Music Under Fire

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It's Memorial Day Weekend once again, and as everyone is heading down to the shore, a lake or just over to a friend's house or hanging out with your family, we're sure you're looking for some musical zest to add to this holiday. Keep in mind all of those who have fought for our country to be where we are today.

The list below is quite diverse, not sticking to any one theme. We have some harder rock with Ashes Divide and some classic Queens of the Stone Age. There's indie rock with Grizzly Bear and Spoon and some electronica with a Postal Service remix, Air France and The Crystal Method. We also have some groups we're just plain excited about like Phoenix, Cut Off Your Hands, Say Hi, Harlem Shakes. Enjoy our list and enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend!

MP3: Phoenix - 1901 (Customised by DLID) (buy)
MP3: The Postal Services - We Will Become Silhouettes (Mexicans With Guns Mix)
MP3: Youth Group - All This Will Pass (buy)
MP3: Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks (buy)
MP3: The Fiery Furnaces - Benton Harbor Blues (Again) (buy)
MP3: Cut Off Your Hands - Turn Cold (buy)
MP3: Air France - Collapsing at Your Doorstep (buy)
MP3: Ashes Divide - The Stone (buy)
MP3: The Builders and The Butchers - Devil Town (buy)
MP3: Azure Ray - The Drinks We Drank Last Night (buy)
MP3: Spoon - 30 Gallon Tank (buy)
MP3: Harlem Shakes - Sunlight (buy)
MP3: Camera Obscura - Honey In The Sun (buy)
MP3: The Crystal Method - Sine Language (Featuring Lmfao) (buy)
MP3: Ash - I Started A Fire (buy)
MP3: Phoenix - Rome (buy)
MP3: Queens of the Stone Age - In The Fade (buy)
MP3: The Radio Dept - Pulling Our Weight (buy)
MP3: Say Hi - November Was White, December Was Grey (buy)

OR you can download the entire list right here.

We interviewed Angel Pier last March and since then lead singer Darragh Nolan has been our main insight to the mind of an indie rocker. On top of that, the music from the Ireland-based ensemble pleases us.

The group just finished recording a pair of tracks and plan to release an album this coming Fall. We got an opportunity to pick Darragh's brain regarding the recording process and the direction the group is heading.

MUF: Seems like you changed a little bit.

Darragh: We have changed quite a bit. We're happy with the direction, it's more us, less derivative - I hope.

MUF: How long were you recording?

Darragh: We recorded on and off for I think eight days. Most of the recording was done in the first few days, then we spent quite a while shaping as we knew the sound we wanted and had to figure out how to get it.

We definitely spent a lot longer on these tracks than any previous recording. Sacrifice EP was recorded in three days, but that was just a live band recording what we played. With these tracks we wanted to bring it that couple of steps further- create recordings that aim to grow over time, with repeated listens things should jump out or reveal themselves.

Experimenting with different keyboards, samples, arrangements, layering and layering vocals, somehow without crowding the recordings.

Jimmy Eadie produced them and he treated them like his babies, so we shaped and moulded the whole time we were in there... all for only two tracks but we're happy with the results.

MUF: Do you have other material you might test run at live shows, or are you satisfied with the two new tracks on top of the your previous work

Darragh: We have a couple more new tracks that we play live but they still need a bit more work before recording.

In terms of our previous work we're generally happier with the direction than before. Before we were trying lots of different directions all at once, not really sure where we were going...

MUF: It's encouraging to see that for a group from a fan's perspective. Some groups have five albums that all sound the same. Even if you have to find your groove over five years, it is much better than hearing manufactured filler.

Darragh: I guess we seem to have found what we're best at, without trying to be like anyone, you know?

MUF: Absolutely.

Darragh: Or at the very least the beginnings of the direction.

MUF: Did you have to take off from work during recording, or did you have a bunch of long weekends?

Darragh: A few days off, some weekends, a lot of evenings...

MUF: One last question about your recording - did you find it easier to deal with a different style/feel than what previous direction you were going at?

Darragh: In some ways it was easier I guess since we were already excited about the new tracks & getting them into the studio, but in other ways we had to work harder to get the exact vibe we were looking for, we were going to get them right if it killed us.

Thanks again to Darragh for taking the time from his busy schedule to answer a few questions. "Belong" and "Align The Seas" can be found on Angel Pier's Myspace. Their EP Bullet Holes & Broken Sectors is on iTunes while the Sacrifice EP can be streamed on garageband.com.

Upcoming tour dates for the group are below.
5/22/09 Stables - Mullingar #
5/23/09 Liverpool Sound City Festival Heebie Jeebies Court Yard - Liverpool, UK
5/28/09 Spirit Store - Dundulk #
6/1109 The Pavilion - Cork
6/12/09 Greystones Theatre - Greystones, Wicklow #
6/18/09 Dolans (Upstairs) - Limerick w/ The Kinetiks
8/1/09 Castlepalooza - Main Stage, Charlevill Castle, Tullamore
# - w/ The Kinetiks

The Helio Sequence was on the bill two nights ago, which pushed us over the edge when it came time to decide whether we wanted to see Keane and Mat Kearney in the historic Tower Theatre in Upper Darby, PA. After pulling the trigger, we were quite excited to see our #1 album from 2008 go live once again since we last hung with the duo in early 2008 at Johnny Brenda's.

