popwreckoning

Having just released No More Stories… , their latest album, at the end of August, Danish rockers Mew have announced on their official website their North American tour for this fall. They will be supporting Pixies at Constitution Hall on December 1.

Tour Dates:
Nov 30 – Trocadero / Philadelphia
Dec 01 – Constitution Hall / Washington, DC*
Dec 02 – Paradise / Boston
Dec 04 – Webster Hall / New York City
Dec 05 – Cabaret Du Musee Juste Pour Rire / Montreal
Dec 06 – Mod Club / Toronto
Dec 07 – Metro / Chicago
Dec 10 – Neumo’s Crystal Ballroom / Seattle
Dec 11 – Venue / Vancouver
Dec 12 – Hawthorne Theatre / Portland
Dec 13 – Mezzanine / San Francisco
Dec 14 – Henry Fonda Theatre / Los Angeles
*with Pixies

Mew: website | myspace | No More Stories…review

Following an opening slot supporting the Pixies at London’s Brixton Academy on October 8, Eddie Argos and the rest of the Art Brut crew are scheduled to leave England and come over here to embark on a extensive North American tour this October and November. The tour begins at the Middle East in Cambridge, Massachusetts on October 16 and finishes at New York’s Bowery Ballroom on November 15.

Tour Dates:
Oct 16 – Middle East / Cambridge, Ma.
Oct 17 – Maxwell’s / Hoboken
Oct 18 – Black Cat / Washington DC
Oct 19 – Cat’s Cradle / Carrboro, NC
Oct 20 - Earl / Atlanta
Oct 22 – Bottletree / Birmingham
Oct 23 – Spanish Moon / Baton Rouge
Oct 24 – Walter’s on Washington / Houston
Oct 25 – Mohawk / Austin
Oct 27 – Club Congress / Tucson
Oct 28 – Casbah / San Diego
Oct 29 – Glass House / Pomona, Ca.
Oct 30 – Cafe Du Nord (2 shows) / San Francisco
Nov 1 – Holocene / Portland
Nov 2 – Neumo’s / Seattle
Nov 3 – Biltmore / Vancouver
Nov 4 – Neurolux / Boise
Nov 5 – Urban Lounge / Salt Lake City
Nov 6 – Bluebird / Denver
Nov 8 – Slowdown / Omaha
Nov 9 – Triple Rock / Minneapolis
Nov 10 – Lincoln Hall / Chicago
Nov 12 – First Unitarian Church / Philadelphia
Nov 13 – Brooklyn Bowl / New York City
Nov 14 – Ottobar / Baltimore
Nov 15 – Bowery Ballroom / New York City

Art Brut: website | myspace

Brendan Benson. Jack White. Raconteurs. Fame. So now that’s out of the way. On his fourth solo album, Benson continues trying to escape cult hero status and graduate to indie (if not mainstream) stardom on his own terms, evident in his choice employment of producer Gil Norton (Pixies, Echo and The Bunnymen, but also Jimmy Eat World and Dashboard Confessional) to give him his most accessible sound yet. But asides from MOFF sounding noticeably smoother than his previous work, it’s business as usual for Benson, who once again crafts a resounding batch of retro-spectable pop nuggets, second only to his work on 2002’s Lapalco.

Chunky power-chords. Witty rhymes. Stylistic homage. That’s the broken down formula for all of Benson’s solo work. The title of the album is most likely a self-conscious Benson admitting that his music is not riding any waves or cutting edges, but that its merit lies in its simple, familiar but enduring quality. And the closer to familiarity Benson gets, the more comfortable he often seems. Opener “I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better” of course steals its title and chorus line from the classic Byrds song of the same name, but stylistically is a punk-y rush with big Cheap Trick-style chord smacks and subtle, placed use of Terry Riley-by-way-of-The Who synthesizer swirls. “Garbage Day” unabashedly nicks its dramatic string section from the back-pages of Motown, marrying it to a song with a metaphor so tongue in cheek (“And if she throws her heart away/I’ll be there on garbage day”) that it nearly comes off as parody. The song still manages to stand as one of the album’s highlights, with its re-imagining of a classic sound giving Benson focus while not restricting him from adding modern touches line a bobbing synth line towards the song’s end.

