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Friday, May 16, 2008
 

 

As it turns out, it was Be Your Own Pet's Jemina Pearl that I saw at a Salvation Army on South Lamar.  I should of introduced myself, told her about Noah's fascination with her and reminded the little firecracker that it's hard to hear her unless she actually uses the microphone...but whatever.  Next time I'll know better.  Alright, let's talk about the Virgins, who were actually one of the opening acts last night at Stubb's.  I've known them by name (and yes, it is a rather terrible name) for awhile now, but I had never actually taken any time to listen to their music.  This was a mistake, as those guys know how make some quality pop songs.  Do yourself a favor and keep and eye out for their soon-to-be-released self titled debut.  Enjoy.

:The Virgins - Rich Girls:  When you download this I want you to know that there is absolutely no reason to expect anything that might change your life, as this is nothing but pure, catchy goodness that'll probably do well in getting those hips moving.  With that being said, what more could you want on a Friday!?  After a long week this gem is the perfect tune to stroll away from the office with.  The only problem is that it's good enough that you'll more than likely still be humming it when you re-enter the office on Monday, but I'm sure you have had worse things happen.

I'm always interested in artists doing various versions of their own songs, so it was pretty nice to come across this stripped own version of Rich Girls that the guys did for Indie 103.1.  Check it out.

 

- John Laird -



Thursday, May 15, 2008
 

 

I know it seems unlikely, but I'm fairly certain that I saw Jemina Pearl wandering around yesterday at a Salvation Army on South Lamar.  Clearly, I couldn't get up the nerve to ask the girl if she fronts the always awesome Be Your Own Pet, so I'll have to wait until she strolls out on stage tonight at Stubb's to confirm.  Stay tuned!  Now, onwards with something new from Oxford Collapse.  The guys have been doing well for themselves for quite awhile now, but for whatever reason they've been one of those acts of mine that I've only casually followed.  Hopefully I'll finally get my act together with the upcoming sure-to-be-good Hann-Byrd EP.  Expect it to be made available in all of its limited edition glory on June 10 via Comedy Minus One.  Enjoy.

:Oxford Collapse - Amongst Friends:  "Congratulations/Look what you've become/One of the family."  Normally, I would only expect lyrics like that to work if they were dipped in sarcasm and surrounded by crunching guitars or something equally abrasive and loud, but here alongside jangly-everything it simply emits warmth and all you could ask for from a pop song.  There's no way that each and every single one of you shouldn't appreciate this at least a little.

I've never seen the guys perform, but I'm curious to know whether or not they tend to keep it as calm as they look in this video of them playing in Brooklyn.  Anyone care to chime in?

 

- John Laird -



Wednesday, May 14, 2008
 

 

Just when I thought I was on the triumphant verge of being able to hold an actual Cotton Jones Basket Ride full length in my hands, Michael Nau (of Page France fame) runs off and decides to push back the release date in favor of a couple of EPs.  I suppose there really isn't anything overly terrible about that (as long as the LP, Paranoid Cocoon manages to find its way onto store shelves at some point in the future), but it had been a disc I was really looking forward to.  At any rate, the first EP, The Archery, was made available yesterday and the other, which is currently untitled, will be out sometime later this year.  Each run is pretty limited, so if you like what you hear then I very much recommend snatching up the EPs over at Quite Scientific while you can.  Enjoy.

:The Cotton Jones Basket Ride - Midnight Monday And A Telescope:  As you should of come to expect (especially if you've read my other posts on the band), this is nothing like Page France.  Actually, it doesn't even sound all that much like the other songs I've shared.  This arrangement feels as if it was taken straight out of some flick from the 70s and Michael's vocal work makes me think of the kind of sultry sounds that would normally be found in a dark, smoke-filled bar somewhere.  It's honestly a slight strange and partly psychedelic approach that I never saw coming.  Fortunately, I think it's fantastic.  Good luck trying to not have this on repeat for the next week.

Here's an interview and some footage of the band playing.  I think the questions being asked are pretty boring, so you may want to consider skipping ahead until you get to Michael Nau and Co. performing.

 

- John Laird -



Tuesday, May 13, 2008
 

 

I ended up not being able to see Wilco.  Anyone out there catch either of the two shows they did here in Austin?  I'm guessing they were good, but I still want some confirmation.  Or something.  Anyhow, let's get on with today's featured artist, Cursive.  The famed indie rock group from Omaha is suppose to be working on a new album, but it looks like they found a little time to record a few songs for Daytrotter, which is certainly fine by me (and probably you as well) since their session has a couple of new tracks.  If you were in the group of people who didn't really like the socio-political messages and/or the overly pop sound that made up the majority of Happy Hollow, I think you'll be happy to hear that none of that is present in the tunes below.  Enjoy.

