Formerly the world's number one DJ, Clive Rudloe's career nosedived following an incident at Ministry of Sound in 2008. The Above & Beyond film crew joins him shortly after his decision to ditch his assistant in favor of a new heavyweight manager.
Sounds Like: It's going to be a cool, cloudy kind of day
RIYL: Bon Iver, Elliot Smith, Age Pryor, Nick Drake, Iron & Wine
A Few Words: Hands up, who like sad songs! That's right, we all do. Or maybe nobody does--I can't actually see your hands. I just assume people like sad music because musicians keep making it. And also because I like it. And since the sun isn't out today, I've been listening to the acoustic musings of young, East Coast singer-songwriter, Peasant.
I had to through "young" into the adjective list because Peasant (Damien DeRose) was 19 when he self-recorded his first album, fear not distant lover, in his 1 bedroom apartment. With another release in 09 (On the Ground, distributed through Team Love), he's now off on a European tour. Upon his return he plans to record a third album, Shady Retreat, on his own in a converted springhouse studio in the woods.
It's easy to lump Peasant in with other Americana, Folk, or the gamut of acoustic boo-hoo that flip-flops its way into our play lists. Yet if we are going to categorize and compare Peasant with other musicians, let us compare him to the good ones because although his "sound" is not groundbreaking, his songs are unique and his words climb past being lyrics and reach the metaphors reserved for poetry. And like Bon Iver and Elliot Smith, what ultimately wins us over is his voice.
Now, the official release of the EP is the title track, "The End", but I'm going to post the B-side because I think it's more interesting. While "The End" is a raw, emotional yearning for companionship, the other song, "Thinking", employs a couple more instruments and a few more layers.
You can pre-order the limited edition 7" vinyl of "The End" here, or you can find it at one of his upcoming shows.
Division Day is set to strike with their sophomore release, Visitation released Tuesday, August 18th via Dangerbird Records. To prepare you for this innovative new record we wanted to share with you the video for "Surrender." Inspired by this song, a fan was flushed with creativity and images from the 1977 Japanese cult film, Hausu. The result is gore-encrusted-mythological-journey that matches the experimentally bold "Surrender." Don't forget to watch out for the cats with glowing eyes.
Sounds Like: Not quite post punk, not quite new wave
RIYL: British Sea Power, Pere Ubu, (early) Joy Division, Hot Cha Cha
From the Press Release: At a time when music descended from “punk” and “new wave” has been reduced to it’s most rudimentary and lo-fi elements, Mystery of Two continues to pursue the original artistic aspirations of the genre---believing that art and music can be unfamiliar and challenging, without sacrificing accessibility. Much like their musical touchstones—The Feelies, The Voidoids, Talking Heads, and Pere Ubu—Mystery of Two follow the axiom that the unconventional can be created through paramount musicianship, attention to song-craft, and sonic structuring.
Their self-titled follow up to 2006’s Arrows Are All You Know, finds Mystery of Two further traversing the boundaries of experimental pop, and no where is this more evident than in the masterful guitar playing of singer/guitarist Ryan Weitzel. Channeling Robert Quine (Voidoids) and Richard Lloyd (Television), Weitzel creates songs that convey a sense of urgency and immediacy, which at times evolve into turbulences reminiscent of Dinosaur Jr. Vocally, Weitzel has been described as a baritone fusion of David Byrne and Nick Cave, which masterfully accompanies the dark sound-scapes and lyrical content created by the band. Steadied by the pop-gun drumming of Nick Riley and stalwart bass playing of Jeff Deasey, the palpable energy of this trio is captured in these “live take” recordings, which were later augmented by unique instrumentation unfamiliar to their pedigree (violin, trumpet, slide guitar). As a result of their chemistry, energy and effort, Mystery of Two succeeds in creating an updated aesthetic to the timeless works that emanated from the Bowery over three decades ago.
The band's second record (self titled) will be released 14 September.
Americana songs tend to root their lyrical metaphors in one of two themes: road trips or redemption (one often leading to the other). Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons head straight for the latter in "Born Again," the single released from their upcoming album Death Won't Send a Letter, due out on 29 September. The video is a beautiful montage of bathtub baptisms and revivals in the heat of summer's lingering sunsets.