Hooks. Hooks. Hooks. Even in songs like the Posies-esque “Eyes On The Horizon” and the funhouse-mirrored “Feel Like Taking You Home” that begin with the softest and most formulaic riffs and rhythms, Benson is never at a loss at working in a chorus or development that redeems the song through it’s sheer mathematical “poppy-ness.” At times though, because his craftsmanship is so honed in the accepted pop tradition, his choice of changes come as overly familiar and too cushiony (talking to you, “Lesson Learned”). This weakness in Benson’s writing was responsible for seriously marring his 2005 album The Alternative To Love, though its reigned in for the most part on MOFF.

Brendan Benson – “Feel Like Taking You Home”

Brendan Benson vs. Jack White. For some reason, White Stripes vinyl has become ridiculously expensive. I have a copy of Elephant that I bought probably in 04/05 for something like $16.99. If you’re looking to grab a copy of the same album on vinyl today, you’re going to be paying over $30.00. Why? Because White has fashioned his albums so stylishly and differently from one to the next, they emanate dead sexy cool with all that red, white and black. Benson’s albums are not dead sexy cool, but friendly, familiar and reliable. If Jack White were your badass rockstar boyfriend, Brendan Benson would be the good friend that you tell all your secrets to. You might not feel any passion for him, but it’s sure nice to have him around.

My Old, Familiar Friend is available now from ATO Records.

Brendan Benson: website | myspace

After having been asked to headline the Village Voice’s infamous Siren Festival at the historic Coney Island for several years, Built to Spill finally accepted the honor, following in the footsteps of some of indie rocks latest and greatest such as Ra Ra Riot, Broken Social Scene, Steven Malkmus and the Jicks, New York Dolls, M.I.A, Cursive, Popwreckoning favorites White Rabbits, TV on the Radio, and Death Cab for Cutie, to name a few. It’s generally speaking a who’s who of both up and comers as well as hard-hitting indie heavyweights and it’s FREE!

The last time I attended I was young 21 living in Williamsburg. It was the first year the festival took place. It was 100-plus degrees and by the end we were crispy, stuffed with zepolis, covered in beer and sand, and eventually everyone started to look like the side show freaks that Coney Island is famous for. That year we saw Peaches, Rainer Maria, Guided by Voices, and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. It was quintessential New York, one of those amazing days where you keep pinching yourself, “Do I really live here?” But for some reason, I never returned to Coney Island or the Siren Festival after that. Truth, Coney Island was dirty, run down and kinda sad. A forgotten NYC treasure with a giant price tag and an expiration date that every New Yorker was aware of. Coney Island was finished…or so I thought. In terms of the festival and it’s stellar lineup each year, I always thought to myself, ‘Well, I can catch them at The Bowery….right?’

I had a change of heart this year. Lured by the opportunity to see Built to Spill under the shifting sky, by the beach, at the end of a perfect Summer Saturday, I returned to Coney Island nine years later, and now I’m left wondering why I waited so long. This years lineup included Built to Spill, The Raveonettes, Spank Rock, Frightened Rabbit, A Place to Bury Strangers, Grand Duchy, Monotonix, Thee Oh Sees, Future of the Left, Japandroids, Michachu & The Shapes, Tiny Masters of Today, Bear Hands, The Blue Van, Justine D., and Deadheat DJs.

Grand Duchy is Frank Black, a.k.a. Black Francis, a.k.a. lead singer of The Pixies, and if you don’t know that…well shame on you, go do your homework before continuing. Anywho, Black Francis and his wife Violet Clark are Grand Duchy and they played songs on the main stage from their debut album, Petits Fours. The hooky songs feature vocals from Clark paired with Francis’s trademark storming guitar riffs. Clark, in an artist statement, describes the music as a set of opposites: “eclectic and consistent, raw and cooked, smooth and rough, punky and pop, guitar and synth, he and she…Dinner and dessert.” Anything Francis does, in my opinion is genius. See Teenager of the Year as reference. Grand Duchy is another feather in his hat.

