The Duke Spirit
Neptune
February 4th 2008
Shangri-La
This British five-piece has influences from all over the place, but their special spark endows their music with a sort of badass fascism. The Duke Spirit’s Neptune is tinged with retro late 80’s/early 90’s British invasion guitar riffs and is speckled with the occasional My Bloody Valentine noise wall and Jesus and Mary Chain backbeat. Even so, their subtle homage does nothing to discount their definition amongst the myriad of chick fronted car wrecks that have plagued so-called indie rock bands for a while now. First off Liela Moss’ voice has a seductive working class quality. She sings about love and loss with equal commitment. But this ain’t no one lady show. The fuzz bass and crunchy guitar make their style incredibly voluminous, cradling Moss’ words. Each part does not compete with the other. The strong personalities within the band do not self destruct.
“When nothing’s fluid, you drink yourself through it”
The solidarity in purpose that The Duke Spirit displays is however tempered and relegated by their inability to transgress multiple contexts. I can’t complain, but what else are they good for besides a good time? At times Liela Moss sounds like Sheila Nicholls with thigh-highs and a neat whiskey. Fortunately, even with all the abundant emotion, The Duke Spirit never attempts to be deeper than an afterthought. Neptune describes a life where two weeks is a million years and problems last only as long as you are consciously able to think them through. This band has toured relentlessly and certainly deserves attention. The Duke Spirit might however be doomed to burn out before they fade away or even worse to transform from an exciting fascination to that drunken bitch that never leaves you alone. But I’ll love them for now.
Other Music
Darling You’re Mean EP- 2003
Roll, Spirit, Roll EP- 2003
Relieve the Distressed EP- 2005
Cuts Across the Land- 2005
Covered in Love EP- 2006
Ex-Voto EP- 2007
Tour
May 7th 2008 @ Conan O’Brien- New York, NY
May 8th 2008 @ Crystal Ballroom- Portland, Oregon
May 10th 2008 @ The Troubadour- Los Angeles More Dates on Myspace
After lengthy discussion and little in the way of certitudes, we know that The Tuss is from England, is on Rephlex, and is very good. Plenty of people from We are the Music Makers, a site dedicated to acid electronica innovators like Richard D. James and Square Pusher, have their opinion as to who The Tuss actually is, and I have certainly had my thoughts on the matter. As I concluded in my article about The Tuss Cult, no matter who The Tuss is, the music deserves to be evaluated on its own merits, rather than some supposed or implied association with a master programmer.
The Confederation Trough EP was actually harder to get than I anticipated. I finally found a copy at Other Music in Manhattan. I noticed that they filed the EP under “Miscellaneous T” instead of Aphex Twin as they had earlier. I am not sure if this speaks to Other Music’s changed opinion on the matter, either way RDJ and Brian Tregaskin both be damned.
Confederation Trough is a great supplement to Rushup Edge, a Tuss LP also released in 2007, but it by no means matches it. Rushup Edge made many top 10 lists last year including Frederick Foxtrott’s with Rushup I Bank 12 serving as a perfect example of its greatness. There is nothing on Confederation Trough that is as smart or intense as what is offered on the LP follow up. The beats are danceable and quasi-accessible enough, but it is a softer, smoother collection more reminiscent of Aphex Twin’s earlier ambient work and his later Analord series.
Being that the collection is rather straight forward, it acts as a prelude to what would soon be released on Rushup Edge. As I mentioned, Confederation Trough is hard to find and can be a bit expensive, costing $10+ for three songs. Fredugolon 6, Alspacka, and Gxi Solo may seem too mundane for those out there who love brainy acid, but they are good tracks that will have an easy time finding their way on to your play list.