The Helio Sequence


The Helio Sequence are a small band, consisting of only Brandon Summers and his drumming sidekick, Benjamin Weikel. It need not be said, but if you've read our site before you probably already realize how aesthetically pleasing THC is to us. Everything we stand for and drool over is unified into their songwriting and musical talents. Summers has the smoky rumblings of a folk rock singer, while Weikel supplies the tech-beats and machine-like drumming to bring their two-man and computer ensemble to an accord.

The venue gave THC an appearance of being quite small, and although they are only a two man band, their setup in Johnny Brenda's last year was ample for them to fit on the stage yet the Tower Theatre proved to make them quite minuscule on that large stage. Songs such as "Lately" and "The Captive Mind" brought the performance right back to the ground. They were clearly not too phased by playing at larger venues. Offering little talk inbetween songs, their performance was a delight to see, especially since so many people had not recognized how big a group they may be to others who familiarized themselves with this Subpop favorite.

Their set list was to be expected, nothing but mostly their fantastic tracks from Keep Your Eyes Ahead, including "Keep Your Eyes Ahead", "Hallelujia" were played. The crowd was appeased, who was now becoming educated and taking a liking to their small group before them. Such a change now stands before The Helio Sequence since headlining smaller shows last year. Brandon and Ben now appeared at the beginning of their exciting tour with Keane as the opening act.

MP3: The Helio Sequence - Everyone Knows Everyone (buy)




Mat Kearney


Not familiar with the growing popularity of Mat Kearney (pronounced 'Carney'), we were curious to see what would take place in front of us. With the feeling of being set-up for a sappy, love-song laden set list, the doors were practically closed in terms of our interest, but swinging open to keep any bias from clogging our suspicion. To our surprise, Kearney was not sappy, nor could he have been more captivating. Releasing his new album City of Black and White the previous day, Kearney was ready to play some of his new songs, which he did, including "Here We Go" and "Lifeline".

The set list included "Undeniable", played on the radio back in 2006, which does play much better on the radio, but to Kearney's credit was meant for the radio given the vocal layering and pace of song. His stage presence was there too. With a band setup of bass, lead guitar, drums, keyboard to support his act, the proper support for the music was created, particularly with "Breathe In Breathe Out" which started off with a piano solo, then rose to an orchestration of a total band effort. Kearney closed with his most upbeat song, "Nothing Left To Lose" and had the crowd singing to the end.

Although he was a plus to have in the lineup, the alt-rock style did not particularly fall into our specifications for a group we would spend too much time on. The performance was well-executed on Kearney's part and he surely won the crowd over offering free autographs with the purchase of his new album.

Keane


Unmistakably adorned for Keane's 2004 masterpiece Hopes and Fears, a near perfect album in our eyes, we were geared up to hear more from their first two albums since 2008's Perfect Symmetry did not particularly entice us. Their plan was instantly revealed as the stage lit up with their album cover in the background.

Kicking off the show with "The Lovers Are Losing", we were set to hear the majority of Perfect Symmetry, including songs which we not too fond of such as their first single from the album, "Spiralling". But when one new song was played, it was counteracted by some of the songs we loved such as "This Is The Last Time", which was done as a solo on the piano by Tom Chaplin. It was this moment that his voice truly shined. Nothing but the piano and his vocals were heard; his voice shimmered under the single light shone on the stage.

The first half of the show was done quite well by Keane with a nice change of pace in song and both movement on stage. At one point all four members convened in the middle of the stage, toning down Chaplins excited antics on stage for a few songs. Also notable was the fourth and newest member on tour, Jesse Quin, who has been used to enhance Keane's stage performance for which they had been somewhat scrutinized for on their last tour.

There was an even spread of songs from Hope and Fears and Perfect Symmetry up until this point, and the theme would carry throughout the rest of the show with only four songs from Under The Iron Sea. To my dismay, one of the songs I did expect to be performed was not. "Frog Prince", which stood second to "Crystal Ball" (which would be their second to last song in the encore) was not played. But fitting enough, Keane closed down the show with one of their most beloved songs, "Bedshaped".

The entire performance was animated and energetic. Chaplin announced from the beginning to "sing out loud and enjoy the show" as he would later dangle his microphone over the crowd to sing the words. His hand gestures and dancing around the stage upped the ante when it came to livening the crowd. At every moment Chaplin pulled the crowd in, commanding the attention with wild hand motions and his own giddy excitement over the music he's been working so dilligently in creating over the years.

