My first instinct would be to say screw AOL’s spinner.com. But they are distributing Darla Farmer’s live Mercury Lounge album for free, so suppose I can’t disrespect them too much. The show is a product of a collaboration between the band, Magic Hat Brewing Company, and vancar.tv. Below is some video of the show and a link to download the music.
“The burlesque attitude of Darla Farmer is delicious. The bright eccentricities sound as if they were lifted out of a carnival sideshow. Rather than overcompensating for the inherent problems that come with recording horn sections, the loose and live feel of the horns was captured and exploited very tastefully. Too often these types of recordings come off sounding like metronomed midi files, but the dirt is left on and the atmosphere is kept thick.”
Upcoming Tour Dates
9/11 – Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom (Rabbit Release Party)
10/1 – Montreal, QB @ Syndrome (Paper Garden Records music & art party)
11/14 – New York, NY @ 3rd Ward (Paper Garden Records presents: Multiverse Playground)
Midwest Dilemma (Unsigned) Peasant Paper Garden The Living Room 8:00PM
Wednesday, May 20th 2009 FREE
Darla Farmer Paper Garden Emanuel & the Fear Paper Garden Mercury Lounge 7:30PM 21+
Saturday, May 23rd 2009 $10
Midwest Dilemma- Omaha
Emanuel & the Fear- Alright! (We’re All)
New York City’s Paper Garden Records is treating us during the month of May by putting together a couple shows that showcase three of the labels more promising acts. On Monday, May 20th Peasant, one of our favorite song writers attached to Paper Garden will play along side Omaha, Nebraska’s Midwest Dilemma. This will be a doubly sweet night— not only am I eager to see Midwest Dilemma live, but Peasant is definitely always satisfying to watch. He cannot be overstated. It is my understanding that Justin Lamoureux of Midwest Dilemma will be playing solo, which will likely be a nice compliment to Peasant‘s set. Did I mention it is FREE? The show will take place at The Living Room on Ludlow.
The vaudevillian circus sideshow that is Darla Farmer team up with electro-pop orchestrators Emanuel & the Fear for an early gig at Mercury Lounge on May 23rd. The doors open at 7:30PM, with Darla Farmer offering their velveteen texture at 8PM, followed by Emanuel & the Fear at 9PM. For those of you who have not attended an early show at Mercury Lounge, it is a great way to begin a Saturday night. Your ass is out of their by 10:30PM, perfect if you have a party to get to in Bushwick, Greenpoint or Williamsburg. Both bands are attached to Paper Garden and are certainly worth a listen.
The Real Tuesday Weld
The London Book of the Dead
August 28th, 2007
Six Degrees
London Book of the Dead is a noir dream. When met with heavy eyelids it imagines a world of midnight blacks and Jessica Rabbit reds. It emotes the warmth suffered under the lights of a burlesque stage, and the nostalgic chill of a near empty bar—dimly lit for the sake of confidentiality. A symbiosis of electronic accents and vinyl imperfections, this dose of art and sex isn’t so much conceptual as it is invocative, shuttling between clarinet swing and sampled sound bytes. I can’t help but imagine that Stephen Coates considers himself a fan of Matt Johnson’s eclectic style. Although this should come as no surprise; both men are clearly influenced by the myriad of soundscapes carved from the social soil of the early to mid twentieth century. It is a project that reaches back to an already immortal era to inflict the markings of post-modernity on what some would claim to be the golden age of music. It refuses the paradigmatic egocentricity of generational degeneracy. The jazz/rag era was not the end of history.
London Book of the Dead is medicated schizophrenia. Among the collage of gypsy strings, cabaret, and Brit pop, Coates sometimes sounds as if he is trapped in a Steamboat Willie world, contained by a two-dimensional, cartoonish fantasy. The record’s most manic moments can be uneven and discomfiting. But if the project is properly understood, it reveals a beautiful and sentimental creation that acknowledges the compromises we make against our own character and the distance we are from our idealized life. Self-inflicted wounds are often the rule rather than the exception. The music of London Book is dense and rich with acute attention to detail. The textural mapping of electronic beats over organic instruments is not necessarily the newest approach to music making, but Coates is effective nontheless. While every song on the record may not be appropriate for every mood, every song has its proper context; and in that context it succeeds, sometimes with stunning perfection— often a most gorgeous sedative.