Other Records as Other People Aphex Twin
Selected Ambient Works 85-92 (1992)
Selected Ambient Works Volume II (1994)
I Care Because You Do (1995)
Richard D. James (1996)
Come to Daddy (1997)
Windowlicker (1999)
Drukqs (2001)
Analord 10 (2005)
Chosen Lords (2006)
White Hinterland
Phylactery Factory
March 4th 2008
Dead Oceans Records
To succeed in getting their names on the lips of people who give a fuck about music, singer/songwriters of the piano sort, or any sort for that matter, have their work cut out for them. With the reemergence of Beth Orton as a name to drop here and there, or the certainty of Cat Power’s legacy in the annuls of indie music, artists like White Hinterland, aka Casey Dienel, are getting a second look; sometimes a second look they deserve, sometimes not. Every label wants their Chan Marshall, right Dead Oceans?
I found Phylactery Factory in the used music section at Sound Fix. Being that that record came out only a few weeks prior, I was curious as to why it had been returned to the shelf so quickly. Giving the CD a second lease on life, I picked it up and was happily surprised. The piano is often up beat and structured with standard melodies, and songs are given flesh with strings and bass, producing a light euphoric rhythm that provokes a tap of the foot, but requires nothing more.
Casey Dienel’s voice is nice and croonish, belonging to one of the more common styles, reflecting a kinship with Beth Gibbons, Beth Orton, Chan Marshall, and Björk. Phylactery Factory was worth the second look, but even as it is easy going and light in spirit, it suffers as a blatant middle-of-the road record, whose highs and lows are barely perceivable and typical when apparent. There is nothing particularly special about the music other than I like it. I suppose that is as much as any singer/songwriter can ask.
Silje nes
Ames Room
March 11th 2008
FatCat Records
Ames Room is not a complicated record, but it contains an elemental beauty and depth that is rarely ever captured by the deliberate and dogmatic procedures that often accompany music writing and production. Silje nes has assembled a broad spectrum of sounds with the sole purpose of creating soft and tender textures that evoke an ethereal space in which all who hear can exist for the short moments that each song lasts. The songs were meant to be listened to in your living room, in the Spring with the windows wide open and the Sun illuminating every particle in the room. With Silje nes, even the dust that floats in the Spring Sun becomes hovering orbs that accentuate the sprightly, feminine music.
Though released in America on March 11th 2008, Silje recorded Ames Room between the Autumn of 2004 and the Summer of 2007. She took the time to compile songs that reflected different moments during the evolution of her music. Before 2004 she sent tracks to FatCat to demo her work. The label began to recognize the possibilities and worked with her to compile Ames Room. The record is layered with guitars, synthesizers, drum machines, as well as the rich and organic tones of the cello and drum kit. The light percussive aspect of Ames Room gives the entire record a music box quality complete with tinks, bells, clicks, and chimes.
This Norwegian voice and textural style has a pure naturalistic sound that would fit nicely into a multi-disc CD player withMúm, Sigur Rós, and The Album Leaf’s In a Safe Place. While Múm and Silje nes are both signed to FatCat, I do not think that this is because of Múm’s long coat tails, rather because FatCat, XL, and others are beginning to delineate a mode of music production that is separate from the doldrums of that vast chasm that is the “post rock” genre. It just seems to be happening in Iceland and the Nordic North. I am sure that a catchy name will soon be circulated to describe the sound’s style and emphasis on the purity and innocence that music can achieve. Silje nes’ Ames Room is imperfect and has much room to improve, but we can only hope that more music comes our way from this grand artist.
Head of Femur
Great Plains
March 25th 2008
Greyday Records
Beyond the band’s weirdness and artsy veneer, Head of Femur has a core spirit that has captured the imagination of thousands. The journey they have undertaken, from inception to contemporary form, underscores their unique and enduring qualities. Their narrative is a sort of mythos, inspirational in its own way, yet filled with difficult challenges. Great Plains, more than any other record in their catalog, portrays Head of Femur as the pioneers they are. With it they continue their uncompromised ethos, but over the last two years they have had the time to reflect on their situation and the willingness to move forward, adjust and absorb events that ultimately shaped the band’s present incarnation.
Since the release of Hysterical Stars in 2005, the boys of Head of Femur have taken it upon themselves to rework their operation. The mid-section of this decade saw great things for the band. They christened the first ever Intonation Festival and traveled across the country in support of Hysterical Stars. Head of Femur received favorable reviews from tastemakers such as Pitchfork for Ringodom or Proctor and Hysterical Stars. They released the EP Leader and the Falcon in October of 2007, the same month that they had a great showing at the CMJ Music Marathon. Expectations for their subsequent release were high.