MP3: Keane - Nothing In My Way (live) (buy)

Setlist:
The Lovers Are Losing
Everybody's Changing
Bend and Break
We Might As Well Be Strangers
Again and Again
This Is The Last Time
Spiralling
Playing Along
Try Again
Sunshine
You Haven't Told Me Anything
Leaving So Soon?
You Don't See Me
Perfect Symmetry
Somewhere Only We Know
Crystal Ball
Encore:
My Shadow
Is It Any Wonder?
Bedshaped

Passion Pit officially release today. White Rabbits release today. Mat Kearney releases today. This is just the beginning of a huge week. Huge.

Michael Angelakos' musings continue to draw attention. Not only was the Loose Change EP stellar, but with a five-man traveling band on salary, Passion Pit should be on everyone's calendar and in everyone's compact disc player, especially with the release of Manners.

Fort Nightly earned high honors in 2007 for White Rabbits. It has gently swept into indie-lovers' libraries as a favorite. With It's Frightening, perhaps even more music reviewers can start to see what has made the New York crew so astounding.

Tomorrow we will see Keane, The Helio Sequence and Mat Kearney, so the release of City of Black & White has us perusing the artist at an accelerated rate. For those who have previously heard Mat Kearney, he occasionally staggered into poetry during his music. The new album is heads above his previous work.

Female vocalists have the major role in this year's releases. Polly Scattergood and Alela Diane are phenomenal. Scattergood's playful singing and catchy accompanying instrumentals undoubtedly hit us a bit different than most singer/songwriters. For Alela Diane, the mass artist project of Headless Heroes carries the folk music pace this week while still harnessing the impressive singer's ability, much like that of Zooey Deschanel.

We've only hit the tip of the iceberg, so dig in and have a wonderful week!

MP3: Passion Pit - Smile Upon Me (buy)
MP3: Iron and Wine - Belated Promise Ring (buy)
MP3: Jarvis Cocker - Angela (buy)
MP3: White Rabbits - Kid On My Shoulders (buy)

Apostle of Hustle - Eats Darkness (Official) (MySpace)
Federico Aubele - Amatoria (Official) (MySpace)
Clues - Clues (Official) (MySpace)
CKY - Carver City (Official) (MySpace)
Drive A - Loss of Desire (Official) (MySpace)
Ear PWR - Super Animal Brother (Official) (MySpace)
Elfin Saddle - Ringing for the Begin Again (Official) (MySpace)
The Field - Yesterday & Today (Official) (MySpace)
Green Day - 21ST Century Breakdown (Official)
Headless Heroes - Silence of Love (Official) (MySpace)
Hedley - Never Too Late (Official) (MySpace)
Iron & Wine - Around the Well (Official) (MySpace)
Jarvis Cocker - Further Complications (Official) (MySpace)
Jason Lytle - Yours Truly (Official) (MySpace)
Jeffrey Lewis - 'Em Are I (Official) (MySpace)
Karate High School - Invaders (Official) (MySpace)
Kronos Quartet - Floodplain (Official) (MySpace)
Mat Kearney - City of Black & White (Official) (MySpace)
Miss Kittin & The Hacker - Two (Official) (MySpace)
Parachute - Losing Sleep (Official) (MySpace)
Passion Pit - Manners (Official) (MySpace)
Polly Scattergood - Polly Scattergood (MySpace)
Settle - At Home We Are Tourists (Official) (MySpace)
Tartufi - Nests of Waves & Wire (Official) (MySpace)
Tori Amos - Abnormally Attracted To Sin (Official) (MySpace)
John Vanderslice - Romanian Names (Official) (MySpace)
White Rabbits - It's Frightening (Official) (MySpace)

In music, much like many things in life, appreciation comes with time. Last spring, when Editors and Mobius Band toured together, a line existed between them. Fortunately, they had music in common, so Editors swam through the collection of Mobius Band and vice versa. By the end of touring the groups had built a strong friendship, and with many listens of MB's latest album Heaven still ringing in their ears, the superbly-influential Editors decided to endorse the New England group in the motherland.

On Monday, Heaven reached the pond via iTunes in reverse British invasion fashion. The album is available also through Misra Records and Ghostly International. For more on Mobius Band, head to their web site or check them out on MySpace.

Editors last album, An End Has A Start, hit stores in 2007 and made went platinum shortly thereafter. They have been recording for a new album for the past month, which should release this year, although their European tour over the summer might delay a launch date being announced.

MP3: Mobius Band - Friends Like These (buy)
MP3: Mobius Band - Hallie (buy)

It feels great to see our #1 group from 2008 break the mold and begin touring with Keane this Spring. I'd like to think that once you reach Philadelphia and play at the Tower Theatre, a place that caters to some of our favorite groups such as Interpol, Death Cab For Cutie, Doves and now Keane, holds a dear place to us. The last time we saw The Helio Sequence was at Johnny Brenda's in the beginning of last year. Johnny Brenda's holds about 100-150 (if it were packed to the gills) As I recall, Brandon Summers announced before their show, "The last time we were here, there were about six people here to watch us play."