Built to Spill took the stage to play the last set, just as the sky was changing from day to eve and the Cyclone lights flickered on. The band that inspired Modest Mouse, Death Cab, and the ubiquitous Northwest Sound that followed, played for over two hours. They played everything you’d ever want to hear, giving the crowd just what they came for. Everyone knew every lyric. You almost didn’t belong if you didn’t. The first note of “Carry the Zero” dropped and the hardcores were high-fiving. Doug Martsch turned four-minute songs into eleven-minute epic guitar jams busting string after string as fireworks blossomed in the purple sky overhead and lovers clutched each other closer. It was ridiculously magical. People were literally turning to the stranger next to them with Cheshire cat grins. And again, nine years later, I’m asking, “Do I really live here?”

Coney Island hasn’t changed much in nine years. It’s still run down, forgotten, and kinda sad, but that’s what you love about it. It buzzes with nostalgia for a time when everything was hustling and bustling, when honey roasted almonds were five cents on the boardwalk, when the skyline mattered, and people believed in two-headed snake babies and one hundred pound rats. To visit Coney Island is a suspension of disbelief. Seeing Built to Spill in this context is a somewhat of a similar act, so good it must be fiction.

Built to Spill: website | myspace
Siren Fest: website

Santi White, better known as Santigold (previously Santogold) probably needs no introduction. She released her self titled debut album last year to great acclaim, with hits such as “Creator”, “L.E.S. Artistes” and “Lights Out”. Not only is she showcasing her own music, but she produces and writes for various artists, such as Lily Allen, Ashlee Simpson and has had collaborations with Julian Casablancas and Pharrell. Lights Out is a song of hers that I just truly love.

.Santigold – Lights Out
“Lights Out” nicely harkens back to 80s New Wave with heavy influences from The Cars, The Pretenders, & The Pixies. With solid snaps on a snare drum and chunky guitars paired with delicate synths, “Lights Out” is a sleek, refined song with effortless, beautiful vocals, particularly the elongated ‘Daaaahrling’. This track could certainly be described as a perfect blend of The Strokes and The Cars.

.DJ Mehdi Remix
This was a great find for me. I love this song, but even more so I love DJ Mehdi, so to find that he did a remix of it was pretty amazing. And he did not fail. But then again he never does. This mix puts a bounce in your sunny morning step. Mehdi replaces the chunky guitar riff with a bubbling, poppy synthy drum line. In the middle of the mix he showcases his creative talent, by inserting a brilliant devised melodic piece of whispered bongos met with jazz piano key bounces. It manages to stay quite similar to the original, but as all great remixes, tinkers it enough to make it upbeat and original. Minimalism can be grand.

.Tepr Emo Remix
This mix is quite on the opposite spectrum than Mehdi’s. It slows the song to almost a ballad, which goes well with Santigold’s shy vocals. Melodically it’s fuzzy and touched with distortion, bringing a more ethereal element to the tune. It does highlight a beautiful piano that plays throughout the song, which goes nicely with the light splashes of drum machines. A mix for the introspective at heart.

http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/7/20/2515664/Santi-LightsOut-RUBATO.mp3David Rubato Mix
This is a pretty funky, disco inspired mix. It has a nice bubbling, distorted grind that slips around through the track. It’s very Justice-esque. That little piece is enjoyable, the main focus of the mix, though it doesn’t mesh too well with the vocals. One great portion of the mix is that certain parts of Santigold’s vocals are matched with a robotic overdub. Very cool. Indeed a fun track for the dance floor.