Between 2005 and 2007 founding member Ben Armstrong (hear, hear!) and keyboardist Tyson Thurston left the band for other pursuits. Each contributed to Head of Femur’s newest release and remains part of the Head of Femur family. Colby Starck now attends to the bands percussive needs and Eathan Janney has transitioned perfectly on keys. As anyone who has witnessed will attest, their live show is not to be missed. They have been touring for the better part of two years with material that is featured on their Leader and the Falcon EP and their newest record Great Plains.
It is not that a revolving roster of musicians is new to Head of Femur. That has been the norm since the bands beginning. In fact that has been one of the defining characteristics of the band whose extended musical family numbers well over a dozen. Head of Femur has scaled down the magnitude of instrumentation with Great Plains. Some have said, “Head of Femur’s Great Plains sheds the excessive glory of past efforts and focuses on immediate melodies.” But this line does not aptly describe the transition the band has undergone. The style and fashion that the band projects can at times be eccentric and schizophrenic, but that is not the monolith by which they should be defined.
To call their music excessive rebuts the very movement that their prior records sought to establish. As much as minimalist 3 piece rock bands have become standard fodder for music halls everywhere, Head of Femur has asserted their belief that composition and orchestration have a place as well. They have reduced their instrumentation, resulting in more manageable live shows, but do not think for a second that they have resigned only to what is immediate, forsaking their multitude of multi-phonic, multilayered, tempo driven textures.
Mike Elsener impressively sings lead on Jetway Junior and Where’s the Fire, two of his best vocal tracks ever. Covered Wagons is one of the finest crafted songs of the season. Between it and Isn’t It a Shame, Head of Femur has definitively asserted themselves as serious song writers. Their oddness does not corrupt their talent. The narrative that the band presents in their music reflects their adventures from Omaha and Lincoln Nebraska, to the neighborhoods of Chicago, where they are not simply transplants, but are ingrained into the art and music scenes.
This Message reminds me of Chicago and my Midwestern experience. The track will never get old and is among the best they have ever written. While it doesn’t quite capture the intensity of their live show, the looped riff from Napoleon’s Boots is phenomenal. Elsener’s chops are appropriately featured on this record. Song after song presents a band that knows exactly how they want to sound; they are not confused about the aesthetic they emit. However, they seem to be unaware of their greatness. If a criticism could be leveled against them, it would be that they should tour ceaselessly. Head of Femur’s music is endearing and crisp on record, but their music is infectious and consuming live. Come see Brooklyn bitches!
Other Music
Ringodom or Proctor- 2003
Do The Tavern and Other Tall Tales iTunes EP- 2005
Hysterical Stars-2005
Leader and the Falcon EP- 2007
On Tour
April 11th 8:00PM @ Shubas- Chicago
May 15th 10:15PM @ Uptown- Minneapolis, Minnesota
May 17th 8:00PM @ Busted Lift- Dubuque, Iowa
May 18th 6:00PM @ Iowa City Yacht Club- Iowa City, Iowa
May 19th 10:00PM @ Box Awesome- Lincoln, Nebraska
May 20th 11:00PM @ The Waiting Room- Omaha, Nebraska
Darla Farmer
Emily Long
Rehab (Formerly Club Midway)
March 25th 2008
What better way to begin the week than drinking beer and seeing a show. On Tuesday, Darla Farmer had their debut performance in New York City at Rehab just north of Houston on Avenue B. After listening to Rewiring the Electric Forest, released March 4th of this year, one can only hope to catch them in the flesh. What makes a Darla Farmer live show so appealing is not simply their horns, their guitar, their rhythm, or Clint Wilson’s spectacle of a voice. It is the layers. It is their stop-and-go song structure. It is the opportunity to see exactly what these people look like, and to witness them assemble the disjointed musical movements that range from staccato ballads to all out assaults.
