Once again people, get your asses to Goodbye Blue Monday tomorrow, June 16th to see Machete Archive. They are an incredible band with incredible musicians. One kinda looks like Wayne Coyne, another like Animal, and another like David Wooderson from Dazed and Confused. Come out to find which is which. They are sure to impress.
Two of the best touring acts are on the road out of Nebraska.
The Machete Archive is a heavy post rock thunder feast. Fuckin’ A man…They are one of the better live acts to grace the Midwest.
Yes this band fucking rocks and you really need to show up for these folks. In Brooklyn, they’ll be playing at Goodbye Blue Monday on June 16th…Yes, yes, yes, I know we all have our issues with Goodbye Blue Monday, but come on, it is like the new CBGB’s….or whatever. So we should all go see these rapaciously decadent instrumentals, maybe you’ll find that lamp you’ve always wanted while you are at it.
June 11th 8pm The Lift Dubuque, Iowa
June 12th 8pm TBA Chicago, Illinois
June 13 8pm TBA Indianapolis, Indiana
June 14 8pm TBA columbus, Ohio
June 15 8pm The Wonder Bar Asbury Park, New Jersey
June 16 8pm Goodbye Blue Monday Brooklyn, New York
June 17 8pm Coyle’s Rox Box w/ Flamingo and Trench Mouth Philadelphia, Pennsylvan
June 18 8pm tba washington dc, Washington, US
June 19 8pm Champions Billiards Raleigh, North Caro
June 20 8pm TBA Charlotte, North Caro, US
June 21 8pm TBA Atlanta, Georgia, US
June 22 8pm TBA Birmingham, Alabama, US
June 23 8pm Rock N Horse Birmingham, Alabama
June 24 8pm Checkpoint Charlie New Orleans, Louisiana
June 25 8pm Boom Boom Room Fayetteville, Arkansas
June 26 8pm Crystal Pistol W/Atlas Life and Zsa Zsa Ketzner Tulsa, Oklahoma
June 27 8pm TBA Wichita, Kansas, US
June 28 8pm TBA Kansas City, Missouri, US
June 29 9pm O’leavers w/ Down with the Ship and Zsa Zsa Ketzner Omaha, Nebraska
June 30 9pm The Bourbon Theatre w/ Pharmacy Spirits, Zsa Zsa Ketzner and Vicious Guns Lincoln, Nebraska
As for Midwest Dilemma (Read Review Here), this band isn’t coming to New York this time around but their tour has plenty of dates in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and the Dakotas. The strength of this band is their story telling through music. It is truly an archival experience.
June 7 7:00P Piano Lounge, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
June 8 9:00P Ronny’s Bar Chicago, IL
June 9 9:00P Monks Kaffe Pub Dubuque, Iowa
June 10 7:00P The Historic Trempealeau Hotel Trempealeau, WI
June 11 8:00P Paradigm Coffee & Music Sheboygan, Wisconsin
June 11 11:00P Green Room Pub Sheboygan, Wisconsin
June 12 7:00P The Attic Books and Coffee Green Bay, WI
June 13 8:30P The Root Note La Crosse, Wisconsin
June 14 8:00P Thirsty Pagan Brewery Superior, Wisconsin
June 15 10:30P Lee’s Liquor Lounge Minneapolis, MN
June 16 7:00P Drunken Noodle Fargo, ND
June 17 9:30P Latitude 44 Sioux Falls, SD
June 18 8:00P Red Rooster Aberdeen, SD
June 19 7:00P Slattery Vintage Estates Nehawka, Nebraska
Best part of the video below? 4minute 44 seconds.
-FF
http://www.myspace.com/themachetearchive
http://www.myspace.com/midwestdilemma
Thought & Memory
Time EP
Unsigned
January 1st 2010
“Man is a wolf to man” (“lupus est homo homini” Plautus: Asinaria, 495). This quotation from Though & Memory’s myspace embodies the reflexive and philosophical frame through which their debut EP ought to be absorbed. Referencing the atrocities man inflicts on man, Thought & Memory have built and self-released an epic four song EP titled Time, a record wrought with an animistic serenity, ruptured by the thunder of collided sheet metal and the feral intensity of natural violence. Song titles like Wing by Wing, Sixty Sunsets, and What Are We Now, are the only words attached to the music. They are also indicative of the thought put into every moment of the EP. The music is both beautiful and obscure, sophisticated and primal, calming and destructive. The band sprouts from the post-rock genre, finding fraternity with the likes of Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai, or early Pelican, but the cutting juxtaposition of instrumentation on the record reveals a unique and compelling band who do not wear the tag of “knock off,” rather they have orchestrated a brilliant mélange with considerable energy, which culminates in the sixth minute, fifty-sixth second of the fourth and final track What Are We Now. The EP is short and definitely leaves the listener wanting more. Having seen a few of their live performances, I know that more will be released soon enough.