Santigold: website | myspace

Welcome back readers!  Last week I informed you that I was dedicating my feature to the incredible Get Up Kids because I could not contain my excitement at seeing them play a reunion show at the Blender Theatre in New York City.  Well, the show was amazing, the set was chock full of old and new favorites, and the crowd was left wanting more.  I’m still intent on sharing cover rarities from their Eudora (2001) album and have a few more choice ones for your listening pleasure.  While I continue riding the second wave emo goodness, feel free to enjoy Under Cover: The Get Up Kids collection, Part II.
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.“Regret” cover (original: New Order)
Mama always said “Beware of kids who don’t like The Get Up Kids.”  Okay, fine she didn’t really say that, but I’ve learned that anyone who loves the GUK as much is usually a person worth knowing (and loving).  Apart from soundtracking my entire college career, their seminal emo-meets-indie rock sound borrows heavily from 80s downer pioneers and front runners, such as New Order.  Paying homage on their compilation record Eudora (get this, it rocks), the GUK put out their own version complete with their signature style: knob-twisting, whiny vocals and background yelps, keyboards, ambitious guitar, and they close out their track with this upbeat synth I can’t get enough of.  This track is a must for your collection if you dig the GUK, New Order, covers, or just great music.
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.“Alec Eiffel” cover (original: Pixies)
Raw, loud, unrefined, energetic, raucous, and any other word that properly captures the magic of this song will apply.  One of my favorites off the Pixies‘ incredible Trompe le Monde, it seems the Get Up Kids love this track almost as much as I do.  They totally nailed all the intricate guitar riffs and this cover definitely earned its spot on the Pixies’ tribute album Where Is My Mind? This version, much like the original, makes me want to spin around the room and mouth the ever-cryptic lyrics (are they applauding the Eiffel tower, or making fun of it?  The jury is still out on this one) until I get dizzy, only to listen to it once again.  I love all the background vocals and how they fill out the chorus, adding more depth to the song.  Not only did they do the Pixies justice (a feat in and of itself), but they created one of their most memorable cover tracks to date.
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.“Impossible Outcomes” cover (original: Metroschifter)
“Unavoidable, it’s inevitable, our eyes, hearts, words are evidence!” If you asked me four years ago about a Get Up Kids reunion tour, I would certainly have thought it would be the most impossible of all “Impossible Outcomes.”  This Metroschifter cover is actually one of my favorite GUK songs and sadly I’ve never heard it played live at any of the handful of shows I’ve been to in the last seven or eight years.  I even screamed at the reunion show for them to play this song and singer Matt Pryor actually said into the mic “What?” while smiling, but didn’t really acknowledge the request.  He said they had a pretty tight set list, unfortunately.  I’m not sure if it’s the strained vocals, the tempo, the frenetic guitar, or the keyboards, but when they come together with lyrics that tug at the heartstrings (“My dreams aren’t premonitions because I’m dreaming, I’m dreaming of… impossible, impossible outcomes!”), it’s pure indie rock magic.   Truth be told, the lyrics are what mostly get me each and every time.  Whenever they sing the part that goes “But in her eyes I can see it all, short plaid skirt, white short short-sleeve shirt,” I always secretly wish they were referring to me.
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The Get Up Kids: website | myspace

Not so hot on the heels of their breakout Ships, Danielson has released this compilation of the best of their pre-Ships output. If Ships piqued your curiosity but you never went back and sifted through their 10 years of back catalog, then this might be the place to start.

There is no way around it, Danielson will not appeal to everyone. They’re just too eccentric. Daniel Smith’s nasal falsetto alternates between a screech and a chant as quickly as the music changes directions, abandoning one hook for another. His voice at times reminds me of Frank Black, especially on “Jersey Loverboy” and the first half of “Rally The Dominos”, which have similar structures to Pixies songs. The music generally falls somewhere between the hyperactive indie pop of bands like Architecture in Helsinki and any of a number of slightly off-kilter freak folk bands.

There certainly are some religious themes — quite a few “lords,” “heavens,” and “Gods” pepper the songs — but they are easy to ignore. In fact, I have no idea what most of the songs are actually about. That may be because their lyrics aren’t very linear or because I get distracted as the music constantly changes tempos, singing styles, and vocalists.

The overall tone is chaotic, but also energetic and joyful. The vocals in particular seem happy and caffeinated, and are full of theatrical interjections — making nonsense sound urgent and important. During songs like “Flip Flop Flim Flam”, which builds off a childlike chant, I find myself smiling, shaking my head, and saying “what the hell.” It’s an oddly catchy and enjoyable album. At least in small doses. However, at 28 tracks this album hardly qualifies as a small dose. I liked this album a lot more when I broke it up, but don’t let the length dissuade you. There are plenty of songs that make the slog well worth it.

