Happy Monday to you. I hope your weekend was a memorable one, filled with fun and time with friends or family. I’m going to keep this intro short today, mostly because I’m hard at work on a review of the Radiohead show that happened last night and I don’t want to take up too much time from that (ed: it’s finished now, read it here. In one quick sentence? The show was amazeballs. More on that later. For now, please enjoy this set of mp3s and music streams. A quick Class of 2012 note for you. You can grab an mp3 of a new Frank Ocean song below. He’ll have a record out this fall that you and I will need to pay attention to. Also part of my Class of 2012, Charli XCX has a new single out this week, which you can stream in the Soundcloud section below. Other downloads I’ll recommend today come from Archers, The Drowning Men, Pony Trash (which has members of The Chambermaids and Polica in it), Restorations and Zucchini Drive. There’s a new CocoRosie song up for streaming in the Soundcloud section too. It features the great Antony Hegarty, so I hope you’ll check it out.
Liars are undoubtedly a talented band. They’re also impressively weird, to the point where even some of their most hardcore fans have probably felt a little alienated at times. In effect, they are the onion of bands: multi-layered, not for everybody, and sometimes they’ll draw tears from your eyes. If you’re listening to “The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack”, those tears might be the result of sheer beauty, whereas “Scarecrows On A Killer Slant” could easily bring forth tears of terror. So yeah, it’s not easy to pigeonhole Liars, and they seem to like it that way. Not knowing what to expect from them on each new album is an exciting proposition, even if it doesn’t always work out. For the most part they’ve been smart with career twists and turns, jumping from a concept record about witches (They Were Wrong, So We Drowned) to one that places a huge emphasis on percussion (Drum’s Not Dead) and then attempting to grind out something more straightforwad with heavy post-punk leanings (Sisterworld). On their new album WIXIW, the band once again explores new territory, this time peeling away most of the guitars and focusing on programmed beats and electronica elements. Many are calling it a “Kid A-like shift”, in reference to Radiohead’s steep change in sonic direction after the immense success of OK Computer. Liars frontman Angus Andrew even sounds a little like Thom Yorke on a couple tracks, perhaps most notably on “Ill Valley Prodigies” and “His and Mine Sensations”. Apt as those comparisons might be, the last thing you want to do is try and imitate a record that many believe was the finest thing released in the last dozen or so years. The band hasn’t said that was their intention, so maybe the similarities are wholly accidental. Really the whole “abandon instruments and go electronica” thing has become a plague among artists in recent years, with most citing the apparent limits that guitar and drum combinations have versus the wider realm of programmed sounds. That’s the main reason why Liars did it too, as they’ve said in recent interviews. Hell, that’s probably Radiohead’s excuse as well, only they did it before it was cool. Parts of WIXIW feel like a cop-out because of it though. It’s as if the band has lost confidence in their own ability to generate something original, so they’re creating new music based on sounds and influences they know are cool at the moment. That doesn’t mean the record is terrible or devoid of original ideas though. Opening track “The Exact Colour of Doubt” features calming waves of synths and handclap percussion that is downright beautiful. Single “No. 1 Against the Rush” glides, pulses and tinkers in a very Brian Eno-like fashion, even evolving the final minute of the song into a touch of instrumental madness. Those moments when Liars can condense some of their best elements from earlier records into the more electro-based structures are what work best. The rhythmically complex and bassline-driven madness of “Brats” is the band’s classic rave-up with a synth-etic twist, and “A Ring On Every Finger” puts a Depeche Mode spin on some of their favorite tribal rhythms. Most of these songs are interesting at least in concept, and the closer attention you lend them the more carefully composed they seem. That your perception of this record can change over time definitely makes it worth repeat examinations, even if those changes cause you to like it less. When you’re Liars, that comes with the territory. WIXIW may not be the shining moment for this band, and their own bout of self-doubt spawning its creation isn’t helping, but nobody else could have made this album. Sometimes that’s enough.