Rehab was pretty typical of subterranean and first levels venues like the lower floor of Union Hall, a dim, dingy, low ceilinged hole of a bar. Upon arrival, I happily grabbed a three dollar PBR and walked toward the stage.Brooklyn’s Emily Long was setting up her gear, dressed in a flashy sparkly shirt and that oh-so fashion savvy mid-section belt. Her hair was punkily feathered and chic. When she finally constructed her Roland center stage, it was as if her synthesizer was the helm of a spaceship. She honestly had the look of one of those groovy alien chicks opposite Captain Kirk from the original Star Trek series. Not that I’ve ever seen an episode, just the late night infomercials for the special DVD compilations containing every sci-rific episode. Either way her band generally seemed inconsequential as her billing implied. Emily Long. It was all her. Not through any fault of their own though, the guitars were not leveled and the drums were completely saturated by the keys and her voice in full vibrato. This girl puts Cindy Lauper and Stevie Nicks to task. Not that I am particularly fond of either of these ladies, but throw-back or not, she sang like a banshee and you could tell she meant every word.
Darla Farmer took stage all dressed in blue. Clint Wilson sported the most math-class tie I had ever seen. Ben Weber wore suspenders, a buzzed head, a beard, and coke bottle glasses. Ben Weber…no more…Uncle Sticky…your new name is Uncle Sticky. In fact the whole band looked as if they haled from the deep sinister South. Deliverance has truly inspired generations. With a wall of carnival mayhem, Darla Farmer proceeded to erupt into cycles of genre bending fury. The band was tight in their execution and exuded so much character that they were as much of a pleasure to watch as they were to listen to. Uncle Sticky marched with a tambourine in the crowd, hopping and jolting to the guitar and horns. Clint Wilson’s high pitched voice morphed seamlessly into a rageful scream. The brilliance was not in the particular skill of each instrument, but rather how the threads of this mayhem were woven together. These Nashvillains put on a great show. I might just catch them again tonight at Piano’s or tomorrow at Galapagos in Williamsburg. They really want to make the most out of this New York showing and I encourage everyone to take them up on their offer.
The National
Phosphorescent
Maps & Atlases
Eisner and Lubin Auditorium NYU
February 28th 2008
Let’s get the negatives out of the way, shall we?
1st- There was no beer. Now this might seem to be a point of rather small stature but given points 2 and 3, the omission of alcohol was severely detrimental to the entire experience.
2nd- Don’t let its name fool you, The Eisner and Lubin Auditorium is pretty much a high school gym. The sound was pretty awful. The show was only $8 so complaints are hard to make, however, them’s the facts folks.
3rd- I was surrounded by NYU students. This isn’t inherently a bad thing, but I felt as if I was attending a hipster-slut convention.
I entered the auditorium as Maps & Atlases began their set. Mustaches make for darling bands, do they not? These guys were very talented on the music making front. Their style is very similar to Unique Chique, utilizing elements of jazz guitar tone fused with progressive rock beats. In fact Maps & Atlases are a pretty standard example of Chicago indie rock. They even use vibraphones. If Tortoise, Sea & Cake, and Unique Chique are your thing I am absolutely positive that you’ll appreciate Maps & Atlases. The vocals of Dave Davison set them apart from other bands in their genre in that they are punchy. The vocals don’t necessarily play second chair to the jazzy, experimental music. The guitars are tapped instead of strummed so that the collective punch of the drums, bass, vibraphones, and vocals combine in a free-flowing percussive orchestration. All the instruments work in syncopation.
The three bands were very different from one another. Phosphorescent has a beautiful and soft quality laden with animistic lyrics and an American Gothic aesthetic. I would not be so familiar as to outline Matthew Houck’s influences except to say they certainly hail from the vicinity of southern folk. As mentioned to me by a friend, the band seemed stuck in a perpetual state of near collapse. Each musician was very concerned with what the other band members were playing. But this looseness did not detract from the performance. Houck’s vocals were a tremendous croon. He did not shy away from experimentation, looping his voice over with octaves of bellows and screams, a sure sign that he writes his music solo. In many ways I’d compare him to O’death minus the psychosis. He seems to be pleading not seething. Fair play Southern troubadour, fair play.