:Cursive - Donkeys (Daytrotter): --|-- :Cursive - Let Me Up (Daytrotter):   In case you didn't already notice, I couldn't decide which new song to share.  Why?  Because the both of them together go so far towards making me think of vintage Cursive.  I'm talking the days of Domestica when Tim Kasher sounded like the most jaded fellow in all of the world, and he did so over some of the most perfectly crafted indie rock soundscapes to ever grace my ears.  It's highly likely that these songs will sound nothing like this by the time they make it to the new record, but I sincerely hope that they keep the raw energy and dark cynicism that they have now.  It just isn't Cursive if they don't have these things, and this is coming from someone who actually liked Happy Hollow.

I'm assuming that most of you have heard of Cursive, so the video I chose isn't necessarily meant to enlighten you about another part of their sound or something.  Nope, it's just meant to remind you how badass they were when Gretta Cohn was on cello.  The song is A Gentleman Caller.

 

- John Laird -



Monday, May 12, 2008


Langhorne Slim And The War Eagles - Mohawk - Austin, TX




Amy LaVere

I believe that the original plan was to have two opening acts, but it ended up just being Amy LaVere and her band.  Fortunately, she was more than enough to get the crowd and myself excited for Langhorne Slim.

Her setup was similar to Langhorne's in that there was a standup bass, a guitar and drums, but the sound that emitted from all of that was quite different.  Some of the time it was kind of dark and adventurous and then there were a lot of moments where it just sort of seemed to be there.  Though, I might be feeling that way because of the fact that it was hard not to only watch and listen to Amy.  She has a tendency to tell entire stories through her facial expressions as she sings, so it was certainly very easy to just look on and ignore the world.  Nothing wrong with that, right?

I believe I heard them say that their part of the tour with Langhorne Slim was over, so I can't necessarily tell you to run out and catch them.  However, if you ever see them somewhere on a concert calendar near you then you should try and make it out.  Amy and the guys won't disappoint.

:Amy LaVere - Washing Machine:






Langhorne Slim

This past Saturday night was the best Langhorne Slim performance that I've ever been to.  It was overwhelmingly hot inside the Mohawk, the crowd was into it and the guys went all out with a set that left them and those of us watching worn out and drenched in sweat.  It was literally all I could of asked for.

The trio played for about an hour and a half and, with the exception of She's Gone, played every song that I was looking forward to hearing.  So what was the highlight of the night?  I thought it was easily Langhorne on stage alone doing a soulful, stripped-down version of Rebel Side Of Heaven.  If I had only caught that part I probably would have left happy.

Speaking of Langhorne going solo, I think those few moments made for all of the best parts of the show.  Sure, the tunes that get your blood pumping were as great live as you would expect, but I think it's easy to forget that the guy writes some great lyrics when all your concerned with is bouncing around and singing-a-long at the top of your lungs.  Plus, those few minutes are necessary if you ever want to catch your breath.

Even after a bad show I would probably still recommend seeing Langhorne Slim And The War Eagles, so I think it goes without saying that you're missing out on a lot if you don't catch them on this tour.  Go now!

:Langhorne Slim - Rebel Side Of Heaven:

- John Laird -



Sunday, May 11, 2008

More Austin Music

Well, today's my birthday.  And Mother's Day.  So you know what that means: local music!

Actually, there's a Wilco show in
Austin tonight, and if you follow my posts at all, I think you know I have an uncanny love for the band.  Instead of going though, I'll be driving to Dallas, missing the only show in the next 6 months that can satisfy my near-insatiable Wilco craving.  So to cheer me up, and to break in the summer, let's talk a little about some great Austin music that’s coming up.

:((Sounder)) - Good Things:  I don't actually know that much about this band, besides what I can get from their Myspace page and a few interviews I've read.  Apparently the project is the collaboration of visual artist Mike Aho and photographer Steve Stratton.  Their second album, Good Things Come and Go Like Bad Things, found its way into my pile of new CDs a few days ago, and I haven't been able to get enough of it.  I recently got my turntable back in working order, so it's been almost all records for me lately.  The one thing I can pull myself away from the vinyl for is this album, which carries the same warmth that draws me back to the record player all day long. As you might expect, there are a good number of "exploratory" elements to the album, but the warm natural tones blend perfectly with the digital sounds, giving the album its warmth despites its inherent digital flaws (I really need to get off the vinyl).  This song, the first on the album, is almost eerie, especially with the repetitive vocal chant: "good things come and go like bad things come and go like good things come and go like bad things…"  It's hard not to be drawn in.  Just listen, I dare you.