Surely The Helio Sequence have come a long way since then and we're sure their name will spread like wildfire during their Spring tour, which ends on June 13th in Boise, Idaho. For more information check out their MySpace page or visit their profile on Subpop for more.

MP3: The Helio Sequence - Lately (buy)

Tour Dates:
5/8/09 - Fox Theater w/KEANE Oakland, California
5/9/09 - Hollywood Palladium w/KEANE and Mat Kearney Los Angeles, California
5/10/09 - The Grove of Anaheim w/KEANE and Mat Kearney Anaheim, California
5/12/09 - Kingsbury Hall w/KEANE and Mat Kearney Salt Lake City, Utah
5/13/09 - The Ogden Theatre w/KEANE and Mat Kearney Denver, Colorado
5/15/09 - Myth w/KEANE and Mat Kearney Maplewood, Minnesota
5/16/09 - Aragon Ballroom w/KEANE and Mat Kearney Chicago, Illinois
5/18/09 - Diesel Club Lounge Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
5/19/09 - DAR Constitution Hall w/KEANE and Mat Kearney WASHINGTON, Washington DC
5/20/09 - Tower Theater w/KEANE and Mat Kearney Upper Darby, Pennsylvania
5/21/09 - Bank of America Pavilion w/KEANE and Mat Kearney Boston, Massachusetts
5/22/09 - Mohawk Place Buffalo, New York
5/23/09 - The Sound Academy w/KEANE and Mat Kearney Toronto, Ontario
5/24/09 - Time Warner Cable Amphitheater at Tower City w/KEANE and Mat Kearney Cleveland, Ohio
5/26/09 - Wellmont Theater w/KEANE and Mat Kearney Montclair, New Jersey
5/27/09 - Radio City Music Hall w/KEANE and Mat Kearney New York, New York
5/28/09 - Music Hall of Williamsburg Brooklyn, New York
5/29/09 - Outback Lodge Charlottesville, Virginia
5/30/09 - The Milestone Charlotte, North Carolina
5/31/09 - Earl Atlanta, Georgia
6/1/09 - Bottle Tree Birmingham, Alabama
6/3/09 - Rudyard’s Houston, Texas
6/4/09 - Mohawk (Outdoor Stage) Austin, Texas
6/5/09 - The Loft (TX) Dallas, Texas
6/6/09 - Opolis Production Norman, Oklahoma
6/8/09 - Launch Pad Albuquerque, New Mexico
6/9/09 - Club Congress Tucson, Arizona
6/10/09 - Rhythm Room Phoenix, Arizona
6/11/09 - Beauty Bar Las Vegas, Nevada
6/12/09 - Urban Lounge Salt Lake City, Utah
6/13/09 - Neurolux Boise, Idaho

Another week is upon us as the summer nears closer and we are all gearing up to see our favorite bands play in the warm weather. Perhaps this week is the week you find your new favorite band?

First off, Maximo Park is out with their fourth album since forming in 2005. The release of their 2007 album, Our Earthly Pleasures, had their fan base grow at an alarming rate and Quicken The Heart should be no exception.

Does the name Andrew Kenny ring a bell? It should if you have ever listened to American Analog Set, since Kenny's vocals were the foundation of a group people still talk about fondly. After several years off of the music radar, Kenny is back - this time with The Wooden Birds and their album Magnolia. Very exciting stuff.

With the amount we cover Bloc Party, its safe to say we are quite antsy to listen to Intimacy Remixed, which actually came out yesterday. Bloc Party never seems to dull us with their vast amount of remixes to compliment some great artists and DJs who mixed them up.

One of the all-time kings of electonica, The Crystal Method, are back with their fourth studio album since 1997. Their latest release is called Divided by Night.

Lastly, if you're looking for some pop/punk, Crisis In Hollywood is out with Safe and Sound which was produced by Anthony Raneri of Bayside. Also along the heavier path are The Datsuns with Headstunts. Enjoy the new music this week!

MP3: Maximo Park - Roller Disco Dreams (buy)
MP3: The Wooden Birds - False Alarm (buy)
MP3: Hanne Hukkelberg - Midnight Sun Dream (buy)
MP3: Bloc Party - Ion Square (Bright Lights Don't Bore Me Yet Version)