-FF
http://www.myspace.com/thoughtandmemorymusic
Upcoming Shows
January 23rd 8PM – Mr. Beery’s – Bethpage, NY
February 14th 1 PM – Sinclair’s Pub – West Babylon, NY
February 27th 9PM – Bartin – Babylon, NY
Black Hat Brigade- Zombie City Shake
Perhaps it is mere proximity that has me talking about Canada as if it were the hydroponic greenhouse of good music. Whatever the case, Black Hat Brigade, from somewhere-or-another Ontario, has penetrated into New York, prompting me to tell you how great they are. They are like a nine-headed hydra, with each viperous head representing an enduring tradition of independent spirited stylistic wisdom. What the fuck does that even mean? It has been said that these guys are post-rock, which can be deduced from the lyricless sprawls, cavernous reverberations, and extended buildups, as in the song epically titled Swords. But the outfit has no problem shifting to into an indie dance beat that approaches the realm of Eagle Seagull or Talking Heads; the specter of late seventies Mancunian music appearing throughout.
No matter what their slightly schizophrenic style choice is for any particular moment, Black Hat Brigade makes great music. They are asking for donations to self-release their newest EP Fathers due out May 29th. Of course a donation of $10 or more gets you a copy of their EP. This sounds to me an awful lot like they are selling the thing for $10 (or more if you really like it). With the industry as saturated and volatile as it is, it seems everyone is finding creative ways to fund their projects. But I say if they want to be bums, it is time they travel to New York and pander in the clubs of Brooklyn.
-FF
http://myspace.com/blackhatbrigade
Tour
April 23rd – Lee’s Palace, TORONTO w/ Youth Group and Bellewoods
May 29th – El Mocambo, TORONTO **FATHERS EP Release Party!
PS I know they are from Brampton
Dead Leaf Echo- Pale Fire
Dead Leaf Echo
Pale Fire EP
May 6, 2008
Year of the Gallon
The moody mix of over-the-top affected vocals offered on Dead Leaf Echo’s 2008 EP, Pale Fire, takes an extraordinarily long time to digest. The band so openly attach themselves to the ethereal sprawl of shoegaze that it begs the question, are they…really? Elastic lazy vocals and saturated tremolo does not a shoegaze band make. Nothing illustrates this more completely than the emphasis the band has placed on their collaboration with Ulrich Schnauss who has previously worked with bands such as Depeche Mode and Cold Play. Schnauss mixed the title track to great effect. Other bands in the past such as Elliot have utilized cavernous gothic melodies and effeminate Morrisseian vocals to produce magnificent records, ones with no interest in misplaced comparisons to My Bloody Valentine, to which Dead Leaf Echo has no relation what so ever. Rather than a wall of noise, every track on Pale Fire, save Schnauss’ mix, is washed over with waves of transparent reverberation. The difference between the Schnauss assisted track and the rest of the record is stark.
It would be appropriate to take a moment to mention that Dead Leaf Echo is very talented. The EPs title track perfectly alchemizes the instrumentation and shapes the vocals masterfully. It is not a lack of force and or unbalanced production that depresses Pale Fire’s greatness, rather it is the presence of a track with such superior qualities that the others pale in comparison. I would entirely expect anyone who listens to 80’s post-punk and shoegaze to at enjoy the EP, especially as the band promises greater attention to detail, song structure, and production. Pale Fire’s title track can be seen as a down payment on a more intensive sound. It seems as though Dead Leaf Echo have all the raw talent and material to create truly brilliant music, now they simply need the direction and perspective to do it. On April 4th they release their newest work, Truth, mixed by another heavy hitter by the name of John Fryer who has worked with Nine Inch Nails and, you guessed it, Depeche Mode. I am eager to hear if they too heard and understood not only their shortcomings, but also their immense potential.