Radiohead made their “Chicago” stop on the King of Limbs tour tonight, and I was there to witness all the action. I’ll have a full report for you in a day or two, but in the meantime, here’s the full set list for your pleasure. It includes the first-ever live performance of new song “Full Stop”. To say that every hair on my body was standing on end and shivers went down my spine during that song is putting it lightly. When a reasonable quality video of it hits YouTube, I’ll be sure to let you know.
Set List
Bloom
There There
15 Step
Kid A
Staircase
Morning Mr. Magpie
The Gloaming
Codex
The Amazing Sounds of Orgy
Karma Police
Reckoner
Lotus Flower
Myxomatosis
Feral
Little By Little
Idioteque ENCORE 1
Separator
Full Stop (FIRST TIME PERFORMED)
Bodysnatchers
The One I Love–>Everything In It’s Right Place ENCORE 2
Give Up the Ghost
Identikit
Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
Street Spirit (Fade Out)
Short and sweet on the Friday beat is what I aim for, so instead of chatting about weekend plans, let’s get to business. First it’s my weekly reminder that Faronheit has a Facebook page. Go there, click “Like”, and get links to every single post on this site, plus a few exclusives like music videos that strike my fancy and Spotify playlists of my own creation. Secondly, Pick Your Poison is good today, as it is most days. You don’t want to miss downloading songs from Beast Make Bomb, Little Daylight’s remix of Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Giraffage, The Mynabirds, Richard Hawley and Swiss American Federation (featuring Cary Brothers). In the Soundcloud section there’s a new Whigs track you might get excited about streaming. Have a great weekend!
Wayne Coyne and The Flaming Lips might be in a little bit of trouble. Okay, it’s more like a slightly heated argument than anything serious (for the time being). You may recall that on their Record Store Day exclusive album The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends that there was a track featuring the lovely and powerful Erykah Badu. If you’ve also been paying close attention to music sites the last couple weeks a music video for that song may have caught your eye. A very NSFW music video that features Erykah’s sister Nayrok sans clothing and bathing in a variety of liquids and such. Well surprise, surprise, I guess that video wasn’t officially “done”, or as the band says it was, “unedited and unapproved”. Oddly enough, it looked quite edited. The “unapproved” part makes more sense though. The video has been scrubbed off the internet for the time being, with the hopes of posting an “edited and approved” version next week. In the meantime, Erykah is none too pleased with how this whole thing went down. She took to Twitter with a long missive about how angry she is about that video. She seems to feel that the video was “tasteless, meaningless and shock motivated” and disrespected her as an artist. That was point one of many as to why she disapproves of that video. Hopefully they’re able to come to some sort of agreement on a final product, but in the meantime, Wayne tweeted a pretty snarky reply that included a photo of his lips covered in glitter with the comments of “I kissed it!!!!” and “Nice ass!!!!” in reference to Erykah’s sister Nayrok having her body covered in it for the video. So there’s your amusing tidbit for the day. More on that if it develops. In the meantime, here’s today’s Pick Your Poison, complete with “edited and approved” mp3s from Baby Monster, Brown Shoe (covering Springsteen), Burning Hotels, Manor, The Spring Standards and TEEN. In the Soundcloud section there’s some good streaming stuff from Family Band, Four Tet and Class of 2012 artist Blonds.
“America! Truck Yeah!” That’s the slogan an NYU graduate film student Heather Fink wanted to use as part of a Chevy advertising campaign. Because one doesn’t simply suggest a slogan without some hard evidence to back up how effective it could be, she put together a couple of “spec” commercials to fully sell it. Savvy filmmaker that she is, she recruited Les Savy Fav’s Tim Harrington along with comedian Bobby Tisdale to star in those commercials. Naturally, they’re pretty funny. You can watch one of the commercials here and the other one here. I’d love it if Chevy adopted these, however they chose to pass on the idea. Maybe Ford will be interested? Anyways, that was just a fun little slice I thought you might enjoy on this Wednesday. As for today’s Pick Your Poison, I’ll recommend tracks from The 65’s, Bogan Via, Calexico, The Dust Engineers, Ian McGlynn and Will Magid. Be sure to check out a full mixtape from How to Dress Well too. In the Soundcloud section don’t miss streaming a song from Museum of Bellas Artes.