Other Music
At The House Of The Clerkenwell Kid- 2001
I, Lucifer- 2002
Les Aperitifs et Les Digestifs- 2004
The Return of the Clerkenwell Kid- 2005
“Dreams That Money Can Buy”- 2006
At the End of the World- 2008
With one month left in Darla Farmer‘s remix competition the people over at Paper Garden Records are reaching out to the people, encouraging them to “bring the heat!”
The project will allow fans and professionals alike to appear on the upcoming Remixing the Electric Forest to be released at the end of summer 2008. In addition, the record will be on iTune’s front page for featured releases.
This gives people like me and you the opportunity to share a platform with the likes of Tom Campesinos of Los Campesinos, Optronix, among others. If you are interested in the contest, email Paper Garden at darlafarmer@papergardenrecords.com. They will hook you up with the song stems you need to construct your redux.
As Jeff Martin has proved, remix albums can make excellent venues for discovering new artists. This could definitely be your opportunity for exposure to an entirely new fan base. Get to it…
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.
Darla Farmer
Rewiring the Electric Forest
March 24th 2008
Paper Garden Records
There is no need to dissect Darla Farmer into parts; the constitution of their style is quite clear. Their full-length debut Rewiring the Electric Forest is an amalgamation of Louisiana brass jazz, swing, gypsy rock, Americana, hardcore, and the slightest undertone of that frightful three letter word, ska. This audial cocktail is not, as one would suppose, an all out assault on the senses. Darla Farmer textures their music in unconventional ways without demeaning their well worked melodies. Clint Wilson’s vocals have the immediacy and anxiety of Tim Casher and the quirky pitch of Amedeo Pace. That’s right, I said Amedeo Pace. I know I find a way to compare everything to Blonde Redhead but really people…listen to Falling Man followed by Darla Farmer’s The Vigilant Mr. Lynch…yeah that’s right.
The burlesque attitude of Darla Farmer is delicious. The bright eccentricities sound as if they were lifted out of a carnival sideshow. Rather than overcompensating for the inherent problems that come with recording horn sections, the loose and live feel of the horns was captured and exploited very tastefully. Too often these types of recordings come off sounding like metronomed midi files, but the dirt is left on and the atmosphere is kept thick.
Recorded at Mike Mogus’ studio in Omaha, Nebraska (Bright Eyes, Saddle Creek), Darla Farmer has produced a good record that is as aggressive as it is intricate. The Cow That Drank Too Much, Mechanical Thoughts, and Tree on a Hill underscore the range that this band commands. Much of Rewiring the Electric Forest is a throwback to familiar melodic templates, however when the elements are infused some real meaty stuff is made. They should look into touring with Chicago’s Skybox. Their energy and eccentricities are totally compatible. While the horns may be overly emphasized, Darla Farmer are sure to improve the balance in time. In any event these 7 Nashvillans sound as if they would put on one hell of a show.
After The Jump/Paper Garden Records/Indie Outlaw SXSW Day Party
3/15 – Austin, TX @ Lucky Lounge
Team Grizzly / Stranded In Stereo SXSW Day Party
3/15 – Austin, TX @ The Pangae Patio
3/21 – Cincinnati, OH @ Blue rock Tavern
3/22 – Columbus, OH @ Scarlet & Grey Cafe
3/24 – Pittsburgh, PA @ TBA
3/25 – New York, NY @ Club Midway
3/27 – New York, NY @ Piano’s (w/ The Heavenly States)
3/28 – Philadelphia, PA @ TBA
3/29 – Reading, PA @ The Silo
TBA – Washington, DC @ TBA