:Leatherbag - It's Over:  This song is like a solid gold candy bar.  From start to finish, Leatherbag (Randy Reynolds) has me in his pocket.  He's working with the universally troubling themes of aging, uselessness, and general self doubt.  Quite frankly, the music and melodies are so spot on, he could be singing about cantaloupes and I'd still be all about it.  Nonetheless, his new album Love & Harm confronts a lot of these themes, and a few others.  As much as I love indie music, I also love real, thoughtful lyricists.  Leatherbag is one of the best I know, and though the album (and this song) find Leatherbag wearing his influences on his sleeve (catch some Wilco, the Velvets, a little Modern Loves, etc.), the lyrics are all very much his own.

And now a little something special: a video for A Decade Without A Death from Ghosts of the Russian Empire.

Let's get the obvious comparison out of the way.  The band sounds a little bit like Radiohead.  Alright, we said it, let's move on.  The new album The Mammoth was recorded by local production demigod Erik Wofford, and it sounds fantastic.  The reverb creates an absolutely huge space that the band occupies, filling the void with driving drums, larger-than-life guitars, and a bass sound that could knock you off your feet.  The vocals call from the background; listen close and you'll hear ominous warnings of cold war era disasters.  Ever see one of those post-apocalyptic films? This is what it sounds like right before the apocalypse.  The video should give you a good idea of what I mean. Worth a listen. Two listens even.

And there you have it – three Austin bands to watch, and the three CDs I'm bringing on the car ride to Dallas.  And if anyone does catch that Wilco show, don't tell me about it.  I'm going to listen to Kicking Television in my room and pretend I was there.

John Michael Cassetta writes for Austin Sound, That Other Paper, and the British lifestyle website RealBuzz.com. Comments, complaints, and solicitations may be directed here.

- John Michael Cassetta -
 


Saturday, May 10, 2008

Here is a rather creepy video that was made for Robert Francis' Little Girl, which is from last year's One By One.  The thing has actually a story, so be sure to take some time to watch it!

 

:SOTO - Episode 55:  All kinds of good stuff awaits you in this week's show.  There are some news clips and a nice amount of new music from the Pomegranates, Kiki Pau, Music Go Music, Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez, Pas/Cal and Foxhole.  Enjoy.

BTW, if you would like to subscribe to this podcast in iTunes then you can do so here.

- John Laird -



Saturday, May 10, 2008

Tokyo Police Club Are You Listening?  It's Noah Sanders.
 

I’m going to be frank.  I’m a little worried about Tokyo Police Club.  I’m a dedicated TPC fan (yes, paint my fingernails and call me a school girl) and I think the catchy little Montreal trio has stumbled upon some difficult musical times.  If you’ve read a post about the band you’ve heard a blogger bitching about the lengthy hiatus between their initial A Lesson In Crime EP and their first LP, Elephant Shell.  It’s been almost two years and now, and after two brief EPs, the band has just gotten around to releasing the album, dredging up a bit of indie-vitriol in the process.

You’d think that two years of faux downtime (let us not forget the two EPs) the band’s first full length release would be a face-melter, a memorable masterpiece that’d leave us eagerly waiting fans on our collective asses.  I mean, TWO YEARS is a pretty long time to work on a rock-pop album (well, unless your Portishead) and the final product better be mind-blowing.

Unfortunately, TPC’s newest is a bit, well, disappointing.  As we music dorks are like to do, I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately, ranking and re-ranking my TPC albums in order of best to worst, trying to piece together the band’s progression, pretty much sacrificing my social life to piece together a chronological argument as to why I believe TPC is in dire straits as a musical force right now. 

I’m going album by album, picking apart what I like, what I love, and what I think needs some work.  Don’t be made TPC, I’m just a fan who wants to help.




A Lesson In Crime EP

Strangely enough, this is the third TPC album I got wind of.  As I’ve said before but it has taken me a while to truly immerse myself in the current music scene and I’ve missed out or showed up late to the party numerous times because of it.  Take TPC, I picked up their Your English Is Good single a little over a year ago, thinking, as I’m wont to do, I’d stumbled across some unknown group of Canadians.  Turns out I’d just arrived late, yet again, and was in the middle of the lengthy hiatus between TPC’s A Lesson In Crime EP and their next full length.  Thus, this was the third album of TPC’s I actually put my ears to.