Japandroids are a band with an expiration date. The Vancouver duo crafted their last album Post-Nothing with the thought they’d be breaking up soon thereafter, having not found success in the relatively unsupportive music scene of their hometown. That record was in essence a mission statement from two guys that had nothing left to lose and wanted to go out in a blaze of glory. Well, it seems that glory found them, because their song “Young Hearts Spark Fire” did as its title described and ignited the passions of rock fans across the globe. The entire album actually did wonders for the band, and two years of touring with large crowds suddenly made returning to a much more normal, non-music life a far less appealing option. As much as they dislike recording, it remains an essential part of any artist’s shelf life to keep generating new material. So with the exact same collection of people, instruments and rules they had on their last album, Japandroids set out to see if lightning could strike twice. Celebration Rock is the result. While the artwork, 8 song track list and running time might well have been photocopied from Post-Nothing, the songs themselves represent a very important progression for the band. First and foremost, the very internal and personal nature of the songs has been excised to focus on bigger emotions and an outward projection. The tortured thoughts of two guys on the verge of imploding their band have been replaced by songs about other people, possibly you, that want to live and party and lust and take revenge – sometimes all at the same time. The music plays along with that vibe too; there’s a distinct hunger and energy present in Brian King’s guitar riffs and Dave Prowse’s drumming that’s designed for bigger and better things. Whereas before they were making music for themselves, now they’re making it for their fans. Opening track “The Nights of Wine and Roses” sets the tone perfectly for the rest of the record, saying we’re all drinking and smoking and spending time with friends while waiting for the big and important moments in our lives to finally arrive. The lesson learned in the end is that those big and important moments are the ones where you’re waiting. The supercharged kick in the teeth that starts the album holds up in all its headbanging, devil horns and mosh pit glory through “Fire’s Highway”, “Evil’s Sway” and an effervescent cover of Gun Club’s “For the Love of Ivy”. They truly epitomize what the album’s title is all about. At the halfway point however, a shift takes place that changes the dynamic of the record. Rather than racing for the finish line in blistering fashion, they temper the energy only slightly and go for more of an emotional and nostalgic approach. “Adrenaline Nightshift” evokes some of the best moments The Replacements ever had sonically while tapping into abstract imagery like “a blitzkrieg love and a Roman candle kiss” and espousing that “there’s no high like this.” A similar mentality is tackled in “Younger Us”, reflecting back on youthful indiscretions with a bunch of “remember when”‘s and “thinking that this feeling was never gonna end.” But those two tracks really wind up as stepping stones for “The House That Heaven Built”, a crossroads at which the band’s intense instrumentals and recent lyrical prowess collide at their peaks. As the song chugs along with sheer purpose, King sings like he’s just achieved a newfound clarity and confidence in his life and wants to pass such wisdom onto us. “If they try to slow you down/tell ’em all to go to hell,” he professes like a man that has broken through all of his boundaries and is utterly ecstatic at the possibilities that lie before him. If that doesn’t suck you in, the hook most assuredly will. Celebration Rock ends on a ballad, or at least something that turns the speed and noise down from 11 to maybe a 9.5. “Continuous Thunder” is about the electricity between two people and the question of whether they can salvage their tenuous relationship. It might not be the happiest song on the record, but it does strive to keep the same sense of boldness and conviction as everything else. As the guitars finally drift off gently into that good night, the album’s final seconds are the same as its first: the sound of fireworks. We use those pyrotechnics only in the most joyous and exclamatory circumstances, such as weddings or after a home run in baseball. On Celebration Rock, Japandroids knock one out of the park.