Danielson: website | myspace

On their latest album, O’Death does a commendable job of combining freak-folk with bluegrass and wrapping it all up in a punk attitude. Though the songs they write are consistently well composed and performed, enjoyment of the band will depend on whether or not you’re looking for a band capable of taking itself seriously – because O’Death aren’t really about that. However, that does not stop them from turning out a solid and eclectic album that is consistently enjoyable.

The heart of O’Death’s sound may be some weird mutation of bluegrass, but the band also displays a debt to bands as far ranging from the genre as The Pixies and The Smiths. This is particularly reflected in the Frank Black/Isaac Brock-esque dynamics of Greg Jamie’s vocals throughout the album and his Johnny Marr-on-speed-like guitar playing in songs like “A Light That Does Not Dim” (a title curiously similar to The Smiths’ “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out”). Considering that Johnny Marr is now a member of Modest Mouse, by combining the traits of the aforementioned, O’Death are kind of like an alternate-universe version of Modest Mouse where they’re the house band of a southern bar on Halloween. Also, the band has had a couple drinks, and is really going at it.

Of course though, O’Death is better than the average bar band (not much of an accomplishment really, but an accomplishment none the less). Namely because they’ve got a handful of really great songs like the manic “Vacant Moan”, the supercharged and strangely heart-warming “Crawl Through Snow”, and the beautiful “Angeline”.

While Broken Limbs, Hymns and Skin is definitely not for everyone (me=everyone, in this case), it is by no means a bad album. As one of the philosophers I recently studied would have syllogized it:

A: Broken Limbs, Hymns and Skin is not a “bad” album

B: Any album that is not a “bad” album must contain enough goodness to be considered a “good” album to some degree.

Therefore…

C: Broken Limbs, Hymns and Skin should be considered a “good” album

Tracklisting:
01. Low Tide
02. Fire on Peshtigo
03. Legs to Sin
04. Mountain Shifts
05. Vacant Moan
06. A Light That Does Not Dim
07. Grey Sun
08. Home
09. Leininger
10. Crawl Through Snow
11. Ratscars
12. On an Aching Sea
13. Angeline
14. Lean-To

O’Death: website | myspace

Written by: Marc Z. Grub

Earlier in the week I got a phone call from Army Navy front man Justin Kennedy. If for some reason you don’t recognize the name, you may recognize the name of former Pinwheel bandmate Ben Gibbard. Gibbard’s had some wonderful success following Pinwheel and Kennedy and company is no doubt set for the same.

During the call, Kennedy and I discussed the band’s debut album, set for release October 14th, other projects including their inclusion on the Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist soundtrack, and plans to dominate 2009. Read on for more:

Jessica, PopWreckoning: How are things working out in New York?
Justin Kennedy, Army Navy: They’re great! We had an awesome show last night. It was really fun. Have a five hour press day today. Breeze. [laughs]

PW: What question are you tired of answering because I promise not to ask it.
JK: It hasn’t been that many interviews. I guess “Where did the name Army Navy come from?” because it’s not really an interesting story.
PW: Avoided, for sure. I’m glad to hear things are going well in New York, though. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make it up last night and can’t tomorrow night, either, but good luck tomorrow night!
JK: I think it’s supposed to be pretty big actually. It should be fun.

PW: Have you been to the east coast before?
JK: Yeah, we played at CMJ a few years ago. I’ve been to New York a bunch of times. I have a lot of friends out here. I come as much as possible.
PW: I know what you mean, I love New York. I’m glad you guys got to come out here for press stuff, then.
JK: Yeah, it’s been pretty fun. I think we’re going to be back for CMJ this year. We’re just trying to figure out all the details right now.