-FF
www.myspace.com/deadleafecho
www.deadleafechonyc.com
Other Records
Faint Violet Whiff- 2006
Shows
April 4th – Cake Shop, NYC – Truth CD Release Party w/ Jaguar Club
There is no denying that 2008 has passed with breathtaking speed. Frederick Foxtrott comes to you this year with our list of top ten releases just a few days shy of 2009. Rather than spend New Year’s celebration in New York City, we are going upstate to spend time in the out doors, at the base of the Adirondacks. There is something poignant about spending what is typically observed by thousands of people crammed together with bright lights and loud sounds in the isolated cold with small but extraordinary company.
There is also no denying that this year proved to be an interesting time for music. The industry as a whole is largely tending to homogenize, with publications as banal as the Florida Times Union regularly looking to Pitchfork top ten lists to inspire their own critical hierarchies. The style generated over the last decade that has dominated the genre of independent music has become standard fare. It is blandly ubiquitous and overly diffuse. Nonetheless, while we got nothing perfect, there was plenty to listen to—plenty to listen to other than Vampire Weekend or Fleet Foxes, both of whom received the latest dose of sickeningly strange love from most indie media. Seemingly lost in the midst of the hollow recordings that dominate the suggestion pages of the taste-making press are truly great releases. So here they are—known and unknown—loved and loathed.
Top Ten 2008
1. M83- Saturdays = Youth
Expanding from shoegaze to stargaze, as his name implies, Gonzalez managed to not merely replicate a style modeled by Tears for Fears, Echo & the Bunnymen, and Flock of Seagulls, but he has retroactively contributed to the bleak genre of gothic pop in a way that is insertive rather than derivative. With modern instruments and production, Gonzalez (re)vitalized a style, giving color and texture to a genre that many feel has been muted by twenty years of impersonation and distillation, killed by retro themed knockoffs and karaoke bars alike (Read Review).
2. Conor Oberst- Conor Oberst
Even as he releases a self-titled record, suggesting biography, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band offer a personal narrative that is reflexive and acutely aware of where his lyrical perspective is anchored. Released on Merge Records rather than our beloved Saddle Creek, Conor Oberst is a record that disconnects from the iconic figure that the songwriter has become, allowing for the reclamation of personhood (Read Review).
3. Eagle Seagull- I Hate EPs (EP)
With its self-degrading title, I Hate EPs gives us a most vivid taste of what Eagle Seagull is up to. It is worthwhile to listen to every word on this EP. The lyrics are most certainly still emitted from the more noir recesses of our thought processes. They embody the violence that we inflict on one another with our thoughts, our lies, our manipulations, and the perfect memories that have since been pickled in the acerbic tension of current conditions (Read Review).
4. Sigur Rós- með suð…
Icelandic for “with a buzz in our ears we play endlessly,” með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust belies Sigur Rós’ self awareness that rejects the accumulation of star-power, instead favoring the humble roles of music makers with intimate attention to detail and an endless commitment to the art rather than constructed personae that sadly distract many once great contemporaries (Read Review).
5. Shugo Tokumaru- Exit
I am quite sick of the tendency for any musician who employs a whistle in their song structure to be labeled the next “Insert Nationality” Sufjan Stevens. Shugo seems to get shellacked with this honor quite often. His instrumentality relies on a menagerie of distinct sounds that have the sole intent of forming an effervescent ambience. I don’t imagine such a project can be said to be unique to Mr. Stevens. Indeed, Shugo Tokumaru’s Exit is one of the most original records released this year, and it is certain to endear many who listen. If you get the chance to see this guy upon his North American return, be sure to catch him at an appropriate venue, so that all the glorious array of whips and bobs don’t just float away (Read Review).
6. Hypatia Lake- Angels and Demon, Space and Time
There is the band and then there is the music. It is immediately understood when listening to Angels and Demons, Space and Time that Hypatia Lake has put together a record of enormous depth. The band itself is much less a physical entity, as it is a concept. The record is diffuse and eclectic, a psychedelic feast of beautiful noise and exquisite ambiances (Read Review).