Remember yesterday when I said I wasn’t feeling well? After a night that was ultimately spent praying to the porcelain god, I strongly suspect I had food poisoning. Feeling better today (so far), though I have been careful about what I’m eating. That cleared up, the normal Tuesday business is that I tell you all about the new full lengths and EPs being released this week, in case you’re looking to pick something up. This week you’ll find new stuff from Alejandro Escovedo, Amanda Mair, The Beach Boys, Crocodiles, Dntel, The Hives, Japandroids, Kelly Hogan, Langhorne Slim, Liars, Melvins, The Mynabirds, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Pujol, Rhett Miller, The Rocket Summer, Scott Lucas and the Married Men, Teen Daze and The Temper Trap. Definitely some interesting stuff on there. Also some interesting stuff in today’s Pick Your Poison. I’ll advise you to download tracks from Dalton, Dub Pistols, Echo Lake, Emily Jane White and Marissa Nadler cpveromg Townes Van Zandt, Flosstradamus & DJ Sliink, and Silver Medallion covering Robyn. Lest I forget, The Deer Tracks are a pretty awesome electronica duo from Sweden, and they’ll be playing a show at Schuba’s on Thursday, June 14th. It’s set to be a great show, and they’ll be performing songs off their Archer trilogy. Hell yes you should go if you’re in the area. Buy tickets here.
Have you ever felt sick but had no idea what was wrong with you? As in, your sinuses are clear, your head feels fine, but your body feels like there’s something out of whack? I’m no doctor and haven’t asked anyone for their opinion, but I feel like I’m coming down with something. It’s possible I have a fever, and there’s just a slight touch of nausea rising from my stomach. I’m not looking for a diagnosis from some helpful commenter, but really I’m just trying to reflect my current state and explain why I’m not going to mess around with this Pick Your Poison intro today. Let’s get straight to the meat and potatoes of this before another symptom arises. I’ll recommend tracks from Amanda Palmer, Anabot, Archers of Loaf, EDH, Laetitia Sadier, Patrick Watson, Perfume Genius and Super Magic Hats. In the Soundcloud section there’s good stuff from Arrange, The Hudson Branch (covering Wilco), Liam Titcomb and a Fela Kuti cover collaboration that involves tUnE-yArDs and ?uestlove of The Roots. Let’s hope I’m feeling right as rain tomorrow.
Nobody makes a record quite like Sigur Rós. Many have tried, and all have failed. This niche they have carved out for themselves puts them in a rather unique position; one where expectations are almost simply that they just make music that sounds beautiful. The consumate professionals they are though, the band hasn’t simply rested on their laurels and made the same record five times over. They’ve spent the last 15 years refining and twisting their post-rock crescendos in new and exciting ways that may not always have worked but still kept fans engaged. They earned so much credit for the brilliance of Ágaetis Byrjun that nobody even blinked an eye when they invented their own language. The point was to show how the voice is but another instrument, and you don’t need words to express your feelings if the melody already does that for you. They furthered that point by titling their 2002 record (), with a track listing that was (for all practical purposes) “Untitled #1” through “Untitled #8”. They followed that record up with Takk, an album that pushed at the edges of restraint and took on a sunnier, more explosive disposition. Yet that still didn’t quite prepare you for 2008’s Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust, which featured the band trying to trim the bloat of some of their grandest and most atmospheric work in an effort to fully harness those moments of pure release. The shift was both a blessing and a curse. Great as it was to hear Sigur Rós breaking out of their mold a little bit, they didn’t fully commit to the idea and the album wound up uneven as a result.