And that’s just another damn shame on the long list of damn shames in my life.  A Lesson In Crime is pretty much everything I want in a rock-pop album.  Driving guitars, attractive melodies, machine gun patter drums and a series of bass riffs that’ll make you move, make you dance, make you smile.  Lead-man David Monks laces each track with strangely literary, almost scientific lyrics that fit the sort of cold, clean sound TPC creates. It’s pretty much a dance party from day one, sure a few of the songs stray in to softer lands, but we’re never to far away from bouncing bass lines and crunchy guitars.

The albums centerpiece is most certainly Nature of the Experiment, a song I’ve listened to hundreds of times and is high up on my list of all-time singles.  If this was the only good song on the album, it’d still be a winner in my mind, but luckily for us TPC rolls out seven high-end money-makers for us to enjoy.  From the screaming start of Cheer It On to the soft keyboard-fade of La Ferrasie it’s a brilliant debut.

Unfortunately, maybe too brilliant.

:Tokyo Police Club - Nature Of The Experiment:




Your English Is Good EP

A brief history lesson: the release of A Lesson In Crime exploded this band.  Almost instantly they’re playing Conan, they’re on all the big summer tours, they’re banging around on KEXP – they’ve made the indie jump.  And everyone is eagerly awaiting the follow-up LP………and waiting…and waiting…and then boom, they drop Your English Is Good, a two song single.

You know in context, this wasn’t a terrible idea.  Obviously the band was struggling to put together a second album amongst all the fervor, and rather than put out a shitty LP, they drop this brilliant little single (well, that’s what we hope).  Your English Is Good is another pop classic by TPC and you can hear the growth in the song.  The main force in the song is gentle hum of the keyboard, Monks’ lyrics are as strong as ever, and the shaking tambourine and yelled chorus are a dance-ready kick in the ass.  It’s a great song, no doubt about it.  The b-side is a step in a softer direction, a barely present acoustic little number that helps solidify how great Your English Is Good really is.

Alright, we were antsy and now we’ve been sated for the moment, but the nagging urge of a wanted second album still sits in the back of our minds.


We’re waiting TPC, we’re waiting.

:Tokyo Police Club - Your English Is Good:




Smith EP

So, at this point it’s been a year since A Lesson In Crime and TPC has yet to release a full length.  Instead three months later they release the Smith EP.  There’s a frantic pace to the three songs on this dreadfully short release that at least got me fired up again.  I was ready for a new release!  Box and Cut Cut Paste just drive and drive hard with A Lesson In Crime slowly riding in to the sunset on the back of a plinking piano riff.

The EP is strong, and it feels like the band is putting the pieces together right – the rock-pop, the softer shit, the group dynamic – all feel strong, and a new LP seems perched on the horizon.   

And then we wait.

:Tokyo Police Club - Cut Cut Paste:




Elephant Shell

And wait and wait and wait and wait and wait.  Listening to the albums over and over again as made me realize that the progression TPC has made is minimal in terms of changing their sound, but they’ve continued to craft pop gems and I’ve been happy.  Sadly, the wait between the Smith EP and Elephant Shell amped my expectations too high and when Elephant Shell finally drops I can’t do anything to hide my disappointment. 

After ten, twenty listens, Elephant Shell just isn’t that exciting.  It takes the basic TPC format, bouncy bass, Monks’ beautiful voice and hand claps and mechanically processes it.  There’s no energy in the album, seemingly no enjoyment.  It’s just eleven very similar, very short, tracks that don’t move forward.  We see no movement in terms of sound, no difference in feel – it’s another Tokyo Police Club album through and through.  Everyone’s saying that it’s a pretty perfect pop album, short, fast, nice to listen to, and I fully agree.  Elephant Shell is a good album from a good band, but what can I say?  I expected more from these guys.  The appearance of Your English Is Good is really the defining misstep.  It showcases what these guys can do when they’re firing all pistons, but also dates them.  This is one of their best songs and it’s way better than everything else on this album, and it came out a year ago.  I’m thinking about how good A Lesson In Crime is instead of how mind blowing this debut LP is. 

I can’t put a finger on what I expected but I wanted a step in some direction.  I don’t want TPC to stagnate amongst these similar sounds, I want them to move and grow and keep popping out songs that make me smile and nod, not shake my head and wonder what they’ve been doing with their time.

Tokyo Police Club is at a crucial point right now, or so I believe, they can keep moving forward, adjusting their sound, crafting new forms of pop-rock that we can all marvel at like we did when A Lesson In Crime dropped, or they can fall back on their old sound and fade away after another boring album.  I truly hope for the former, but the band’s break from studio production post-Lesson was a bad move, and I could see it happening again. 

Tokyo Police Club is touring right now and that’s a good thing, new fans are going to eat this shit up, but when touring time has come to a close, TPC needs to avoid nappy-time, they need to jump in to the studio and pump out an EP that challenges their defined sound.  I’m bored of TPC right now and I don’t want to be.

