the idea.

In a word: “distressed.” The guitars are distressed, the production’s distressed, the vocals and the lyrics… my God, the vocals and the lyrics may come to define distressed.

More so than Devil and God, they’ve removed themselves from the emo scrap heap that they were so closely associated with just a few years ago. And it doesn’t sound like a self-conscious decision to pursue their current sound; it sounds exactly as it should – a natural progression from where they were then to where they are now.

Musically (that sounds dumb, doesn’t it?), the band continues to not exactly break new ground, but serve as a fascinating mixture of their own sensibilities and those of their influences: a little Nirvana here, some Fugazi there, a pinch of Modest Mouse and Neutral Milk Hotel to spice things up. They’re songwriting craft remains solidly in the verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus vein, but they’re not afraid to take the songs down unexpected passages or pursue interludes that they may have shied away from before.

The production is much looser and jammier than anything they’ve done before. Less energy seems to be devoted to click-track perfectionism, and all of it seems focused on raw aggression and bashing away on their instruments. Which isn’t to say it’s lo-fi or sloppy – the guitars are still thick and sound fantastic in stereo, the bass and drums are still boomy and clear… it’s just that everything is done a little messier and rough around the edges.

The lyrics are darker and more tortured than ever. I know Jesse said Vinnie did the majority of the writing (you can probably clear up whether he meant with music, lyrics or both) but whoever wrote them seriously needs a hug. It’s one thing to sing about a millstone being tied to your neck; another thing to scream about your realization that your dead relatives are being eaten away by worms. At times it feels like their Your Favorite Weapon sense of humor is back, as the lyrics are SO morbid, you think it may be self-concious or satirical… but the ending refrain of “I’m on my way out” is genuinely disturbing and leaves a bitter aftertaste.

And because of the novelty, here’s a little song-by-song breakdown

- “Vices” – deliriously awesome, a mini raging animal of a song…when you get past the music box haunting start.

- “Bed” – smooth, mellow, goes down like amber ale

- “At the Bottom” – kind of Modest Mouse-y, powerful chorus and a great, jittery bridge with an anthemic edge

- “Gasoline” – oddly constructed, but driving and memorable

- “You Stole” – really great… the initial melody leads you to believe it’ll be a poppier (albeit still minor key), shorter tune, but it turns into something a little more somber and lengthy

- “Be Gone” – short and haunting – I have no idea why they wanted a nasty, Southern bluesy acoustic interlude, but I’m glad they did

- “Sink” – rough and violent, but fun, if that’s possible

- “Bought a Bride” – a highlight: trippy, groovy, probably my favorite on the album, along with the opening track

- “Daisy” – I only listened to this a couple of times and can’t remember enough to comment on it; ironically the album’s disappointment

- “In a Jar” – Quite possibly the rawest climax, with eastern-influenced choruses and the signature Lacey sing-to-screech vocals

- “Noro” – a great, dense, lingerer. The epitome of closing perfection, it combines a formula of bass and percussion with spoken and sung verses

The major heartbreaking discovery that comes with the initial excitement of such an intense release is an interview the band did with European magazine Rock Sound last month. “Since we released our last album the idea of the band has really been laid to rest,” Lacey admitted, “it is dead now.” The point being–coupled with the fact that the band does little-to-no American press availability—that this record wasn’t made with a theme in mind; no expectations to meet; who really cares if it’s heralded or spit on? It was just a project, just a sound, just something I love to blast in my ears as I pound the sidewalk late at night headed into Chicago for a solo adventure…it’s my new favorite weapon (aw, shucks).

Brand New: website | myspace

Contributed to by: Ryan Carroll

Somewhere between the Colorado Rockies and Santa Fe, New Mexico, Jesse Elliot and These United States were on a tour bus soaking in Americana, the road, and the “Knight Rider” car. All this for the love of music. At 1 p.m. I had the honor of calling Jesse to chat about their journey, their tour, and their cell phones.

Jesse Elliot, These United States: Hey man, sorry about that, I have come to realize that my cell phone is worthless. I never understood how important it was to have reception until I didn’t have it.
Thomas Starks, PopWreckoning: That’s ok, sir. I truly understand. So where are you now?
JE: We are, I think, driving through the eastern ridge of the Rockies. It’s so beautiful out here.
PW: And where is your next stop?
JE: We’re headed to Santa Fe to play at Corazon. We’ve been playing with a lot of metal bands. It’s been really cool.
PW: Nice, I love that area for music, New Mexico, Arizona, so much talent out there.
JE: Yeah this tour has really been good.

PW: So tell me about the tour. This particular one you seem to be ALL OVER the place, Festivals, Colleges, Venues, Radio Stations–do you feel the difference in each and do you like it?
JE: Wow, that’s really interesting that you ask that. Most people don’t get that each place by nature is different. With the college sets it forces us to be more simple with the sets. You never know if you’ll be playing a concert hall or a cafeteria, so it’s been an experience, but in the same respect, the venues are great too. We love them all for very different reasons.

PW: So does this tour you’re on, does it have a name, or a distinction?

Jesse laughs and calls out to the band “Hey guys, do we have a name for this tour? Think about that for a minute.”