Acid Mothers Temple - Lord of the Underground: Vishnu and the Magic Elixer (Official) (MySpace)
Banjo or Freakout - Upside Down 12" (Official) (MySpace)
Better Than Ezra - Paper Empire (Official) (MySpace)
Big Business - Mind The Drift (Official) (MySpace)
Bloc Party - Intimacy (Remixed) (Official) (MySpace)
Caethua - Village of the Damned (Official) (MySpace)
Cause Co-Motion! - Because Because Because 12" (Official) (MySpace)
Children - Hard Times Hanging At the End of the World (Official) (MySpace)
Crisis In Hollywood - Safe And Sound (Official) (MySpace)
Evanscapps - Last Time (Official) (MySpace)
George McConnell - Singles Only (Official) (MySpace)
Hanne Hukkelberg - Blood From a Stone (Official) (MySpace)
Jeremy Enigk - Ok Bear (Official) (MySpace)
Jim O'Rourke - I'm Happy, And I'm Singing, And A 1, 2, 3, 4 (Official) (MySpace)
Little Girls - Thrills 12" (Official) (MySpace)
Mark Kozelek - Lost Verses Live (Official) (MySpace)
Maximo Park - Quicken the Heat (Official) (MySpace)
Meanderthals - Desire Lines (Official) (MySpace)
Meat Puppets - Sewn Together (Official) (MySpace)
Mokira - Persona (Official) (MySpace)
Sebastien Tellier - Reworked by Strangelets 12" (Official) (MySpace)
SND - Atavism (Official) (MySpace)
Steve Earle - Townes (Official) (MySpace)
The Church - Untitled #23 (Official) (MySpace)
The Crystal Method - Divided by Night (Official) (MySpace)
The Datsuns - Headstunts (Official) (MySpace)
The Durutti Column - Love in the Time of Recession (Official) (MySpace)
The Wooden Birds - Magnolia (Official) (MySpace)
Torngat La Petite - Nicole (Official) (MySpace)
Trainwreck Riders - The Perch (Official) (MySpace)
Weinland - Breaks in the Sun (Official) (MySpace)
Wooden Shjips - Contact 12" (Official) (MySpace)

It's hard to say that our favorite band (Radiohead) could be beaten in any one category, but since we've been following Bloc Party for so long we realized they have a few attributes that make them rise above the rest. If you've followed our site, you probably already know we're a big fan of remixes, especially from our favorite groups. Bloc Party has done it right with their latest remix ploy on their official website to draw more fanfare to their upcoming Intimacy Remixed album (available May 11th) and here's why they've topped Radiohead:

1) Bloc Party's music is more remixable. Sure, you can strip the vocals and add as many layers as you like, but it comes down to how the music was formed together to make a song. Bloc Party's danceability makes them that much easier to layer rhythms since the foundation of their songs are built for being remixed. Radiohead on the other hand will use off-beat rhythms used in songs such as "Reckoner", which limits the looping and ability to transforms songs into something they were never meant to be.

2) You can download all of their layers for free. Radiohead sold each track for .99. Since each of these projects are a bit of a publicity stunt I'll give credit to BP for making them free.

3) You can download remixes for free. Radiohead's remix contest was nice in that you could listen to any of the songs, but in this case, you can actually listen and download them and have them for good - completely free.

4) Useful Flash Media Player. Not only did this make song navigation is easier, but it helped simplify the look of their site. Remember clicking page by page and it seemed there were too many remixes to listen to? Bloc Party's remix page has a scroll bar which makes it much easier to navigate and play a song based on its title alone.

5) Multiple songs to remix. Not just one song to remix, but three! Bloc Party surely stepped it up here.

MP3: Bloc Party - Signs (Defiant's American Overdrive Remix)
MP3: Bloc Party - Signs (Ioviero Remix)
MP3: Bloc Party - Ares Remix (Josh Murphy Remix)
MP3: Bloc Party - Ion Square (Body In The Thames Police brutality mix)
MP3: Bloc Party - Signs (Coupons Lets Arp Tonight Remix)
MP3: Bloc Party - Signs (noMartinMix)

The only downside to remixing their music and uploading it to their site is that unlike our friends Radiohead, you do not win anything for doing so. The ploy itself is used as a promotion for their upcoming Intimacy Remixed album. Says the band:

We’re very excited to announce that on the 11th of May we will be releasing ‘Intimacy Remixed’ on limited edition CD or triple 12”. It will also be available digitally.

The album will include remixes by Gold Panda, Mogwai and Filthy Dukes and will lead off with a remix of ‘Signs’ by Armand Van Helden which will be released on the 27th of April.

Here's the tracklisting:
1. Ares – Villains remix
2. Mercury – Herve is in Disarray remix
3. Halo – We Have Band Dub
4. Biko – Mogwai remix
5. Trojan Horse – John B remix
6. Signs – Armand Van Helden remix
7. One Month Off – Filthy Dukes remix
8. Zephyrus – Phase One remix
9. Talons – Phones RIP remix
10. Better Than Heaven – No Age remix
11. Ion Square – Banjo or Freakout remix
12. Letter To My Son – Gold Panda remix
13. Your Visits are Getting Shorter – Double D remix.

Car trouble and a missed show defined Tuesday night for MUF. Missing a show is a terrible thing for us while car trouble is what it is. With many tour dates still ahead for the three groups that played that night - Eulogies, Great Northern and The Dear - we're confident we can at least get other people to the shows.

Fortunately, Phrequency attended the show on May 5 and did a writeup. Good job, guys and gals.

Headlining the tour is Great Northern, although the other groups alone remain reasons to attend. Led by Rachel Stolte's punkish rock vocals, Great Northern released Remind Me Where the Light Is last week in what is gradually becoming one of the best albums of the year. "Numbers" jumps out immediately despite being placed towards the end, yet amicable tracks "Story", "Houses", "Telling Lies" and "Snakes" all extend the album's overall fervor.