7. Peasant- On the Ground
I have said previously that Damien DeRose’s voice is flawless, but his ability to bottle that beauty is remarkable. Usually such criticism is approached from the opposite angle. People rarely question what can be recorded after seeing such satisfying live performances. I have written at some length about Peasant’s talent and couldn’t be happier with this release. On the Ground offers 13 tracks without sounding repetitive or exhausting my patience and tolerance for sensitivity, which is rare these days. Peasant accomplishes this in part by keeping his songs under 3 minutes, making sure that the bitter moments do not overstay their welcome. I am happy to announce that Peasant will be re-issuing On the Ground in 2009 with the help of Team Love Records. If there is anyone out their with a modicum of taste, Peasant will make many more 2009 best release lists than he did this year (Read Review).
8. The Octopus Project- Hello, Avalanche
For those of you who are tired of bands that seek to reproduce the melodies of Tortoise, the sequence execution of The Album Leaf, or the gravity of Explosions in the Sky, know that Hello, Avalanche is a contribution to the modern music soundscape of unique and particular character. The Octopus Project allows the audience to dance as they marvel at a functioning collection of flesh and blood, rather simply to listen with a dissatisfied and disinterested ear. This is the balance they strike; they have a defined structure without sounding sterile or methodical. Who knew Austin…who knew (Read Review)?
9. Portishead- Third
No where on this record will you find the turntable scratching of Western Eyes or Only You. Clearly Portishead is not trying to recapture elements of their past. The lyrics are depressed and relaxed, sexy and sad, and in true form this relaxation is not brought on by contentment or happiness, rather it sounds opiate induced. It conjures the image of a dim room with the yellow haze of a poppy parlor (Read Review).
10. Magnetic Fields- Distortion
The Magnetic Fields…are extremely self-reflexively aware of Distortion’s influences and have taken steps to ensure that they do not appear to take themselves too seriously. This awareness not only saves the record from obsolescence, but it is exactly what makes it so relevant to how the music industry navigates itself forward, sometimes stopping to reflect on the nostalgic moments of its past (Read Review).
Other bands have blissfully welted the ears of the interested in 2008. Delta Spirit, released their debut, Ode to Sunshine. It was soulful and courageous. I usually prefer that bands keep their “gods” and “lords” out of my CD/MP3 player, but I’ll gladly make an exception for these impassioned song writers. Look for them on Jimmy Kimmel Live on January 16th. They split the rest of winter between Europe and North America, gracing the Bowery Ballroom stage on February 21st.
Canadian melody makers Wintersleep released Welcome to the Night Sky, an incredible record that offers exceptional lyrics and noisy pop riffs. Frederick Foxtrott reviewed their debut and recommends them with complete confidence. Welcome to the Night Sky is lyric driven record themed with violence and sickness. The guitars are distorted and heavy, accompanied by a barrage of cymbal crashes, but Wintersleep never fail to ebb back, allowing the listener to hear the calm after the storm, in addition to the silence before (Read Review).
Frederick Foxtrott thanks all of you for reading and visiting over the past year. We have expanded our readership greatly and only hope to continue in growth and reviews. We have some interesting things planned in the coming months so stay tuned. If you would like your record reviewed, give us an email and we will arrange something. We aim to keep you informed of not just what is happening in the world of independent music, but what should be happening.
Happy New Year,
Frederick Foxtrott
The Octopus Project
Hello, Avalanche
October 9th 2007
Peek-A-Boo Records
Part garage rock, part NES music protocol, and part taurine infused melodics, The Octopus Project’s Hello, Avalanche bravely transverses the boundary between electronica and post rock. The most apparent feature of this band is their overt interjection of digital melody and animated instrumentation into a genre that typically prizes subtly and droning repetition. A song will alternately run a sampled scale and a barrage of distorted noise, punctuating the electro-beats with organic instruments, disallowing the music to remain suspended in an epic or sprawling delay.
Hello, Avalanche was co-produced by Ryan Hadlock of Blonde Redhead, Eagle Seagull credit. The record again highlights Hadlock’s uncanny nose for talent. The hybridity created by The Octopus Project is extraordinarily pleasing to the pop senses. They allow for the striking textural juxtapositions of bands like Xiu Xiu, yet have kept the discordant ambiguities to a minimum. While the suppression of dissonance is in no way an inherent reason to praise, it is a nice contrast to music of equal scale but of jarring composition.