JE: It’s funny we were just talking about that, and right now we don’t have a name. If you can think of one and send it our way, with our approval, we’ll name it that. We’re always on the road though, like that candy that doesn’t quit…the Everlasting Gobstoppers, that’s what it’s called, we’re on the “Gobstoppers” tour.

PW: Looks like you beat me to the punch. So this label you’re on right now, what’s it called and are they mainly responsible for the booking or are you involved in it as well?
JE: Yeah, we’re with United Interests out of Boulder Colorado. We just had a dinner thing with them. It was really good to spend some time with them, ya know? They’re good people.
PW: I had an opportunity to speak via email with Erin Barnes. I have to tell you, I have rarely witnessed a label to forward speaking in their adoration of its bands. They love you.
JE: Really? Aww man, that’s so cool. We have been really active with them and the booking agent in where and when we play. It’s been great. The Monolith (Festival in Morrison Colorado) was pretty amazing! We like to play the rock and roll music for the people.

PW: So does the road affect your writing at all?
JE: With the great many sounds we come across, it does affect our music, and writing. Some of it makes us want to quit. But there are more reasons to keep going, like, I’m staring at a million mountains right now.
TS: I think you just wrote a lyric.
JE: HAHA Yeah, it’s something else…..

Jesse stops talking to me, a band mate catches his attention and informs that the “Knight Rider” car is on the road, everyone wants to see it.

PW: So you have had a rotating line up, why is that?
JE: Well, it was that way for about a year and a half. People’s other projects and so forth. I’ve been able to work with some very talented people too. But the line up now as I see it is solid as Robbie, Tom, Justin, Collin and I. I see us all playing together 60 years from now saying things like “Hey remember when we were good?” We’ll be playing the same songs too.

PW: Speaking of songs, this new LP, Everything Touches Everything, what was it that brought out that name? Were you in a moment, was it heavy? Because that title is pretty weighty.
JE: Actually, it’s a quote from Borges. We wanted to take from someone who was much better than us.

PW: Ahhh, still the songs in it are also quite heavy. Do you write as a collective or alone?
JE: Well, I write with acoustic guitar, but then I bring it to the band and we all have a say. Like there may be a song that I think is it, but then it doesn’t turn out ya know.

PW: This particular LP has plenty of Biblical undertones, specifically, “Conquest and Consequence.”  You make reference to the beheading of John the Baptist, a blood red sky and Jesus on the cross, can you elaborate on that?
JE: I think politics are fascinating, the Bible is fascinating. The Bible is a list of some of the most amazing stories ever told, why not draw from it? We also worked around that song for a while, finally took a 4th crack at it, and there it was. (He takes a census of the song to his band mates) It’s one of the best tracks for sure for us.

TS: How do you feel when you are compared to other bands, simply because of the nature of music? I, myself, felt tones of Modest Mouse. Does it bother you?
JE: Take it seriously, but not too seriously..especially if it’s a harsh criticism. Just learn from it if you can.

TS: And how do you feel about someone referring to you in any specific genre, like Folk or Americana?
JE: I think Americana is probably the best place we fit, because it’s so broad. I like Americana, as a great big stew pot. It’s like it’s all of it like a mutt. I love those types of dogs, just a bit of everything, scruffy, like us.
TS: I like that concept too.

Jesse stops for a moment, there is a silence, then talking in the background.

JE: We’re passing “Garden of The Gods” road, all we see is a Days Inn and a Super 8. It’s funny.

It’s interesting to hear out loud how his mind processes; he’s not afraid to say it.

PW: So Jesse, tell me, after this tour, will you go right back on the road, or into studio?
JE: Definitely back into studio. We have a batch of about 20 songs to pull from, too, so we’re excited to see where it goes.
PW: And where will it go, studio wise? Back to DC?
JE: Kinda going all over the place for the next one. Maybe Philly or Colorado.
PW: Well, I thank you, Jesse, and thank your band for me. It was a pleasure to speak with you and I’m hoping to catch a live set soon. Jesse….Jesse?

At 1:43 p.m. The Rockies cut us off. We were done anyway. Funny how it all just works out.

These United States: website | myspace | @ monolith | album review

Monday of Bumbershoot: I would have been completely happy with two days, but no – Seattle handed me a third to enjoy. All the music, the rain, the moshing, and everything else that came with the biggest gathering of music in Seattle over Labor Day weekend could not have been the same without the thousands of people there to enjoy it all.

Monday started quite differently than the previous two days. I couldn’t find parking anywhere, but determined as I was, I drove around a 12-block radius for 20 minutes searching for parking before I found a lot for $15 at 2:15. Just in time to make it to Say Hi.

Say Hi (formerly Say Hi To Your Mom), was one of the main bands I put on my checklist when the lineup was first released months ago only after hearing all of 2009’s “Oohs and Aahs.” Soon after arriving home from Bumbershoot, I searched for all of their music. Eric Elbogen, the brainchild of all that is Say Hi, made it clear at one point that he wasn’t used to touring with the current lineup, but it didn’t show nearly as much as I would have guessed. At one point he asked the bassist, I think his name was Andy, to ask him something.