PW: Any other plans to tour the rest of the east coast? I’m just down in Philly, so if you guys wanted to come hang out, that’s cool. [laughs]
JK: Absolutely! Actually, we were thinking that if we can get our plans together for CMJ, we’re going to try to hit Boston and Philly and a lot around the area. We just need to get on top of that. There’s been so much other work with press and reviews and stuff. It’s not a nightmare or anything, it just takes a lot of time.
A tour is the next thing we’re gonna be working on. But definitely, we’d love to come to Philadelphia. I’ve actually never been to Philadelphia before. Everybody says it’s amazing.

PW: It’s no New York. It’s smaller, but great. I love it. I’ll give you guys a tour when you come.
JK: Our producer Adam Lasus lived there for years. I think he grew up there. He’s always talking about it.
PW: I had no idea. But enough about Philly. Let’s talk about you, we don’t need to talk about Philly.
JK: OK. [laughs]

PW: It seems as if October is Army Navy month. You guys have your new self-titled album coming out on The Fever Zone label and then you’re also on the Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist soundtrack and you’ve got a song on a Cure tribute album coming out.
JK: Yeah, it’s pretty nuts. We have two songs in Nick and Norah’s: one song’s on the soundtrack and we just found out that they’re actually using the song [pause] we released an exclusive track just for the soundtrack, and the other track is off our record.
We just found out two days ago that they’re using the song on our record for the TV commercial for Nick and Norah, which is pretty insane.
PW: Yeah, that’s awesome!
JK: We’ll be like everywhere! That’s fuckin’ nuts!

PW: It’s crazy. Congratulations, that’s huge! You’ll be rockin’ out at Madison Square Garden next time you’re in New York, I bet. [laughs]
JK: [laughs] Yeeeeah…that’s a lot. Hopefully some of this will help us take off a little bit, definitely. We’ve been talking about putting out a record ourselves and we’ve been talking to labels. Big Hassle came around and we felt like we got it. We had some checks come in and we thought, ‘We can do a better job than some of these indie labels that seem to have no idea what they’re doing.’
We created our own timeline for things to come out and then Nick and Norah’s was coming out, which, you know, they’re putting millions into marketing this movie. So we thought we’d just ride the coattails of their marketing a little bit because they’ll have a lot more opportunities to get our name out there than we would. We decided to just put our record out right after the movie came out since people might know who we are at that point.
The Cure thing came along, which comes out two weeks after our record, which is nuts. It all just kind of came together all at once.
PW: That’s amazing. You can’t even buy that kind of publicity.
JK: Absolutely. It’s like we have Atlantic Records putting out the record. There’s gonna be an iTunes exclusive and, basically, it’s way more than we’d ever be able to do ourselves.

PW: With the Nick and Norah thing, today it’s far more common, but back in the 90s, if a band was in a movie or commercial, that was considered selling out. What do you think…
JK: It was totally uncool. That was what my viewpoint was, as well. It was something I would never do, unless it was something really specific or whatever. I still am. I wouldn’t sell my song to an Exxon commercial or something.
For Nick and Norah, we’re sharing the soundtrack with a lot of great bands and the whole movie is about music. Nowadays, with the record industry so screwed up and no one buying records, you have to find these other angles to make money so we can go out and tour.
One thing about being in L.A., we all have professional relationships with music supervisors and people in and around the industry, so we have a lot of contacts. For us, we have some songs that would be good for that stuff and it’s paid for part of the record and for Adam’s fees to produce the record. All those little things that come and go that people don’t really think about. It’s been a way to make music our only income at this point, which is really great.