Eulogies, who released Here Anonymously in early April off of Dangerbird Records, come in as the proverbial wild card. The latest recording doesn't necessarily match their self-title debut, but for pure listening reasons, is well-worth purchasing. The first two tracks, "Day to Day" and "Eyes on the Prize", share striking similarities in vocal style, so neither stand out. As a whole, Here Anonymously doesn't rely on flashy riffs to propel it, rather a evenly-paced progression helped showcase individual talents. Their video for "Eyes on the Prize" is currently featured on MTVU's Freshman Videos.

Also on Dangerbird Records, Montreal's The Dears are a sight. Seven members and a wily style. The 2008 release of Missiles never reached great heights, yet the single "Money Babies" kept the group on the map with its fun lyrics and upbeat attitude. The group has expressed interest in working on a new album as soon as touring ends, which could be as early as next month.

Tour dates for all three groups are below, as well as a few mp3s and a video.

MP3: Great Northern - Mountain (buy)
MP3: Eulogies - Bad Connection (buy)
MP3: Eulogies - Two Can Play (buy)

5/7/09 Black Cat Washington, DC
5/9/09 Grog Shop Cleveland, OH
5/10/09 Skully’s Columbus, OH
5/11/09 Magic Stick Detroit, MI
5/13/09 Lakeshore Theater Chicago, IL
5/14/09 Mojo’s Columbia, MO
5/16/09 Hailey’s Denton, TX
5/17/09 Warehouse Houston, TX
5/18/09 The Parish Austin, TX
5/21/09 Rhythm Room Phoenix, AZ
5/22/09 The Casbah San Diego, CA
5/23/09 Echoplex Echo Park, CA
5/24/09 The Independent San Francisco, CA
5/26/09 Doug Fir Lounge Portland, OR
5/27/09 Crocodile Cafe Seattle, WA

Hamilton, Ontario's seven-man troupe The Rest have been busy in the woods working on their sophomore release Everyone All At Once. For the follow up to their 2007 debut Atlantis, Oh Our Saviour, the band absconded into some little houses out in the Canadian wilderness to concentrate on their music , described the experience as bringing a sense of clarity. The intent and the alleged result was to create a record where every song was their greatest moment, as opposed to a handful of great songs packaged between a handful of B sides.

The writing process seems reminiscent of the Red Hot Chilli Pepper’s seclusion during the recording of their ground breaking Blood Sugar Sex Magik record, yet this was no rock star odyssey in the spirit of Led Zepplin in their self indulgent heyday. Rather the band sweated and worked for this record to happen whilst simultaneously working full time jobs. Furthermore the alone time didn’t cause the band to over think and over complicate their songs, instead the group cited Roy Orbison as a key influence on the record: old school, straight forward, Pop sensibilities.

“Apples & Allergies” sets the tone with gentle melodies that hold your attention whilst possessing an evanescent kind of calming spiritualism.

“Blossom Babies Part Two” is reminiscent of 60’s Surf Rock bands such as The Surfaris and The Ventures, with strong floor tom, heavy bass drums, trebly guitar, which then almost blends into Space Rock, somehow mixing with a fantastic upbeat optimism worthy of a Beatles record.

“Coughing Blood” sounds similar to the song writing of Eric Bachmann of the now defunct Archers of Loaf (with songs such as “White Trash Heroes”) mixed with wavering falsetto vocal lines reminiscent of Jónsi Birgisson's (of Iceland’s Sigur Ros). The atmosphere is both deep and rich, reverb drenched and spooky but maintaining a certain warmth.

Meanwhile “Drinking Again” builds from a gentle ballad with the gentle vocal melodies being treated as an instrument that mingles with the other sounds, not dominating but rather adding to the textures. The track exhibits a Post Rock, or even pre-Rock influence of layers, as opposed to chunks of sound placed together, escaping the formulaic trappings of a 0101010 Rock song.

The title track “Everything All at Once” features baritone vocals and plodding bass that emerges into a bright and memorable butterfly of a Pop song. The lyrics warn the female protagonist, “Coco”, not to mix around with no good rascals, more well mannered harmonies and nicely placed strings being used as additional persuasive devices. The sound is rich, deep and detailed but without falling into the trappings of creating a overloaded sound (Devendra Banhart, you are guilty as charged).

“Modern Time Travel (necessities)”drifts in with gentle guitar mingling with pounding off beat drums, whispering apologetic vocals, sounding just a tad like Jet’s “Look What You’ve Done”, yet suddenly exploding into a wall of sound straight off a Phil Spector production. The disconcerting drum beat (1,2, huh?,4) and great vocal melodies mix in with snatches of strings and xylophone.

