Two sides of Lua

It's funny how a song can be played seemingly the same way and yet convey a whole other emotion than its counterpart. Earlier today I was listening to the Red Hot compilation Dark Was The Night (2009), an indie folk/rock who's who of the nest and brightest. Although it has a few bouncy moments, the overall feel of the album is low key and cozy. The songs loosely string together as if they're dozing by a fireplace. That being said, both discs back to back might be a bit much, but as a whole the album is consistently well played. The song that conjures up this post is "Lua", performed here by Gillian Welch and its composer Conor Oberst. Oberst had originally featured the song on his proper band's landmark record I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning (2005). The Bright Eyes version is devastatingly beautiful, hopeless in its Sunday morning regrets. Done as a duet on Dark Was The Night, gives the song a surprising level of optimism. While the Bright Eyes version is played on a single acoustic guitar in a most restrained fashion, the Welch/Oberst version is looser and more playful in its strumming - featuring more plucking and picking. While the original is more of a single person's reflection on the events which are isolated and cold, the remake is warmer and accepting of the trials set forth in the storyline. On paper, the two versions are performed in a similar fashion, but the final execution of both is quite different. 

A&R/The Joy Formidable

I've been interning at the A&R department for a major label for the past two months. My job is to seek out new artists for possible consideration by the company. Naturally they're very picky about who they want to sign as they're really only interested in artists that are going to move at least a few hundreds of thousands of records. The task of tracking down artists that have potential to sell millions is needless to say, incredibly difficult. The more I look, the more I realize that the bands that have the most talent will usually make a name for themselves on an indie label first and then make a crossover. At this point in time, record companies don't spend as much as they used to on artist development and are usually looking for a band that's in a convenient package. From my many searches, I have come to discover that many bands will spend the time and money preparing themselves in such a package. The ultimate drawback though is that 99.9% of bands that spend all this time on image and promotion probably should have used it writing good songs.

Of course along the way, regardless of marketability, I have been and will most likely continue finding artists worth listening to. As I find them, I will post examples here. This week, upon the recommendation of fellow blogger Jenn Pelly, I've come across The Joy Formidable. A British band with a forceful bite and catchy/sweet melodies, they instantly gave me the chills with their latest track "Greyhounds In The Slips" (featured below). Upon referring them to my boss, he informed me he has already been in touch with their manager, which of course doesn't mean a definite signing, but it at least shows there is very large buzz about them. Regardless of where they end up, they will more than likely be something you'll be seeing in your face real soon, so check em while they're still fresh. 

Blur Documentary?

This previous Fall, a gorgeous trailer appeared for a documentary about the endlessly underrated Britpop powerhouse, Blur. Titled No Distance Left To Run, after one of the band's most soul searching numbers, the trailer climaxes with a movie set of slow motion clips of the band's recent reunion tour, set to their monumental torch song, "The Universal". See below:


Beautiful right? I kept a watchful eye on my local independent cinema, but it unfortunatley didn't come to the US at all (at least nowhere near where I live). When I had read that a DVD of it would see release in mid February, complete with a second disc showcasing the entirety of their Hyde Park concert, I was relieved.  Sure, it's a documentary of a British band. Let the Brits have it in the theaters, I can wait an extra month for a home viewing. I mean they sell DVDs everywhere.

Well, it's late February. Where the hell is it?? Does this band still hold such a grudge against America for siding with Oasis, that it won't even consider the legions of fans they still have here? If you or anyone you know have any information on this movie and how to obtain it, please let me know.

Stephin Merritt Interview for The New Gay

This is an interview Stephin Merritt did for The New Gay recently. While the interviewer is clearly excited and enthusiastic about interviewing one of his heroes, he botches it royally with unimaginative questions and a lack of research on his subject.  Despite the weakness of the interviewer, Merritt manages to throw in a few thought provoking concepts in reference to the gay community, as well as quick overview of the gender neutrality of his lyrics (a theme I explored in an essay I wrote a few months ago, All His Little Words). Aside from any educational value, the interview is just funny to watch as Merritt does nothing to mask his contempt for the noble, but misguidedly jittery interviewer.   

Sacotn Suggests

I listened to the remastered version of Reckoning by R.E.M. today and it is fantastic. The dusty layer that once muffled the tracks is gone. Bill Berry's drums for instance are more powerful than ever, apparent right from the start of "Harborcoat". Mike Mills basswork ripples up and down your spine and his jangly piano on "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville" is increibly warm and welcoming (despite the lyric's objections to such). Peter Buck's guitars are still the star attraction, which soar and intertwine ever so nicely with Michael Stipe's beautifully hazy vocals (that are more discernible than they've ever been). The second disc is great too, containing an archive concert from 1983. Reckoning: Deluxe Edition - definitely worth picking up.

RIP Doug Fieger

While The Knack proved to be New Wave's big one hit wonders, one mustn't forget the importance of the hit. "My Sharona" is a timeless rock anthem that will forever fuel the dirty minds' passion for for the younger kind. Thank you Doug Fieger.

Valentines Day Mixtape

Love songs. They probably outweigh just about any other genre of song style (at least in modern times). Whether it be about the pain of a love that's not quite there or the joys of a new romance, they have shaped the way we think of music. Now I wouldn't go as far as to say compiling a definitive mixtape of the best love songs of all time is impossible...but let's just say it would probably take months to make it really good. Since I'm compiling this the day after Valentine's day, I won't humor myself in making this definitive, I will just leave it as a good set of songs to celebrate your feelings towards your beau, bell, wife, husband, girl you're currently crushing on, the hot janitor, etc...also as a good mix to copy from when you forgot to make a mix for your boyfriend/girlfriend.