:Tokyo Police Club - Tessellate:

Sorry, that was long.  But it needed to be said.

Thanks for reading.

Noah Sanders is the blog/news editor at Light In The Attic.   If you'd like to contact Noah in regards to his writings here at Side One: Track One then please do so here.

- Noah Sanders -



Friday, May 9, 2008
 

 

Since SXSW ended I've been taking it easy on the show front, but over the next week I'm hoping to catch Langhorne Slim, Wilco and Be Your Own Pet.  If you're in town I'll be the really tall guy who conveniently stands in front of you the entire time, so be sure to introduce yourself!  Now, let's talk Sunny Day Sets Fire.  I've already mentioned them once this year, but that was just a quick blurb about their Stranger/Remix EP and long before anything concrete was known about their upcoming full length.  As you probably expected, that's all changed.  The band's new effort, Summer Palace, is actually out now if you want it in download form via iTunes or eMusic, but if you want it in your hands then you'll have to wait until July 8.  I'm thinking either way is a good choice.  Enjoy.

:Sunny Day Sets Fire  - Brainless:  Proving that they have the necessary talent to do much more than I initially gave them credit for is this nifty pop tune that features what is probably one of the more pleasant arrangements I've come across this year.  I mean, just try to not adore the bouncy horns that drive this gem.  This overly long week could not have possibly ended on anything else.  Crank it and kick back!

Here is a rather neat video that was made for a song titled Wilderness.   For some reason I was thinking that it had been put out recently, but Youtube says it was added almost two years ago.  Oops.

 

- John Laird -



Thursday, May 8, 2008
 

 

I haven't had as much time as I normally do to browse around for music this week, but one of the artists that stuck out in my limited searching was Pepi Ginsberg.  The songbird from New York just released her third full length, and she has been getting some love from the likes of Pitchfork and Stereogum, which means she must be good.  Or something.  Anyhow, if you want you can check out more about the aforementioned Red over at Park The Van Records (Dr. Dog, Tulsa).  While you do that I'll see if I can't find any word as to whether or not her two previous efforts were good listens.  Or, if you know such information you could just tell me and I will get right back to waiting anxiously for the weekend to arrive.  Enjoy.

:Pepi Ginsberg - The Waterline:  This is a song that's hard for me to properly describe since I pretty much just want to hand it to you in person with only a smile on my face as an indication of what you should expect.  However, since that isn't a realistic option I will say that I really appreciate the fact Pepi is doing something as refreshing (and maybe even a little adventurous?) as this gem instead of kicking back and pushing out a bunch of the normal blandness that a lot of songbirds go with in the sound department.

There isn't much to this video that was made for the song you just downloaded, but Pepi walking down the street with various trippy effects happening all around her actually works nicely.

 

- John Laird -



Wednesday, May 7, 2008
 

I forgot to mention that the other night I attended another TXRD bout.  It was a pretty tough match that saw the Hollyrollers and the Cherry Bombs beat each other up while constantly battling for points.  The Hollyrollers pulled out a win in the end, but I have to say that it may have only been because the Cherry Bombs were getting injured left and right  Crazy.  If you're in Austin and have never been to a bout then you really need to go.  It has honestly become one of my favorite sports.

Here's an EP in honor of the Cherry Bomb's Kate Or Die and the arm that she broke Sunday night.  Enjoy.

:Brendan Canning - Hit The Wall:  You would think that I would know who this guy is since he is a founding member of Broken Social Scene and has contributed in acts like hHead, By Divine Right and Valley Of The Giants, but I have to admit that until I read the press release I had no idea.  I mean, who would have thought that BSS would still be helping members rock solo efforts?  They're like an army.  Anyhow, this is good indie rock that's deserving of your attention.  Something For All Of Us will be out on July 22 via Arts & Crafts.

:Soltero - Out At The Wall:  It has taken me a nice chunk of time to appreciate this, but since I've come around it has become a song that I seek out in my playlist on a regular basis.  I think it's something that very much requires a sizeable part of your attention and a good pair of headphones, so be sure to take that into account when you give it and its intimate presentation a listen.  You're No Dream will be out in a couple of weeks.

:Fear Of Music - Ropes Out Of Sheets:  With a press release that mentions the rebirth of rock n' roll and a sound that features various elements from the Smashing Pumpkins, Muse, Placebo, Manic Street Preachers, Jeff Buckley and the Pixies, it's clear that this band has no idea how to describe their sound.  Fortunately, I do.  It's big, varied and good.  Now turn it up!  Actor/Actress will hit store shelves in August.

