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Straight to Video
Rock Art Rock
The Decemberists
September 19, 2009
Terminal 5, New York, NY
By Amanda Hatfield "The Decemberists played a special one night 'lottery show,' where the songs played were picked at random by a master of ceremonies, played by John Wesley Harding..."
Ra Ra Riot
April 4, 2009
Webster Hall, New York City, NY
By Amanda Hatfield "This show was, at the time, the biggest one Ra Ra Riot had sold out as headliners, and it was clear to me after watching it that the band is destined for even bigger and better things..."
Florence and the Machine
October 28, 2009
Bowery Ballroom, New York City, NY
By Amanda Hatfield "Florence Welsh and her backing band delighted and mesmerized a sold-out crowd at Bowery in her first official NY headlining show..."
Dirty Projectors
July 19, 2009
Williamsburg Waterfront (Brooklyn, NY)
By Amanda Hatfield "I was skeptical about how well Dirty Projectors' gorgeous, complex vocal harmonies would carry over outdoors, standing under hot sunshine..."
See more in the Rock Art Rock gallery.
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Atlas Sound
Atlas Sound
Logos
(Kranky, 2009)
The promo version of Logos, the second full-length release in two years from Atlas Sound, comes with an explanation written by the album’s creator, Deerhunter frontman, Bradford Cox. Considering his prolific nature and the turmoil surrounding Logos (Cox accidentally leaked an unfinished and unmastered version of the album through his blog and lashed out at fans who downloaded it), it is understandable that Cox would want to define the album in his own words for the listener, to elucidate what sets it apart both from Deerhunter albums and from the rest of the Atlas Sound catalog, which, on top of the debut LP, includes several EP and split EP projects all recorded since 2006.
In his account, Cox revisits the controversy over the album’s leak, and explains that it nearly caused him to scrap the entire thing. But releasing an album so different in spirit from his previous work—the lyrics are decidedly non-autobiographical and the songs on Logos are inherently external reflections of the world rather than communications of Cox’s inner visions—was obviously cathartic for the musician.
Forward Music Festival in Madison, WI
Madison is a very confused place. Home to Wisconsin’s biggest party school and capital, Madison is a rural mecca that brags of its culture per capita, relies on its history of political activism for continued credit within the liberal community, and fosters an academic environment for some of the Midwest’s most intelligent pupils and some of the nation’s most severe fuckups. Madison is one of those locales that cannot be easily classified as a city, and its population is one of those demographics that cannot be easily deconstructed and categorized.
Forward Music Festival’s attendees, venues, and acts are even less conducive to generalizations. As the manifestation of five music aficionados’ aim to “[highlight] Madison, Wisconsin as the hub of the Midwestern music scene,” Forward Music Festival succeeded in drawing nascent and established acts from near and far this year. Headliners Atlas Sound, YACHT, Ra Ra Riot, Andrew Bird, and Wavves packed crowds into intimate venues over the weekend. While all headliners bonded over their large followings in the indie community, the opening bands spanned from Christian rock to electro karaoke. And, as expected, with a roster that encompassed over 100 bands, some performances were more noteworthy than others.
The Wars of 1812 was one of the noteworthy performances. With only a drummer, bassist, guitarist, and keyboardist, the group emitted mega energy. Hailing from Minneapolis, like many of the other newer bands at the festival, the Wars of 1812 crafted upbeat melodies with lulling vocals, frenetic percussion, and Dark Side of the Moon-minded chords for an audience that ranged from age six to 60. In homage to the Beatles, whom the group pinpoints as their main influence, their set ranged from psych-folk to pop-rock to somber ballads and, like the Beatles, the Wars of 1812 had their quirks. I experienced their eccentricity up close when I caught up with frontman Peter Pisano after their set. “It’s actually possible to sit down and write music that’s so full of shit, people will actually listen to it,” he said, “and that has been my philosophy for the past three years.” And while the Wars of 1812 recognize the fickle nature of the music biz, headliners Wavves were unable to transcend their own fickle nature during their set on Saturday night.