When The National took the stage, it was immediately apparent that this band had their shit together. First off it must be said that even as I compared Bryan Devendorf‘s drumming to Stephen Morris from Joy Division, experiencing the on stage presence of Matt Berninger was amazing. It was as if Ian Curtis never died, grew up, and mellowed out. The resemblance is pretty astounding, if not in looks than in spirit. When he wasn’t spittin’ his poems into the mic, he turned away from the audience and let the music consume him. His stage manner is conterminously intense and timid. Especially memorable was their performance of Mr. November. Watching this guy go ape-shit was a treat. When I watch a gorilla looking metal fuck scream and wince it has no more appeal than a cow fart. When a rail thin, contemplative type, hugs him self so hard that he bellows out his sweet, sweet words, I am simply moved.
These guys definitely knew what they were doing. I got the sense that they have been around for a while. In contrast to Phosphorescent, they commanded their instruments with exactitude. Every note was hit with deliberation. Fake Empire was ridiculous. They made us certain that after our trite experience as 20 somethings, we can definitely look forward to a period of disgruntled 30 somethingness. In short through no fault of their own they made the bourgeois problems of the disaffected youth look pretty pathetic. What does a 21 year old really have to say about life? Sigh…
Pela Apollo Sunshine Liam Finn
The Music Hall of Williamsburg
February 27th 2008
Liam Finn, son of Crowded House front man Neil Finn, took the stage to a slightly sparse crowd in Williamsburg. I hate to start off a review by identifying Mr. Finn with his father, but I think it is kind of important. You won’t find me calling this kid an independent wunderkind. He toured with Crowded House at age 14. He began his own band Betchadupa in his mid-teens and toured with Pearl Jam and Cold Play. He was born with a signed record contract.
That having been said, he and his nameless stage mate made some good music last night. His voice was really the center piece of the act. Armed with an autoharp and a percussion stand, a young lady with a sizzling hot unbuttoned dress sang exquisite harmonies. No matter what music writers say, he was no one-man-band. Mr. Finn made a damn fine ruckus on the guitar after which he craftily looped a base line and vocals. At the height of the song, he would sit and bang the drums like a Muppet named Animal. Let’s be honest though, the loop thing is beginning to be a little boring and necessarily formulaic.
Nevertheless, I am definitely going to give Finn’s latest record I’ll Be Lightning a listen. The song Second Chance is brilliant. This New Zealander seems to be genuinely interested in making honest music. He is set to tour a bit more with Pela through March and then with Eddie Vedder as he embarks on his solo tour in April. He might want to give a little credit to his busty sidekick though. I mean really…
Next a spectral druid came on stage to tune his bass guitar. I was frightened of the skeletal frame that seemed to hover. Apollo Sunshine it turns out is fronted by a bearded ghost named Jesse Gallagher. Their music sounded like good old Midwest rock and roll played in an obscure, apocryphal style, as if they were locked in a video game console. They are definitely technically skilled. Everyone I know from Berklee College of Music has talent. Sam Cohen’s guitar makes animal sounds like Hendrix and the band can move to the groove while keeping time and tone. They would make a great double feature with Stardeath and White Dwarfs. I really must say that Mr. Gallagher looked like a strung out caveman from a Gieco commercial.
When Pela finally arrived I shifted a bit closer to the stage. I caught their last show in New York at the Bowery Ballroom during the CMJ Music Marathon. It was their last show of the year before recording their upcoming record in California and it was very excellent. This show was certain to include more tracks from their new LP. The crowd grew to what I later learned was sold out status, and they seemed to be happy to be back in New York. Billy McCarthy shouted out greetings to Brooklyn, smiling as always. His positivity is pretty outstanding. One thing about a Pela show, you do not leave without feeling loved. They are perhaps the most crowd thanking band I have ever seen.