:Biography Of Ferns - John The Barber:  If you've been looking for some quality mid-90s indie rock-esque type of music to make your week better then look no further than this Seattle-based trio who call Tellous Records home.  This song was actually used way back in 2004 on a Kill Rock Stars compilation and then again on the band's album, Pastel Gothic, which is out now.  So, it's old and new.  Or something.  Just listen to it.

:The Radio Dept - Freddie And The Trojan Horse:  Here is an act that will surely be putting out another stellar album via Labrador Records.  That label always seem to have some of the most interesting Swedish artists, and this moody number about the "untruthfulness of the Swedish right-wing government" does nothing but prove that.  It's hard to not call this a must-listen.  Clinging To A Scheme will be out in September.

- John Laird -



Tuesday, May 6, 2008
 

 

I don't what happened, but the weather has gotten all funky here in Austin.  For a long while now it has just been teetering between comfortable and hot, but now it's all cloudy and humid as hell.  It needs to stop, or I may never leave the apartment again.  Speaking of stopping, this is what I did a few years back in regards to We Are Scientists.  I don't mean that in a bad way, as I thought that their debut, Love & Squalor, was a good listen.  I'm just trying to say that it didn't do a whole lot to warrant revisits over the last three years.  In any case, the duo (they use to be a trio) are back with a sophomore effort that seems as if it might hold my attention longer.  It's called Brain Thrust Mastery, and it's expected to be released on May 13.  Enjoy.

:We Are Scientists - After Hours:  I have to say that I'm a little surprised at how quickly their sound matured.  When I hit play the first time I was expecting to be treated to another raucous track bent on getting me out of my seat, but this is very much a well crafted, honed piece of pop.  That doesn't necessarily mean that their sound is now void of anything that might get you to groove the night away, there's just more to it that's worth paying attention to.  I'm sure you'll be OK with that.

I'm a complete sucker for anything that involves a guy in a bear suit chasing pesky artists around, so I had no choice but to go with the video for Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt.  Plus, I'm curious as to whether or not the guy who gets killed is the one who is no longer in the band.  Anyone know?

 

- John Laird -



Sunday, May 4, 2008
 

It's been a good number of weeks now since John asked me to join the team here at Side One, and it's taken me some time to learn how to effectively use this here bullhorn to the world (of blog aggregators).  Today, I'd like to finally introduce a topic that I feel quite passionately about, something I've been thinking about for awhile, and something that's been a source of great confusion for me.

I don't know if I mentioned this in my original introduction, but I'm studying English here in
Austin.  Naturally, I do a lot of reading, especially American literature lately.  The "genre" I've always been most drawn to, or at least been the most infatuated with, is the Southern gothic tradition perpetuated by authors like Faulkner, O'Conner, and about a hundred others.  For those of you who've perused some of the works of the genre, you know exactly the themes I'm talking about.  For those who haven't, watch No Country For Old Men a couple times, and you'll get a general idea.  I don't know if it's the returning hot weather, or the Kentucky Derby, or the fact that I have about a hundred essays due, but my love for Southern literature was reawakened this past week.

Okay.  I know, "Blah blahblah literature."  Before we turn Side One into a amateur literary journal (my master plan of course), let's swing this over to music.  There's always been certain bands that, to me, have seemed to fit in with genres of literature, if only because they have book collections like mine. One of those bands is Centro-matic.

Now, they don't have lyrics that scream literary allusions, and their music isn't just an audio representation of the bleak themes and landscapes of southern literature.  Instead, it's a little bit catchy, with driving rhythms and top-notch harmonies, but the music and lyrics always seems to show signs of some grotesque secret, and leave me a bit unsettled, like walking outside to dark looming clouds that never quite rain.

Now, as I'm sure you know, Centro-matic has a fully developed side project called South San Gabriel.  Essentially, the band is Centro-matic plus a revolving cast of other musicians, but with less overdriven guitars and more serene "noises."  How do they fit into my literary theories?  Well, if anyone ever made a movie based on McCarthy's The Road (which I pray they don't), South
San Gabriel would be the soundtrack: bleak, but still emotionally charged, and full of odd instruments electronic and organic both – an ashen landscape of human emotion (and synthesizers!).

This June, Centro-matic is releasing a double LP, Dual Hawks, that's split with South San Gabriel.  Which means, the same guys doing a really long album under two different names. I'd like to share with you two tracks from the album, as well as some old ones from both bands that have become some of my favorites over the past few years.