“Why did you change your name?” Andy asked.

“A question that doesn’t put me on the spot?”

“Oh, well now you’re kind of putting me on the spot.”

“Two gigs with you and you’ve already screwed up.”

They were very musically in tune, playing off each other’s vibe, with the help of the energetic drummer. They weren’t nearly as united as say, Cold War Kids from Sunday, but individually, they all supplied their own energy for the crowd to feed off of. I especially liked the short comments between songs briefly explaining what the songs were about.

“This one’s about vampires,” Elbogen said, prefacing “Sweet Sweet Heartkiller” from 2006’s Impeccable Blahs. That’s the best part about Say Hi’s live performance, deciphering the great lyrics, while keeping a low-key danceable beat underneath. It’s just the right about of energy for 2:30 p.m. in the afternoon.

After a 45 minute search for a few friends I wasn’t aware were going to show up, I trotted back to the Broad Street Stage, past the Purrrfect Pals booth with their adorable kittens, to see Mirah. She – again – was on my original checklist of performers to see. I know I said in previous articles that I dig concerts where I can dance. Mirah is one of those exceptions. The way you’re supposed to listen to her music is the exact opposite of someone like Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head. You’re just supposed to experience it, organically, with the violin, the clarinet, the sitar-looking thing, and Mirah’s beautiful vocal instrument. It’s almost magical how someone with such a seemingly small voice can captivate such a large and muddy lawn. I missed maybe the first ten minutes of her set, so I don’t know if she played “La Familia,” which is kind of disappointing, but for the most part, Mirah’s set was really low-key. The one exception was her last song, “The Garden,” which she explained as the song the Portland High School drill team used in one of their  competitions.

“Because they wanted to win!” And everyone cheered.

Mirah and her band of strings and woodwinds were a very nice change from the energy-draining past two days, and a good chill session before Franz Ferdinand on the main stage that night.

Speaking of Franz Ferdinand, my sister and I got in line pretty early for the main stage, listening to Janelle Monae on the Fisher Green while we waited. From what I heard, she was pretty wicked, and according to multiple recommendations from different people, apparently I missed out not catching her full set. But I was waiting for Franz Ferdinand.

I’ll admit it – I tend to be a fangirl when it comes to my favorite bands – Franz Ferdinand being one of them. I saw them almost five years ago at the “Deck the Hall Ball” put on by Seattle’s Original Alternative radio station 107.7 The End. They were a part of a great lineup all those years ago – including Keane, the Shins, Snow Patrol, The Killers, and Modest Mouse, ironically, since Modest Mouse was playing on the main stage right after Franz. But when I left there, Franz Ferdinand was the band that blew we away. And five years later, I was ready to be blown away yet again.

I was, quite literally.

After waiting in the mosh pit for 15 minutes or so, Alex, Nick, Bob and Paul walked on stage and the entire stadium squealed with delight. They started off the night with “No You Girls,” their current hit, then going directly into an older song, “Dark of the Matinee” (which just so happens to be my favorite of theirs). It was a perfect mix of the old and new stuff. Alex introduced the rest of the band for us to cheer for individually, and they matched the energy with their musicianship. Not only did they pump us up, they sounded great. As the set went on, the crowd got closer and closer together, to the point where the security guards all sprayed us with hoses to get people to chill out. It didn’t work very well, because halfway through the set, after mega hits “Take Me Out” and “Ulysses,” Alex and the gang broke out into “This Fire,” another of their hits from the first record. This got the crowd jumping all together; I couldn’t even get a good photo of anything. I was too into it. Then as people got tired of jumping, I felt a sharp thwack on the back of my head and then could barely make out a floating body above my head as I grabbed my throbbing skull, and tried to dodge the rest of the crowd surfers making their way towards the stage. Immediately, I wanted to get out of the mosh pit, but this was Franz Ferdinand – the one band I had come to see. So I toughed it out for awhile. I shunned the pain and danced along with everyone else, but then it got too crazy for my head to take. I had to get out of there.

And let me tell you – I was heartbroken that I had to leave the mosh pit. I wanted to stay there for the rest of the set, as Alex traipsed around the stage, singing the undeniably infectious lyrics with his seductive Scottish drawl. But I found my way out of the sweaty mosh pit and cooled down for a bit and had some water, and found my friends, as I’d been the only one to venture into the mosh pit. But even far away from the stage, Franz Ferdinand shined across the entire stadium. It was mesmerizing. Especially in the finale, when they played a drawn out version of “Lucid Dreams,” which already includes a long, electronic outro, but this live version made the wide-open area I was dancing in feel like a rave – and I’ve never even been to a rave.

But, it also could have been the contact high.

Whether you were in the line of fire in the mosh pit or secluded out in the middle of the stadium, away from the mayhem, Franz Ferdinand lived up to my expectations, then surpassed them. They were so good, I didn’t even care that I couldn’t stay for Modest Mouse (my sister’s 17, and she still had school in the morning, and I was driving her home).

Now that was the way to end Bumbershoot.

Bumbershoot: website | day 1 | day 2