Music Under Fire

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