After more than a decade of the recording and touring cycle, Sigur Rós decided to take a bit of a hiatus in 2009 to spend time with family or work on other projects. Frontman Jónsi Birgisson first made an atmospheric instrumental record with his boyfriend Alex Somers called Riceboy Sleeps, then took on a legitimate solo album that was heavy on pop and light on atmosphere. The band tried to keep up with their schedule of releasing an album every 2-3 years by unleashing Inni last year, a double disc live album and DVD recorded at a couple shows the band played in London in 2008. That served as a great reminder of how the band’s catalogue has evolved over the years, though it didn’t do much to hint at where they might head next. In an interview in the Wall Street Journal late last year, band members described their new album Valtari as “introverted,” “floaty and minimal,” “ambient” and “a slow takeoff toward something.” All too often what the music makers hear versus what the music listeners hear tends to be two different things, but in this rare case the record comes as described. That can be a positive or a negative depending on how you look at it.
If you were thrilled by how Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust changed the game for Sigur Rós by taking them in a poppier, freak-folkish direction, Valtari will instantly feel like a betrayal of that and a step backwards. Fans of the band’s earlier material that was largely atmospheric and measured should find solace that the new album is ingrained with that same spirit. Yet it’s still missing one essential component. For years, the best word to describe Sigur Rós was “epic.” Jónsi would play his guitar with a violin bow, and the noise would be so expansive it could topple mountains and carve out canyons. The visual representations of the music are intended to be equally impactful. In their video for “Glósóli” kids jump off an oceanside cliff, and their video for “Untitled #1” has schoolkids playing outside in a post-apocalyptic wasteland while wearing gas masks and building snowmen out of ash. As a mode of contrast, the video for Valtari‘s first single “Ekki Múkk” is nearly eight minutes of grainy footage showing a boat floating through the air over the ocean. That does not lend itself well to the word “epic”, and neither does the song. So while this record might be long on mood and time, it comes up short on big moments. That doesn’t make it bad, just once again different from everything else they’ve done.
The classic Sigur Rós move is to steadily build tension within a track and then give release in an outpouring of noise. That’s the standard for post-rock in general, actually. The closest thing you’ll get to that on Valtari is “Varúð”, which develops into an ocean of loud right around the 4.5 minute mark. A track like “Rembihnútur” however, becomes loud out of sheer necessity given the number of instruments and moving parts attempting to fit into that space. Graceful orchestral swells primarily take the place of widescreen guitars, and percussion seems to be a second thought or entirely forgotten on many of the songs. Similar things could be said about Jónsi, whose vocal presence vanishes entirely from the last third of the record. As one of the band’s most unique and greatest assets, his absence is felt the most, even if he’s pounding the keys on stark piano-driven pieces like “Varðeldur” and “Fjögur Píanó” instead of singing. But such twists are part of what make Sigur Rós such a compelling band to listen to time and time again. Just when you think they’re headed into autopilot, they hang a left and take a new road.
With the consistent sonic maneuvering between records, one of these days Sigur Rós is going to turn down the wrong path. Valtari could well be start of the band’s slow decline from their mountaintop. The record’s biggest strength and weakness is its complacency. Six albums in, so many of us want more with each new release, and this album is one case where the band is giving us less. The soundtrack to the most immense and incredible natrual wonders of the world has been replaced by the experience of sitting by a lake in the woods at sunset. The way the light shimmers off the calm water is breathtakingly gorgeous, but plenty of people will shrug their shoulders and ask where the beaches and waves are. For an oft minimalist record such as this, sometimes you need to just sit back and appreciate how little it takes to craft something that’s meaningful and emotionally stirring. Sit in the dark and let the music steamroll over you, giving it your full and undivided attention for an hour. If you can’t detect the care, precision and love poured into it, perhaps this isn’t the record for you. This is one for the socially awkward, the mentally calm and the extremely artistic. It stands to be their most divisive long player to date. Whether you love it or hate it or simply feel indifferent about it, you still can’t deny this album is anything less than beautiful. From that point it’s just a matter of if that beauty goes beyond skin deep.