"Wouldn't It Be Nice" - The Beach Boys
"Something Changed" - Pulp
"AM180" - Grandaddy
"La La Love You" - Pixies
"Something" - The Beatles
"You're So Great" - Blur
"Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)" - Arcade Fire
"Raindrops" - Regina Spektor
"Strawberry Swing" - Coldplay
"Unchained Melody" - The Righteous Brothers"
"Eye Know" - De La Soul
"Romantic Comedy" - Stars
"Kath" - Sebadoh
"There Is A Light That Will Never Go Out" - The Smiths
"Sunday" - Bloc Party
"Love" - John Lennon
"Earth Angel" - The Penguins
"The Only One" - The Cure
"Run Wild" - New Order
"Luna" - Smashing Pumpkins
"It's Only Time" - The Magnetic Fields

A crowd for the audience, not the stage

It’s always disheartening when you listen to a live album and there’s more sounds there than what the band is physically capable of performing. One of the greatest aspects of a powerhouse like Radiohead is that their studio productions are so thorough and layered, yet they can reproduce and expand it live, giving it a somewhat different sound while also being able to recreate a lot of the elements through triggers and live instrumentation. While a band like The Flaming Lips showcase a great visual aid to their music, the songs themselves become second fiddle. Rather than using triggers to create quick clips or loops, they play along to full recordings of playback. Kliph Scurlock keeps it lively enough behind the drumkit and Steve Drozd does his best to play what he can, but Wayne Coyne isn’t even trying – his acoustic guitar a mere prop. The problem I have most of all would lie more with these superstar bands like The Killers, U2, or Coldplay who often feature axillary members on keyboards or additional guitar to fill out the "spaces" in their music. Since when does a live performance have to sound exactly like the studio recording though? The live performance should allow the core band the ability to interpret the songs at their essence. When the band feels it needs more members to give the audience an enjoyable performance, this takes away from the band's credibility. Sometimes all the bombast can add to the character of the performance, like the overflowing stage hyjincs of groups like The Polyphonic Spree and Broken Social Scene. Most of the time though, a nice lean band is best for powerful performances.  

Snowed In Mix

While I sit along with the rest of the Northeast, encased in a wall of frost, I figured I'd whip up a nice little snow day mixtape. Perfect for a case of cabin fever, or perhaps a good soundtrack for a snowball fight or snowman making contest. Get some hot cocoa and crank it!





"What The Snowman Learned About Love" - Stars
"Winterlude" - Bob Dylan
"The Chills" - Peter Bjorn And John
"Snowshakes" - Nicole Atkins
"Walking On Thin Ice" - Yoko Ono
"I'm Cold" - The Cure
"20 Years Of Snow" - Regina Spektor
"The Fox In The Snow" - Belle & Sebastian
"Selfless, Cold And Composed" - Ben Folds Five
"Snowballs & Icicles" - Broken Social Scene Presents Brendan Canning
"Soft As Snow (But Warm Inside)" - My Bloody Valentine
"Ice Age" - Joy Division
"In The Cold, Cold Night" - The White Stripes
"Icicle" - Tori Amos
"In This Home On Ice" - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
"Loom Of The Land" - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
"Styrofoam Boots/It's All Nice On Ice, Alright" - Modest Mouse
"Strangest Tribe" - Pearl Jam
"Iceblink Luck" - Cocteau Twins
"Winter" - The Rolling Stones
"The Ice Storm, Big Gust, And You" - Tilly And The Wall
"When It's Cold, I'd Like To Die" - Moby

Vermillion Lies

This is Zoe Boekbinder of the freak folk duo Vermillion Lies, performing "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" by Beyoncé. I saw her group open for Amanda Palmer in the Fall of '08 and was pleasantly surprised by how entertaining their performance was (all due respect to Miss Palmer, but Vermillion Lies stole the show that night). While the group was very entertaining, I thought for sure it would not transfer well to studio recordings. Still, when I passed by the merch table, I felt compelled to pick up a CD since they had been so charming. Much to my surprise, What's In The Box? (the band's second album) turned out to be a stellar record. Minimalist, yet versatile, the album boasts some truly well crafted folk pop. The record effortlessly recalls elements of Billie Holiday and The Nightmare Before Christmas within just a few songs of each other, matching quick and memorable tunes with understated humor. In addition to Zoe's solo a capella performance above, here she is with her sister performing "The Astronomer" from said album.

Sacotn suggests

For those who haven't been converted yet -

This

Is

SLEIGH BELLS

RIP Pauly Fuemana

So what if he only contributed one song to the world's collective subconscious? (for the record, I also enjoyed "Lingo With The Gringo".) OMC's "How Bizarre" is a pop classic, and a tune that will always bring a smile to my face. Thank you Pauly Fuemana - rest in peace.

Producers

The power of production is endlessly important. The producer has the power to make a song reach its fullest potential or completley crush it. In the case of the Beck song, "It's All In Your Mind", Calvin Johnson goes the lo-fi route (as is his forte) leaving the song in its natural state of folkiness. Although not a bad rendition of the song, it's Nigel Godrich's lush and space filled recording that takes the cake. The song retains its simple struction but manages to convey so much more depth and pain that the original never had. Here are the two versions back to back for a closer listen. The original can be found on the flipside of the "Feather In Your Cap" 7" released in 1994. It was then remastered and reissued as a bonus track on the deluxe edition of One Foot In The Grave, released in 2009. The remade version is on Sea Change (2002).