Let's start with Centro-matic:

:Centro-matic - Hercules Now!:  First up, an old track, off 2000's All The Falsest Hearts Can Try.  I think this song is a pretty accurate example of most of the things I was talking about above, except that it's also got a drum machine thrown in there.  Like I said, it's hard not to sing along with Johnson: "Hercules No-ow-ow-oow…"  But just as soon as you start grooving along with the song, you get lyrics like "There's still no invitations, destroy the ones who'd smile."  Like I said, right behind the guitar rock, there's something a little unsettling.

:Centro-matic - I, The Kite:  Eight years later, and we've got something a little different. "I, The Kite" is, obviously, a little more refined than the track above, although the album as a whole shows some of the same low-fi that marked their early years.  My sampler didn't come with a lyrics sheet, but more and more with Centro-matic, it's the "feeling" I get listening to their songs.  By all traditional measures this should be a happy song: open chord acoustic guitars, hand claps, tambourines, badass guitar solos.  But for some reason, it's not.  If you like this, you'll like Dual Hawks.

:South San Gabriel - The Dark Of Garage:  This is a typical South San Gabriel songs – unidentifiable rhythmic sounds in the background, atmospheric noises (here piano chords and guitar) in the foreground, and then eventually very calm multi-part vocals.  Simple as it is, the song creates quite a desolate environment, and precedes to populate it with more and more sounds until reaching the summit, and dropping back off into a quiet murmur.  The rest of this album (The Carlton Chronicles) is simply stunning, even if it is about a cat (seriously).

:South San Gabriel - Trust To Lose Honestly, this was my least favorite song on the new album, but it's what the band (or the suits) decided to release as the "sampler" single, so we're stuck with it.  It's definitely a different direction for the band, but still quite interesting.  The strings sound like something out of the soundtrack to The Fifth Element, and there are a couple of extended noise breaks.  Also, and remember this, as it might come in hand later: distortion bass = money in the bank; why do you think Ben Folds Five were so wildly successful?  The song still carries that same odd unsettling feeling to it, but there are other songs on the album that are more traditionally SSG, which I'll post once I'm sure Misra won't sue my pants off.

Having listened to these songs, you may or may not get the same vibe I get with the Southern Gothic hoo-ha.  I'll grant you that I have be reading way too much these days. Either way, I'd love to hear any dissenting opinions, or better yet, what bands you closely identify with artistic, or even cultural movements in our history.

John Michael Cassetta writes for Austin Sound, That Other Paper, and the British lifestyle website RealBuzz.com. Comments, complaints, and solicitations may be directed here.

- John Michael Cassetta -
 


Saturday, May 3, 2008

GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS
 

I’d like to start today by apologizing for the rather large pile of horseshit I submitted last week as my column. It was short-sighted, unfunny, and belittling to those who actually have it in their souls to take their jobs seriously.  I can’t take back what has already been writ, but I can promise you this: from this point forward I’ll fill this space with insightful, hopefully interesting posts about subjects I at least think of as important.

So, again, apologies to you the readers, and to John for dropping that turd on you – it won’t happen again.

I’m about to make a statement that I hope won’t turn away every open-minded reader this site has, it seems to be blunt and stupid, but I promise I’ll redeem myself if you just give me the rest of the column:

I’ve never been much of a fan of female singers, or bands fronted by females.

Okay okay, I know, a terribly stupid way of thinking. You can stop throwing the leftover Vienna sausages and used diapers and just give me one little second to explain myself.  I’ve been thinking about this column for the last few weeks, and I’ve been struggling to come up with a way to phrase this that wouldn’t have me coming off as the biggest ass since Roger Clemens (and oh man, what an asshole that guy is, all of this scandal validates seriously ten years of hatred I’ve had for that redneck prick).  It isn’t that I have anything against female musicians, it’s just that I’ve struggled for the majority of my life to find a female musician who really blew me out of the water.

Let me reason this out with my favorite form of argument, BULLET POINTS!

1.  I grew up in The Nineties.  I’ve got to say looking back now that if you weren’t capable of digging a little deeper in those dark times finding strong female musicians accessible to a male audience was at least somewhat difficult.  Tori Amos?  Too much man hatred.  Fiona Apple? Too creepily sexual for my adolescent mind to read as “talented.”  Alanis Morrisette?  C’mon, really?  I was too busy being shocked by her allusions to theatre fellatio to care whatsoever if she was talented or not.  By the time she was pumping out Ironic and Two Hands, I’d already counted her off as a parody.  Blame my blunted sense of music appreciation for missing out on Bjork, thinking The Breeders were a one hit wonder, and completely missing out on the thrash of L7, Bikini Kill and Seven Year Bitch.  I was watching MTV and pondering just what lucky guys hands were on the cover of Janet.