Did it seem like this week just flew by? That’s what a holiday on Monday will do for you. We’re back at the weekend, and that’s a great thing. A couple items of business before cashing in the chips and taking a couple days. First up, this is the weekly reminder that Faronheit has a Facebook page. If you’re looking for some extra content or simply links to all the posts that appear here on the site, do me a favor and click “Like” at the Facebook page. I’d appreciate it. Secondly, I want to briefly mention that Cory Branan, who has a new song available for download below, will be playing a show at Schubas on June 26th. Audra Mae and Briar Rabbit open the show. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. Check him out, I hear he’s great live, and that song below is great too. In addition to Cory Branan, there are some excellent songs today from Codeine, Crocodiles, Dent May, The Henry Clay People, Husky, Micachu & the Shapes, Sonny & the Sunsets, State Lines and They Might Be Giants. The Soundcloud section is full of gems too. Don’t miss streaming new stuff from Balam Acab, Friends, Yuck side project Parakeet, and Ty Segall Band.
Chicago has quite a large number of great local bands that haven’t hit the big time just yet, and I’m always pleased when one sends me an email introduction. I try to support the local scene as much as I’m able without distracting too much from some of the more major worldwide indie acts, and in this case here’s something fun anybody from anywhere can get involved with. Chicago band The Bears of Blue River are preparing a new 7″ single for their song “Flamingo”, and they want you to design the cover art. Feel free to submit anything, from a photo you took to something you drew/painted or even something you created on your laptop. If it’s artistic or even simple and crude, feel free to submit it for consideration. You can get your art to the band through email or regular mail, bearing in mind that if you’re submitting something digitally the image should be as large as possible to avoid distortion on the actual finished product. Digital submissions can be sent to BearsContest@rhedrholl.com. Physical submissions should be sent to Rhed Rholl Recordings, PO Box 60315, Nashville, TN, 37206. Please know that by sending in your artwork you’re giving permission to the band and Rhed Rholl Recordings to use it in whatever fashion they like. If your piece is chosen, you will receive record #1 of 250 hand numbered pink vinyl, a framed copy of your artwork, and a special thank you in the liner notes. Just for submitting something the band will also include your name in the liner notes. If you’re looking for more details on the contest, simply click here. And so you’re not creating artwork for a band you might not have heard of before, here’s an mp3 to give you an idea of what the band sounds like: The Bears of Blue River – Blue Ribbon.
Now, onto today’s Pick Your Poison. Fun stuff in this set, and I’ll recommend tracks from Big Boi & Theophilus London, James Bowers, Katie Kate, Los Campesinos!, Sea of Bees, and a classic Silver Jews song. In the Soundcloud section be sure to stream songs from Matthew Dear, Nouela and Taragana Pyjarama. Oh, and lest I forget, Blayer Point-Du-Jour & Rockers Galore, who have an mp3 below, will be playing a show at Reggie’s Music Joint on June 5th with Mr. Blotto. Cover is $5 at the door, so if you want to see a quality show in Chicago this upcoming Tuesday, that might be worth checking out.