As for their performance, Pela played standards like Waiting on the Stairs and Tenement Teeth to a fawning and vocal audience. Their new songs were well received and kept in style with their work off Anytown Graffiti. This certainly could have been a byproduct of the limitations of a live show, but I wouldn’t expect their new record to sound drastically different than their last. It was really enjoyable to see them again. I felt a little distracted by their constant flirtation with the crowd. Not to bitch that a band is too friendly, but at one point I thought to myself, “I get it already!” In retrospect, it was not such a bad thing. After all, Pela played very well and we didn’t have to wait through two entirely shitty bands to hear them. Gravy!
Amplive
Rainydayz Remixes
February 15th 2008
Self Released
After we were told that Amplive was not going to release the Radiohead remix album Rainydayz because of copyright issues, today at 12:01am, Amplive announced that a compromise had been reached by both the Radiohead camp and himself. He admits that he “probably should have contacted Radiohead” before he committed to the remix project, but something tells me that this regret is not entirely genuine. His confidence and intuition told him that if it were crafted with sincerity and talent no amount of legal maneuvering would prevent his work from seeing the light of day. The record is now available for the next few days on his website free of charge. The record is a bit choppy, but it successfully experiments with and reconceptualizes Radiohead’s defined style. While the bulk of the seven Radiohead remixes are compelling interpretations, there are certainly times when Amplive’s creativity strays from innovation and resigns to sounding like a manufacturer’s scratch on an In Rainbows disc. The third track, Nudez, succeeds overall, but on occasion it devolves into a irrelevant display of blended and broken beats. Conversely, songs like 15 Stepz and Faustz transform the song while retaining important core elements, utilizing Radiohead’s innate compatibility with electronic beats. Rainydayz sports the talent of Too $hort, MC Zumbi of Zion I, Chali2na of Jurassic 5, Codany Holiday, and Del The Funky Homosapien. I enjoyed the phonic dialectic.
Fortunate for me, while reading my daily Streamy subscriptions, I came across an article on Peasant, a musician I saw at theIndaba Loftin Manhattan during CMJ. There, he was promoting his soon to be released debut on Paper Garden Records, an excellent album I hope to review in the coming month. Brooklyn Vegan wrote some positive things about the artist and listed his upcoming show dates. I was thrilled to learn I would be able to catch him at the Washington Square Park area café Think!. Peasant was on a five date coffee house tour that began on January 29th and ended February 3rd. The concept could not have been more appropriate for the incredibly intimate nature of Peasant’s music.
I am glad to have been one of the first in New York City to have written about Peasant’s alluring style. Seeing him at Think! was the perfect opportunity to catch up on an artist who in the autumn of 2007 had already taken great steps toward becoming one of the truly solid singer/songwriters to emerge in 2008. His set up was simple and the temperature was certainly more bearable than his show at CMJ. Wine, cheese, and all sorts of espresso beverages were bought and consumed at this sophisticated café. The venue was fitting because Peasant’s gifts are introverted, inviting the audience’s attention rather than demanding it.
Peasant has a flawless voice. He has no trouble projecting authenticity and tenderness in front of a live audience or making such skilled songwriting seem like a casual expression. Also, having a unique fashion makes for great coffee house conversation. He sports Tom’s Shoes, which are made in traditional Argentine style and are sold with the purpose of combating poverty. Peasant’s tenor voice combined with the melodic staccato of his acoustic guitar might come off as too reserved for some, but the depth written into songs such as Exposure is astounding. This combination of talent, style, authenticity, and social anxiety reflect an undeniably prolific musician. His melodies are saddening and contemplative; thoughts resounding within the confines of café walls; melancholy settling on the minds of thinkers, poets, and poseurs alike. You should listen to him not because he is known, or because is going to be known. You should listen to him because he is rich in character and one of the strongest young songwriters to make rounds in our subways, our streets, our coffee houses, and our clubs.
Upcoming Shows
Feb 10th @ Rockwood Music New York, New York
Feb 13th @ Club Midway, Stranded In Stereo party New York, New York
Feb 16th @ Winter Music Fest @ The Fire Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Feb 17th @ Siren Records Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Feb 29th @ John n’ Peter’s New Hope, Pennsylvania
Mar 13th @ Planetary Group Dayparty SXSW Austin, Texas
May 28th @ Intersoup Berlin, Berlin