For those of you who are tired of bands that seek to reproduce the melodies of Tortoise, the sequence execution of The Album Leaf, or the gravity of Explosions in the Sky, know that Hello, Avalanche is a contribution to the modern music soundscape of unique and particular character. The Octopus Project allows the audience to dance as they marvel at a functioning collection of flesh and blood, rather simply to listen with a dissatisfied and disinterested ear. This is the balance they strike; they have a defined structure without sounding sterile or methodical. Who knew Austin…who knew?
-FF
http://www.myspace.com/theoctopusproject
http://www.theoctopusproject.com/
Other Music
Identification Parade- 2002
One Ten Hundred Thousand Million- 2005
Tour
08/02 Chicago, IL Schuba’s w/ Okkervil River
08/03 Chicago, IL Lollapalooza Myspace Stage at 11:30am.
08/04 Kansas City, MO Record Bar
08/05 Norman, OK Opolis 08/06 Lubbock, TX Tequila Station
08/11 Phoenix, AZ Rhythm Room w/ Diagonals
08/12 Tucson, AZ Congress Theater w/ Diagonals
08/13 San Diego, CA TBA w/ Diagonals
08/14 Los Angeles, CA Knitting Factory w/ Diagonals
08/15 Visalia, CA Cellar Door w/ Diagonals
08/16 San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill w/ Diagonals
08/18 Portland, OR Satyricon w/ Diagonals
08/19 Seattle, WA Nectar Lounge w/ Diagonals
08/20 Vancouver, BC Richard’s
08/22 Edmonton, ALB Velvet Underground
08/23 Calgary, ALB Hi Fi
08/25 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge
08/26 Denver, CO Hi Dive
08/28 Ft. Worth, TX Lola’s w/ Diagonals
08/29 Houston, TX Warehouse Live w/ Diagonals
09/28 Austin, TX Austin City Limits
Sigur Rós
Hvarf-Heim
November 5th 2007
Xl Recordings
Loosely defined as “Haven-Home” or “Disappeared Home” Hvarf-Heim accompanies the release of the Sigur Rós produced documentary Heima chronicling their spontaneous return to Iceland where they played shows at various locations both in the wilderness and in a factory long since abandoned. The duality of the title underscores two central themes throughout the film. The first is Sigur Rós’ desire to illustrate the qualities of Iceland and its people that they believe have contributed to their music. The second is the increasing presence of the mining industry in the natural and majestic Icelandic landscape, which they fear is having irrevocably adverse effects on the country’s pristine environs. Heima was an effort for Sigur Rós to explicate to their audience the role that their homeland has played in the production of their music. Iceland’s aesthetic beauty and artistic spirit are the muses from which the band has drawn its creativity. Iceland provides a sanctuary from the corporate worlds of Europe and The United States, worlds that question the humble and unimposing manner in which Sigur Rós have chosen to present themselves.
Hvarf-Heim contains both unreleased tracks as well as older songs that have been conceptualized in a manner more in tune with their present style. The rerecorded songs from Hvarf are new takes from the earliest Sigur Rós album Von, which is largely an album stranded in the ether and is seemingly unable to express intent, purpose, or meaning. The new versions restructure the songs in a way that maintains their experimental nature but allows the listener to better engage the music. As the band has progressed through the years their music has matured and found a stylistically unique voice. Hvarf represents a reflection on Sigur Rós’ past; it recognizes their growth and is an homage to their origins.
Heim on the other hand plays with tracks spanning throughout Sigur Rós’ catalogue. These songs are recorded acoustically and emphasize their organic foundation. There are few things I dislike more than bands repackaging old songs and selling them as new releases in order combat their diminished capabilities and the prospect of their obsolescence, but Hvarf-Heim is a work that successfully expands on what has already been offered, rather then simply reiterating what has already been said. Hvarf-Heim connects the listener to a band that is content in their obscurity and hermeticism; it increases the enjoyment of previous records because it contextualizes the music into a broader community. Sigur Rós are no longer experimental postrockers, they are a representation of a people and country and they replicate the spirit of that community through the depth and raw beauty of their music.
http://www.sigur-ros.co.uk/
http://www.myspace.com/sigurros
Other Music
Von- 1997
Von Brigði- 1998
Ágætis Byrjun- 1999
Rímur EP- 2001
( )- 2002
Ba Ba Ti Ki Di Do EP- 2004
Takk…- 2005
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