All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival 2009
All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival 2009
September 11-13 at Kutsher’s Country Resort in Monticello, NY
Friday—For many in attendance, the All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival at the decrepit Kutsher’s Resort in Monticello, New York began Friday afternoon with the Feelies. Trekking up from New York City and beyond, the mobs were aiming for the band’s 4:45pm start time, to hear them play their seminal 1980 album Crazy Rhythms in its entirety. Reuniting erstwhile bands to perform their greatest records in their entirety is an ATP specialty, so the Feelies’ energetic redux, complete with jump kicks and flagrant cowbell use, was the perfect kickoff for the subversive, culture-packed three days to come. After sitting in with the Dirty Three on a showy white baby grand piano, Nick Cave mingled with fans in the resort’s shabby, drab lobby, his email-checking and cell phone use smashing our core beliefs that he lives in the 19th century. But while it’s a surprise to see Cave using technology, it was certainly no surprise to see it on full display during sets from Suicide and Panda Bear. The former played their ear-bashing eponymous first full-length, shattering the crowd with yelps and synth shellacking, and the latter hypnotically reinventing his older tracks and Animal Collective tracks alike while behind him videos ranging from topless roller coaster rides to inky psychedelic trips dashed by.
Meanwhile, on the subterranean second stage, comedy and poetry sardonically raged on; the sexy and delightfully perceptive poetry of Derrick Brown and his backing band the Navy Gravy setting the scene for Eugene Mirman’s insultingly loving Father’s Day Cards and David Cross’s affably clueless recounting of bread-making.
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
Popular Songs
(Matador, 2009)
As a band that’s been around for 25 years, with barely a misstep in their career, it’s easy to take Yo La Tengo for granted. As elder statesmen (and woman) of indie rock (or just plain rock, as the case should be), the New Jersey trio never even had the need for a comeback since they’ve never gone away. Thus, it’s easy to under-appreciate their creative constancy, not to mention consistency. However, we should never forget it.
When it comes down to it, they’re the only band I know that can get away with playing little twee pop songs, 10-plus-minute-long psychedelic jams, and plaintive melancholy folk ballads. In any other band, I’d call that an identity crisis, but in Yo La Tengo, I call it another day’s work. They can get away with doing it all because they do it all so well. And so Popular Songs, the band’s umpteenth full-length (really, who’s keeping track anymore?) continues to be as predictably unpredictable as Yo La Tengo’s entire career.
Rock Art Rock: Issue 3.14d
Deerhunter
Le Poisson Rouge, New York City
September 9, 2008
By Jason Persse
Grainy as it is, this might be my favorite shot ever. The look of amusement on Josh Fauver’s face tells you exactly how much fun this show was.
Check out Jason Persse at his photography site
Deerhunter
Deerhunter
Rainwater Cassette Exchange
(Kranky, 2009)
Deerhunter is an oddity in the current landscape of What Is Now Indie. They play relatively static, Spacemen 3-inspired drone rock with less the weight and grandeur of du jour space metal like Isis or Sunn O))), but rather the dollar-bin post-Velvet-isms of the Stratford 4 and Unwound. A great thing really, as I’m not much for metal, but their problem is an affliction shared by many bands saddled with the expectations of Rockcrit 2.0—delivering on the cult of personality that’s the real reason you’ve heard of them. Despite some beautiful album art (Cryptograms), shocking titles (their self-titled debut album was alternately titled Turn It Up Faggot), solo indulgences (Atlas Sound, Lotus Plaza), and enough backstory to fill Jack Kerouac’s Benzedrine-operated quill, none of Deerhunter’s pre-2008 records are any good. Bradford Cox made love/hate waves with his incomprehensible Pitchfork reception, posting pictures of band members’ feces on the Deerhunter blog, picking fights with rock journalists, and generally making more memorable news than any tunes.
A provocateur in search of the full package, basically, he calmed down, apologized for his antics, reinstated an aghast guitar player, and turned out last year’s Microcastle—not only his first good record, but his first great one. Barring some dead air in the middle, the album’s numerous excellent moments rank with the best Yo La Tengo drones floating in syrup and lemon for a melted summer day, and finally delivering on the disturbing lyrics apropos of his psyche to match: Try “Agoraphobia”, which takes its title so literally that its protagonist wants to be buried and kept alive rather than face the world. Not everyone gets a second chance to prove they’re not a fraud—just ask Devendra Banhart. But Cox finally put up or shut up—established himself with humor and reason for being.
Douchemaster Records: Atlanta Garage Rock
In the fall of 2004, Douchemaster Records co-founders Bryan Rackley and Greg King decided to release a single from King’s band, the Carbonas. Rackley says his main motivation for the project was boredom. “I’d graduated from Georgia State in 2002, and just wasn’t doing shit,” he says. “Greg needed some help. It was just something to do.”