On a more personal note (and filed neatly in the "just saying" department), if my church had played more music like this (especially with a sultry blond organist), I may have given religion a chance. But they didn't. And I wouldn't. Probably more to do with the fact Catholics don't like to appear to be enjoying themselves--should have hung out with more Baptists, I guess.
Listen to The Octopus Project's Golden Beds EP here.
Austin four-piece The Octopus Project are excited to reveal their brand new video for "Wet Gold," one of the featured videos on their brand new Golden Beds Enhanced EP (Peek-A-Boo Records), which includes five different tunes and seven brand new videos! Josh Lambert in the band talks about the making of the video:
...it was wet and cold! We filmed it in Galveston a couple of months after the hurricane hit, so it was pretty devastated. The whole city (specifically the beach) was filled with debris and completely ripped up buildings -- totally creepy. There was a pretty gnarly fog that day as well, so it only added to the eeriness. Making the video was a blast! Yvonne spent a couple of days learning semaphore and was spelling out "Wet Gold" when we filmed it. I've never been colder in my life. Standing in the ocean all day long in the middle of January wouldn't be first on my list of things to do in the future, but we had a ton of fun nonetheless!
The Octopus Project has amassed a continuously growing fan base over the past few years. Their live shows are infectious, often inspiring musical passions in audience members they didn't know existed. In fact, a good friend of mine who recently saw them in San Fransisco is still bugging me to buy her a theremin for her birthday (anybody know where I can find one?)
They've been on tour since the beginning of August, and you can still catch them in a few places:
08/17 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir
08/18 - Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey
08/21 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
08/22 - Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
download The Wooden Sky’s “Something Hiding For Us In The Night” mp3 here
RIYL: Wilco, Allman Brothers, Flaming Lips
From the Press: Currently in the midst of their Bedrooms and Backstreets Tour, Toronto-based outfit known as The Wooden Sky are preparing for the release of their second album under the name If I Don’t Come Home You’ll Know I’m Gone. The CD drops on August 25th through Black Box, distributed by Fontana North.
The band has spent the last few weeks playing unconventional spaces like rooftops, backyards, campfires and parks, but is now pleased to announce a more traditional tour through Canada supporting Elliott Brood starting on 9/26 in Sudbury and ending up in Victoria on 10/8.
The album is also now available for pre-order at www.myspace.com/thewoodensky
Upcoming Tour Dates
9/26 - Sudbury, ON @ Townehouse
9/27 - Sault Ste. Marie, ON @ Lop Lops
9/29 - Thunder Bay, ON @ C2
9/30 - Winnipeg, ON @ West End Cultural Centre
10/01 - Regina, SK @ The Exchange
10/02 - Saskatoon, SK @ Amigos
10/03 - Edmonton, AB @ Starlite
10/04 - Calgary, AB @ Dickens
10/05 - Lethbridge, AB @ Henotic
10/06 - Nelson, BC @ Spirit Bar
10/07 - Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore
10/08 - Victoria, BC @ Sugar
RIYL: The Dodos, The Dirty Projectors, Atlas Sound, Blitzen Trapper
Sounds Like: Art rock you can dance to.
A Few Words: Despite their somewhat awkward name, Here Is What Is sounds and performs like musicians bound for larger venues. Their short EP (Done Before it Starts) is the musical equivalent of stuffing a watermelon into your back pocket, yet they accomplish the feat with ease. While just over 30 minutes long, the EP is filled with ethereal harmonies floating over lyrics as tight and punctuated as the underlying, danceable grooves.
I had the good fortune of catching their CD release party at Vancouver's Media Club, which only reinforces my earlier melon-in-back-pocket analogy. For those who've been, you know how small the stage is; fitting four musicians up there is a challenge, on a good day--let alone five. But up they went--the entire quintet--and launched into their set as though there was enough room to contain their massive sound.
The pace and structure of the EP changes as much within each track as it does between songs. Employing slides, keyboard harmonies, and extraordinary guitar solos (just wait for the second half of "Final Fantasy"), HIWI takes half and hour and makes you wonder where the day has gone.
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