PW: Absolutely. I was going to ask what you think changed the negative stigma that used to come along with this, but you’re right. The record industry is completely messed up and people aren’t buying as many records as they used to. It’s unfortunate because there are a lot of great records out there.
The internet has screwed a lot of stuff up. It’s done a great deal to help a lot of artists just get their stuff heard, but it’s also had a negative affect on the monetary side of the business.
JK: I think us not having much overhead putting out this record, we actually could make some money on the record, because we don’t have a giant label paying for all of this extra stuff. Everything that we make goes to the band fund and we pay for it ourself. It’s just more of a chance for us to make a little money if the record sells copies. We eat and everything on it these days.
Besides, the movie looks hilarious. I saw a little bit of it on a screener. I saw the opening scene and I saw the scene that we were in, it’s pretty funny.
PW: Yeah and it’s got a lot of great kids in it, too. Michael Cera who was in Superbad and “Arrested Development.” He’s so funny.
JK: He’s hilarious.
PW: It’ll be a big movie and it’ll definitely get you guys out there. Especially being in the trailer, now.
JK: Omigod, that’s everywhere – it’s gonna be nuts. I haven’t seen it, but I hear he sells it. It’s just cool that some random people are gonna hear it that wouldn’t have before. Some people are going to hear our song on TV. People find music in really weird places these days. Those iPod commercials, they blow up.
PW: Oh yeah. Every single band that’s had one has just gotten ridiculously huge.
JK: Yeah, huge! They also run up the iTunes charts. Something like this is only going to be helpful for us.

PW: For the Cure tribute album, what song did you cover for it?
JK: “Jumping Someone Else’s Train.”

PW: Did you choose that one or had you been playing it before and someone got in touch with you about it? I honestly have no idea how tribute albums or most compilations work.
JK: My friend Paul was putting the soundtrack together. He says, “Hey, you’re a Cure fan. I’m putting this soundtrack together.” He asked us to be in it. We talked to Adam and Adam was stoked at the idea. We were actually going to do another song for it. We were gonna do a doo wop version [laughs] — that would’ve been really amazing — off the Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me record. I can’t remember which song it was.
We we kind of worked it out and then Paul said the person he’d offered it to wasn’t going to do it and then they changed their mind. He gave us a list of what wasn’t already taken. It was hard because, for us, most of these songs are kind of jammy. We had to try to find a song that sort of lent itself as close to an Army Navy song as possible. We didn’t want to make it a total Army Navy song but that one has some parts that we felt had a poppiness to it.
Our version is really fucked up. I say it’s like Talk Talk meets Nirvana.

PW: That is definitely a way to sell this tribute album: “It is really fucked up.” [laughs]
JK: [laughs] Yeah. I love it! I mean, I’m so psyched at how it turned out. We definitely took it as a recording experience. It gave us the opportunity for a song that we don’t ever really need to play live.
We tried it in probably 15 different styles. We just went in and hashed out every different way of playing it to figure it out. We love how the track turned out. We went in with Adam for a couple days and banged it out and fixed it. It will be interesting to see what people think of it.
PW: Yeah, I can’t wait to hear it after hearing that explanation.
JK: I don’t know if that’s a good explanation of it, but that’s totally what it reminds me of. It would be like later Talk Talk with the weird keyboards and really fucked up guitar. I dunno, but I’m really happy with it.
It’s a different outlet. The other bands on there aren’t bands we’ve played with before and wouldn’t necessarily be associated with. Like Bat For Lashes is on there. That’s going to be a really interesting track.

PW: What are you listening to now yourself?
JK: Ben [Gaffin, bass] gave me a copy of that Last Shadow Puppets record. I really dug that one. That kid’s from Arctic Monkeys and I’m not really a huge Arctic Monkeys fan. Mainly because we played their first show in L.A. and they were assholes to us, but they’re nice now. That record is pretty awesome.
I can’t say I’ve listened to a lot of new records, I tend to listen to a lot of old stuff. I’ve been on a really big bubblegum kick lately. Early 70s or 60s bubblegum, like The Archies. One of my buddies is into making me a bunch of CDs of a lot of really great singer-songwriters of the early 70s. Like all the soft rock-y stuff like Ricky Nelson and Neil Diamond. I’m just a big songwriter fan no matter what style it’s in, that era in the 70s had a lot of great artists and albums. The Carpenters, the Beach Boys all fall into that. A lot of old stuff.
Then my favorite classic 90s stuff: Teenage Fanclub, The Pixies. Wilco was always a favorite of mine, too. I did go to a Radiohead show, although I did kind of stop loving them a while ago. Not for any reason, but I loved the first couple records. I did go to see them last week and it totally changed my mind. I think I really like a lot of the stuff on the new record. Seeing them live really sold it to me more. It was an amazing show, a really amazing show.
PW: I’ve never gotten to catch them live.
JK: The mix is pretty phenomenal. We saw them at the Hollywood Bowl. The light show, the whole thing is pretty incredible. They know how to put on a show for sure.
PW: I should think so. They’re pretty big. [jokingly] People have heard of them, I think.
JK: [laughs] Yeah, maybe. Fuckin’ Jonny Greenwood was playing lead guitar and also playing a lead keyboard line with the head of the guitar. I’ve never seen that before. I was like, “Wow.”
PW: Now I have to go see them! Are they still on tour? I don’t even know.
JK: I think they’re tour is done. I had seen The Bends tour, which is so funny. So many years ago. You can tell they’re still up there having fun and it’s just so incredible.