Purveyors of melody-driven punk, the Carbonas weren’t a particularly well-known act at the time, and expectations were low for the release, entitled “Frothing at the Mouth.” Rackley and King figured 200 copies would be plenty, and their moniker for the label reflected their attitude towards the endeavor. “We didn’t think anyone was going to take the record seriously, and certainly didn’t think anyone was going to take the record label seriously,” Rackley says. “That’s why we kind of treated the name as a joke. I think Greg heard [the word ‘Douchemaster’] in an episode of The Cosby Show, which is sort of alarming.”
Noise Pop Weekend Wrap-Up: Ra Ra Riot, Les Savy Fav and more
Ra Ra Riot
February 27th at the Independent
Ra Ra Riot was one of the first shows to sell out for Noise Pop this year, so while I anticipated a packed venue, I didn’t expect the Independent to reach capacity by 9pm, when I showed up to check out Telekinesis, Merge’s newest signing. Alas, I was forced to listen from the sidewalk outside while I awaited my entrance, so I pretty much missed their entire set, finally entering the venue during their last song. Bummer! Next up was Cut Off Your Hands, one of those acts I wasn’t too excited about upon listening to their album, but I figured they’d probably translate better in a live capacity. I’ll let you read up on Jocelyn’s take on their set below… if nothing else, it was pretty entertaining. Anyway, Ra Ra Riot is a band I’ve had my eyes on for a few years now, first catching them play before maybe a dozen people during a day party down at SXSW. At that early juncture, you could tell the kids had talent. And after the tragic, untimely death of drummer John Pike in June of 2007, the release of a well-received EP in July of ’07, and an even better received full-length in the summer of ’08, the six-piece has continued to surpass those inaugural expectations that were put upon them. Ra Ra Riot exudes an energy and kinship that is usually most transparent during the young and eager years of a band, as they share in an intoxicating optimism, collectively taking on all the joys and benefits wrought on that wave of possibility. They are a cohesive bunch, evident in their chemistry and how they work the stage, and after nailing their performance on Friday night, they all hugged and embraced one another, leaving behind an exuberant and impressed audience of Noise Poppers. The hype, be what it may, is fulfilled by them time and again, as they find their footing and secure a moment on the indie scene. Playing such favorites off their full-length such as “Dying is Fine” and “Can You Tell”, it’s under the vigor and leadership of vocalist/multi instrumentalist Wesley Miles that the rest of Ra Ra Riot falls. Accolades about for Ra Ra Riot, and I only hope they continue to make waves throughout the year and as they grow and further refine their sound. I do believe they have it in them. – Angela Zimmerman
Watch: Entire Ra Ra Riot set [at youtube.com]
Noise Pop Day 3: Bob Mould, Thee Oh Sees, Martha Wainwright, and more
Bob Mould, Port O’Brien
February 26th at the Old Mint, SF
Wolfgang’s Vault (the fine folks that put on this Crawdaddy! show, not to mention a few other delicious rock ‘n’ roll pies they have baking) threw a Noise Pop-related happy hour party between 5:30 and 7:30pm in an amazing space known as the Old Mint in downtown San Francisco, now defunct as a mint but turned into a rather brilliant event/gallery space. Isn’t it awesome how many drinks one can throw down their gullet in a short amount of time when that shit’s free? And yet, while the free booze and food was keeping spirits and the schmoozin’ afloat, it was the music, memorabilia, and video put forth that created something most special… a little private show gathering all of our music-lovin’ compatriots. Here’s what fellow Crawdaddy! writer Brian Brown emailed to me about it the following day:
hey jocelyn,
Free Music: Bradford Cox Offers Atlas Sound Virtual 7″
by: Jocelyn Hoppa
Seems like every other week this guy is releasing something or other. And it’s quite impressive considering how consistently good Cox’s musical output has been to date. This time comes the Virtual 7″ No. 7: Atlas Sound – Doctor b/w ‘The Screens.’
“The Screens” is a fuzzy, hip-shakin’ cover from the Brooklyn doo-wop band Five Discs. And “The Screens” is a meditative floater of a song featuring some harmonica during the intro and interludes, and what sounds like lazily tapped bongo drums that keep the song traipsing forward. Head over to his blog for the free download. read more
by: Jocelyn Hoppa
published: November 11, 2009 in column: What Goes On
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