2.  The first three CDs ever purchased for me by my hoodlum friend Scott Smith were Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, Snoop Dogg’s Doggystyle and Nirvana’s In Utero.  And I think I was in sixth grade when I received all these.  Instead of judging me for my brainless discounting of an entire sexes music, I think we should be happy I made it out of high school without any felony arrests and/or tattoos.  These weren’t female musicians, let alone female-friendly musicians (does anyone remember the Nuttin’ But A G Thang video?) and I think it sort of affected me from the start.  I don’t even think I owned a female artists’ album until I purchased Polyrhythmatics when I was 16 (and Apani B Fly wasn’t even the starring member of that group).  Looking back now, that’s sad.  You can blame Scott Smith, my mother always has.

3.  In all honesty, I didn’t start tapping in to indie rock and the wide world of music until I was, maybe 23.  In high school and almost all of college I listened to hip-hop – all the time.  My weekly trips to the CD store were solely for perusing the newest hip-hop albums.  I have four CD cases from high school and college and they’re full of rap music…and that’s all.  No offense to hip-hop (I’ve posited my feeling on it in previous posts), but for female artists it’s a limited field.  Yes, today we’re being exposed to more, amazing female emcees, but for a long time it was a barren field and I was standing dead center in the middle of it, completely unaware.

4. The MTV generation, which I’m ashamedly a part of, isn’t exactly renowned for its amazing female musicians.  Again, this being said with the express knowledge that I could’ve dug a little deeper, growing up I wasn’t interested in Britney (well I was…), or Ashlee, or Janet, or techno-era Madonna.  It seemed like overproduced crap and I was having NONE of it. Thus I strayed towards hip-hop and male oriented rock music and up until six months ago thought that a male-dominated music taste was just fine.

Goddamn if I wasn’t wrong.

I wish I could I say that what’s going on right now is a resurgence of female singers, that my brainless dismissal of nearly one half the species was based on lack of quality, but lets be honest, that’s bullshit.  It’s been an equal ballgame since day one and I’ve just been sitting on my thumbs watching a grand old world pass me on by. 

That stops now.  Ladies, you’re doing a grand old job, and you always have been.

For your enjoyment four songs I’ve been digging from man’s better half.

:Sera Cahoone - Baker Lake:  Sera Cahoone was seemingly grown directly from the Earth.  In person, the former Carissa’s Weird and Band of Horses’ member looks as if she emerged from the trees to grace us with the Earth’s very own lament.  She’s lean, wiry, and has seemingly taken the worse the world could lay out, and just kept on rolling.  Baker Lake is a slow, sad little piece about the good times that came before, and lo and behold if it doesn’t remind me of pick-up truck rides and barren one-light towns.  Cahoone’s Sub Pop debut album Only As The Day Is Long was released in March.

:She And Him - Why Did You Let Me Stay Here?:  I’m almost positive every music writer in the country secretly believed that actress Zooey Deschanel’s debut album with M. Ward was going to be a travesty.  Well, ladies and gentlemen you’ll have to reserve that ire for Scarlett Johansson’s impending shitfest, ‘cause She & Him is an absolutely brilliant album.  A collection of homage’s to classic rock, 60s be-bop, all lovingly crooned by the excessively talented, excessively adorable Deschanel.  Too bad her lawyers sent me that restraining order or I’d be giving her a big old squeeze of congratulations right about now.

:Santogold - Starstruck:  I mentioned earlier that rap has never been an entirely lady-friendly genre, but that notion has been decidedly turned on its head in recent years.  M.I.A. has been showing her best stuff for a couple of albums now and it’s nice to see some worthy protégés following in her wake.  I know almost nothing about Santogold, but the blog world loves her, and this track proves way.  Big hard crunching synths and a delightfully atonal voice rising above it all.  Her self-titled debut album is out now.

:Cryptacize - Cosmic Sing-A-Long:  Oh man, I was sifting through emails this morning and happened upon an update from the good people at Asthmatic Kitty introducing me to this amazing trio.  It is really hard to define this music.  It’s got a sort of lo-fi afro-beat feel to it, but in an almost post-punk way.  Whatever it is, it’s rad.  Short, sweet and beautiful and the female half of the equation, Nedelle Torisi, is just so simple and clear.  Nothing complicated, just an awe-striking voice.  I thought about including one of her solo tracks from the album, but couldn’t pass up posting Cosmic Sing-A-Long.  I implore you to check out  Dig That Treasure out on Asthmatic Kitty now.

There we have it.  Thanks for reading!

Noah Sanders is the blog/news editor at Light In The Attic.   If you'd like to contact Noah in regards to his writings here at Side One: Track One then please do so here.

- Noah Sanders -




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