“Phonetically, Phonetically” possesses a determined piano line, with vocals and muted strings working away under the surface. The choir boy harmonies are haunting, nicely complementing the bright layered guitar riffs. Soon it stands up, revealing itself as another Beatles style upbeat effort with a whimsical fairy tale quality, especially in the lyrics:
“If I were a figure of speech,
I think I’d be erased,
[…]
“I could have been the gravy on thanks giving day”
The result is a beautifully crafted piece of music which is appealing and listener friendly but without trying too hard, holding good depth with its rollercoaster dynamics.

“Sheep In Wolves’ Clothing” is a little skiffle like number with an odd time signature and a banjo/ washboard duet to boot. The pitter patter drums slowly build, breaking into a rushed confession of how much better life could be under the sea (‘The Little Mermaid’ anyone?), accompanied by some storming banjo parts.

“The Lady Vanishes” begins with notes that seemingly ring on forever, the steady floor tom anchoring the ghost like howls of feedback. The sound mushroom clouds up into the atmosphere, dying down into the fallout, but not all the way. Almost classical overtones blend with choppy guitars and bass that drives away under the surface. The song is a fantasy amongst the clouds, floating around, half hidden from sight at times, dragon flies powered by lighting speed tremolo picked guitar whizzing past.

“Walk on Water (auspicious beginnings)” starts with moody organ, baritone strings and ringing piano keys, while the lyrics are like the page from the diary of a paranoid love sick insomniac. Harder drums rolls and tough guitar soon follow before tripping into a Doo Wop Soul style break with marching band drums and almost Latin piano parts, fading into a frantic wall of sound The Who would be proud of.

The overall sound of this record, the sonic model so to speak, is a democratic one: there is no over indulgence on each instruments behalf, representing the band’s ability as a collective to filter out what isn’t beneficial to the end product, always skimming the cream and saving it for later. The bright sounds and friendly melodies never get samey, always showing a good variety of musical ideas. The record sounds familiar yet implacable and certainly not a robotic Radiohead clone. It is more akin to taking a stroll through the woods by The Rest’s cottages, looking up at the sun coming though the trees and the birds singing above them with the band’s well crafted whimsical ballads floating up and mingling amongst the clouds.

Everyone All At Once was released on Auteur Recordings and is available on iTunes Canada as well as the label's site. For more on The Rest, check out their MySpace or web page.

MP3: The Rest - Blossom Babies Part Two
MP3: The Rest - Phonetically, Phonetically

Its great to finally hear some news from one of our favorite groups from 2007! Surrogate, the indie rock band under Tooth and Nail records are looking to top their debut Love Is For The Rich. To get a feel for their album, check out our review from their last album.

The playability of Surrogate is out of this world. They're calm, cool and dish out a friendly style to relax to. If you've been a fan of the band, they give a few sneek peeks in the video below from MTVU, including not only an interview with the duo but some new tracks in the background. This sure beats the news we previously had on these guys.

Check out their MySpace page or their page on Tooth & Nail.

MP3: Surrogate - Paper Trail (buy)

Video: Surrogate - Interview & Studio Recording

In The Studio with Surrogate from Tooth and Nail on Vimeo.

Hola. Conor Oberst, Fleet Foxes on 7" and The Vaselines provide the unusual lineup of releases for Cinco de Mayo. Those artists do interest us, but a group from Vagrant Records gets us the most.

Vagrant Records is a label that might take a while to get into. From Appleseed Cast to Thrice to French Kicks, the quality of artists definitely speaks for themselves and in turn do the label justice. This week, Electric Owls should turn heads and produce smiles from everyone at the table with their album Ain't Too Bright. We're pretty new to them, so give their song "Two Stories" a listen and let us know what's up.

For Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, no introduction is needed. Outer South is the second album in less than a year for the talented man from Nebraska, yet the buzz remains. The site has a few better than average videos on it that are worth watching to get in the right mindset.

From Sub Pop, The Vaselines provide a rough sound much like The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, yet one carries a UK (TPOBPAH) feel while the other has the Scot's tatt all over it. Also from the label, Fleet Foxes have their 7" of "Mykonos" and "False Knight on the Road". Head here to buy.

Stay tuned for summer tour schedules from some of our most recommended artists to see live.

MP3: Peaches -Downtown (Simian Mobile Disco Remix) (buy)
MP3: Deradoorian - High Road (buy)
MP3: The Vaselines - Son of a Gun (buy)
MP3: Conor Oberst And The Mystic Valley Band - Nikorette (buy)