There is a small group of artists making music today that simply cannot sit still. Their need to create is so overwhelming that it cannot be confined to simply one band or project. Take a look at Robert Pollard, who operates under no less than 10 different names as part of collaborations with different people. He’s been averaging about 2-3 full lengths a year for quite awhile now, with at least two Guided By Voices records due this year. Or examine Spencer Krug, who has been part of Wolf Parade, Sunset Rubdown, Swan Lake and currently Moonface – all within the last three years. Bradford Cox, too, hasn’t gone a full year since 2007 without releasing a record under either the Deerhunter or Atlas Sound name. Soon to be added to this elite collective might well be Kyle Thomas. In the last few years, he’s played important roles in the J. Mascis stoner metal side project Witch, odd folk band Feathers, and indie pop trio Happy Birthday. He’s also struck out on his own, releasing music under the name King Tuff. He put out his first solo record Was Dead in 2008, and finally found the time to make a follow-up this year. King Tuff appropriately made the new album self-titled, because it marks the first time most will hear his work. His debut came out on Teepee Records and was manufactured in such a limited quantity that you have to pay a pretty penny on eBay for a copy. Now signed to Sub Pop, his platform has expanded significantly, as has his sound. Where he blasted through tracks before with a ramshackle lo-fi punk style, he’s tempered that now by exploring elements of ’50s, ’60s and ’70s rock and pop. The guitars are still as fuzz-laden as ever, but the record doesn’t race to the finish line like it’s got somewhere to be. A song like “Unusual World” coasts along at a relaxed mid-tempo pace and incorporates synths and xylophone for added flavor. “Evergreen” rides on the wings of a summer breeze, drifting so lightly it almost feels like it belongs on another album. And piano ballad “Swamp of Love” comes off like an Elton John torch song filtered through Bob Dylan glasses. Outside of those softer or quieter moments, King Tuff is a whole lot of fun to listen to. “Anthem” carves out a grand place for itself as described. One of the best singles so far this year might just be “Bad Thing”, which blasts along with the speed of a powerboat and has a candy-coated chorus that will stick in your head for weeks. Meanwhile “Stranger” plays around with sounds previously reserved for T. Rex or Lynyrd Skynyrd. These record might not have a whole lot of weird experiments going for it, but what it lacks in sheer oddity it more than makes up for in strong composition. This is a collection of dynamic songs you’re supposed to enjoy and not think too much about. In other words, it’s a great record for summer. Sometimes you don’t need anything more than that.
Here’s a couple of music news items that might spark your interest. It seems that Ween have broken up. At least according to Aaron Freeman aka Gene Ween. The band was together for 25 years and made some really weird but also really fun music. They’re also innovators in their own right. Given that Freeman launched a solo career earlier this month, the timing makes some degree of sense. What fascinates me is that Mickey Melchiondo, aka Dean Ween, apparently knew nothing about the breakup, saying on Facebook that it’s “news to me, all I can say for now I guess.” Secondly, I want to briefly mention that the enigmatic Willis Earl Beal was arrested over the weekend in the Netherlands for reportedly kicking a homeless man in the face. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if that turned out to be true. If you’ve heard Beal’s excellent record Acousmatic Sorcery, you probably know he pours out his heart and soul in those songs. Performing them live must be a highly emotional experience, and if somebody’s harassing you during it, a kick to the face might feel like the appropriate response at the time. He’s now out of police custody and planning to continue his tour like normal. Anyways, those are just a couple stories from the last few days I’ve found to be the most fascinating. I hope you do too if you hadn’t heard them already. Let’s get to today’s Pick Your Poison. I’ll happily suggest downloading tracks from Candidate, Freddie Gibbs, Gemma Ray, Kandodo, Oddience, Scout (covering The Replacements) and Ty Segall Band. In the Soundcloud section don’t miss streaming tracks from Giovanni James and Merchandise.
Say hello to another new album release Tuesday. This week’s new release list is a little smaller than usual, primarily due to the holiday week scaring some artists off. Fear not though, because while there are fewer new records this week, the ones that are out today are generally bigger than normal. You might want to purchase new full lengths or EPs from Cadence Weapon, David Ramos, The Dig, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Gemma Ray, Glass Widow, Julia Stone, King Tuff, Ladyhawke, Lemonade, Marissa Nadler, Public Image Ltd., Regina Spektor, Saint Etienne, Scissor Sisters, Sigur Ros, Simian Mobile Disco, Sun Kil Moon, The Walkmen and White Lung. As for some of the great things available in today’s Pick Your Poison, I’ll certainly throw some force behind tracks from Broncho, Cold Warps, El-P, GHXST, Moon Furies, Roomdance and XNY. Be on the lookout for a stream of something new from Summer Camp in the Soundcloud section too.