PW: Do you plan on touring that big?
JK: I would love to! We’re definitely trying to spend ‘09 touring as much as possible. We’ve gotta get out there and we love playing shows. When people see the live show, I think they’ll get into it. It’s more of a stripped down version of the record.
We have a lot of crazy lead guitar parts, which is amazing to see live. Louie [Schultz, guitar/keys/vocals] is a really incredible guitarist and he’s been able to transfer a lot of the stuff he does on the record to the live show. Definitely more of a hyped up version of the record.

PW: For these tour plans, if you could tour with anybody — living, dead, anybody — who would you want to play with on the same bill?
JK: I’d love to play with The Pixies. I think that would be amazing. It’s obvious to pick The Beatles [laughs]. Teenage Fanclub is one of my all time favorite bands and they would just mean more to me than any band. I would be totally stoked to tour with them and hang out with those dudes. It would be pretty amazing.
Oasis would be amazing just because it would just be so hilarious. Be able to hang out with them everyday, go to the bar with Liam [Gallagher] and try to keep up with him [laughs].
Mudhoney, I’m a massive Mudhoney fan growing up in Seattle.

PW: Yeah! I was at Sub Pop’s 20th anniversary show so I got to see them recently.
JK: So was I!
PW: Oh, you were?! Did you enjoy it? It was the greatest weekend!
JK: Oh my god! It was good! I just wish Mudhoney had closed the show. How can Flight of the Conchords close a Sub Pop show? That’s TERRIBLE! It should have been The Vaselines, although Mudhoney were so phenomenal. They are still as good as when I saw them when I was a teenager.
PW: Yeah, I was pretty shocked at the arrangement of the line up. I guess Flight of the Conchords are pretty big now, but how are you not going to close with your legends?
JK: That’s what I’m saying! I didn’t understand that. The whole order of bands was a little weird to me. It kind of got lighter and lighter as it went. I thought that Mudhoney would’ve closed it and killed it. On the main stage, too. They played the small stage but they were still amazing. They were so good.
I didn’t go to the second day, though. I really wanted to. I was back home visiting the family so I didn’t want to spend my whole time watching a concert. They’d've gotten mad at me. [laughs]
PW: I was there for the second and it wasn’t as good. I got there on time, the morning was strong I thought, but I left pretty early. I did that with the Conchords, too, I left about halfway through their set.
JK: I wanted to do that, too, but my friends wanted to stay till the end. It was a complete nightmare trying to get out. It look an hour just to leave the parking lot.
PW: I didn’t drive, but I had no idea that the last bus from Redmond straight to downtown Seattle left at like 10:30, so I missed that bus by minutes. I ended up taking about 5 different buses and it took 3 hours just to get back.
JK: What a nightmare. It was a beautiful day in Seattle, though.
PW: Oh yeah! That was my first time ever in Seattle and I fell in love with it. It’s beautiful out there.
JK: If you can go to Seattle when the weather is like that, it’s the best thing on Earth. It’s when it’s rainy and gloomy all the rest of the year…
PW: That puts a damper on my plans to move there.
JK: [laughs]

PW: Thanks so much for giving me call, it’s been great talking to you.
JK: Me, too. Thanks for talking to me.
PW: Absolutely! Enjoy the rest of your time in New York and I look forward to seeing you in Philadelphia soon.
JK: Awesome, I’ll talk to you soon.

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