A Camp - Colonia (Official) (MySpace)
Acid Mothers Temple - Lord of the Underground: Vishnu and the Magic Elixer (Official) (MySpace)
Akron/Family - Set Em Wild, Set Em Free (Official) (MySpace)
Alasdair Roberts - Spoils (Official) (MySpace)
Anathallo - Canopy Glow (Official) (MySpace)
Bob Dylan - Together Through Life (Official) (MySpace)
Christopher Tignor - Core Memory (Official) (MySpace)
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - Outer South (Official) (MySpace)
Cracker - Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey (Official) (MySpace)
Deradoorian - Minde Raft EP (Official) (MySpace)
Disciplines - Smoking Kills (Official) (MySpace)
Double Dagger - More (Official) (MySpace)
El Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - Cryptornnesia (Official) (MySpace)
Electric Owls - Ain't Too Bright (Official) (MySpace)
Fischerspooner - Entertainment (Official) (MySpace)
Fleet Foxes - Mykonos b/w False Knight on the Road 7" (Official) (MySpace)
Halestorm - Halestorm (Official) (MySpace)
Hopewell - Good Good Desperation (Official) (MySpace)
Isis - Wavering Point (Official) (MySpace)
Jon Hopkins - Insides (Official) (MySpace)
Jon Mueller - Physical Changes (Official) (MySpace)
Kiila - Tuota Tuota (Official) (MySpace)
Kiki - Kaiku (Official) (MySpace)
Magik Markers - Balf Quarry (Official) (MySpace)
Melody Gardot - My One And Only Thrill (Official) (MySpace)
Mika Miko - We Be Xuxa (Official) (MySpace)
New York Dolls - Cause I Sez So (Official) (MySpace)
Niobe - Blackbird's Echo (Official) (MySpace)
Our Brother The Native - Sacred Psalms (Official) (MySpace)
Peaches - I Feel Cream (Official) (MySpace)
Pink Mountaintops - Outside Love (Official) (MySpace)
Shout Out Out Out - Reintegration Time (Official) (MySpace)
St. Vincent - Actor (Official) (MySpace)
Tara Jane O'Neil - A Ways Away (Official) (MySpace)
The Vaselines - Enter The Vaselines (Official) (MySpace)

In anticipation of their Quicken The Heart album release next week, Maxïmo Park have dropped their first single from this album, "The Kids Are Sick Again".

Following up the wildly popular Our Earthly Pleasures, the Newcastle-based fivesome have continued to perform on the international stage at an unstoppable clip. To begin their tour they will be playing around England before heading to France, Germany, England again and finally to North America.

Quicken The Heart marks the third LP from the group, as Our Earthly Pleasures and A Certain Trigger released in 2007 and 2005, respectively. The video for "The Kids Are Sick Again", North American tour dates and the opening track from the album are below.

MP3: Maxïmo Park - Wraithlike

9/07/09 Richards On Richards Vancouver, BC
9/08/09 Berbati's Pan Portland, OR
9/10/09 The Grand Ballroom at the Regency Center San Francisco, CA
9/11/09 Avalon Hollywood Los Angeles, CA
9/12/09 House Of Blues San Diego, CA
9/14/09 Bluebird Theater Denver, CO
9/16/09 Fine Line Music Cafe Minneaopolis, MN
9/17/09 Metro Smart Bar Chicago, IL
9/18/09 Lee's Palace Toronto, ON
9/20/09 Paradise Rock Club Boston, MA
9/21/09 Webster Hall New York, NYC

Canadian Invasion's take on American culture comes straight from the source. Yes, the five-man group hails from the City of Brotherly Love and their music chips away at the bark of the society that brought them up. Just don't expect their sound to have a strictly American feel.

Three Cheers from the Invisible Hand, Canadian Invasion's latest LP, runs far from bitter as their satirical style sways with a well-thought out progression of melodic string play keyed along Andy Canadian's vocal tutelage. “Our songs are a satirical assault on American ‘values’. We call ourselves ‘America’s last line of defense against the evil Canadian socialist empire’s pernicious ideology of cheap health care and gun control, " Andy said.

For a moment British pop influences seem to control a hook in their vibe, yet they still find their foundation with middle of America groups Wilco and Okkervil River.

Alongside Andy (vocals, guitar) are Jim Foley (bass), George Groves (drums), Eric Miller (guitar) and Chris Morita (guitar, backup vocals). The group recently covered Vampire Weekend's "Mansard Roof" while visiting Philadelphia's WXPN studio.

Before Canadian Invasion released Three Cheers from the Invisible Hand in February, they broke onto the scene with Songs for the Atco Ghost in 2006. For more on the band, head to their MySpace page.

MP3: Canadian Invasion - One Hand Claps The Other (buy)
MP3: Vampire Weekend - Mansard_Roof (Canadian Invasion cover)

Well what did you think of their song tuned to that Twilight film? Surely its is no traditional Mute Math song we became so accoustomed to listening to in the years leading up to their newest album (which has not yet been revealed). One thing is for sure is that when the video does justice to the group its worth a post here on MUF.

The video features what Mute Math is best at: Energetice performances (and quite possibly travelling too). Who says you can't perform in the back of a van? And even furthermore, why not cram a whole piano back there? The video itself is amusing enough, as not only does the group appear to be moving quite a bit, but we're seeing another time-elapsed film that took a good deal of filming. This most likely led to twice the amount of film it actually needed to create this video, which means much more pestering with that rolling-around kick drum shown here.

MP3: Mute Math - Control (buy)

For more Mute Math updates visit their MySpace page or their Official page as well.

Video: Mute Math - Spotlight