All the way back in 2001, Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear had no idea that he would become a member of the band. He had no idea that he would be a core member of one of the up and coming musical acts in the US, that he would be opening a string of dates for Radiohead or playing on the late night talk show circuit. What he did know is that he would be making music with his friend and NYU roommate, Fred Nicolaus.
Daniel and Fred’s early collaborations consisted of a couple 7″ released put out by southern California indie Isota Records, which also released their debut full length album, The Whitey On The Moon (which was also the band name at the time) in 2003. Not long after that release, Daniel began to play full time with the Grizzly Bear boys and suddenly had little to no time for his project with Fred as the Bears became a nearly overnight success.
However, always lurking in the background was the music he innocently crafted with Fred back at NYU and the desire to return to that landscape never went away. The Whitey On The Moon album had been re-issued in the UK and was a critical hit, which prompted the duo to get back together for a new album. And during breaks from Grizzly Bear activities, Daniel and Fred began to fine tune the new album, which in parts had been written as far back as their friendships beginnings, and chose a new name as well, Department Of Eagles, which is a reference to artist Marcel Broodthaers’ Institutional Critique.
The result is a beautifully crafted folk/ pop record titled In Ear Park. Daniel and Fred combine 60’s pop melodies and vocal styles with a delicate layer of folk instrumentation to make this album really soar. (excuse the soaring eagles pun) Some songs will sound like they belong on a Grizzly Bear album, as this record does not stray too far from the music Daniel creates with his “other” band, but the lyrics are of a much more personal nature. Daniel has said that the album as a whole is in memory of his father, who passed away last year. The album’s title is the fictional name of a park and Daniel and his Dad would regularly spend time walking through. And you can feel the nostalgia throughout the album, which Daniel also said had a tone and emphasis that was too personal for a Grizzly Bear album.
So while fans of Grizzly Bear will certainly find a lot to love on In Ear Park, the personal touch that Daniel and Fred have placed on this new Department of Eagles record is bound to gather others as well.
What do you get when you deprive a media junkie from the internet, television and even newspapers? If it were me, you would probably end up with a depressed person with no idea how to spend my time, but if you are Peter Brewis, you get something quite different, you get a great album. That is just the backstory that describes how Brewis, who is best known as the frontman for the excellent indie pop band Field Music, came up with the songs that became the base for The Week That Was.
Brewis later fleshed out the songs written in his media isolation into an 9 piece band that also features his brother David and good friend Andrew Moore among others. The resulting 8 songs that make up the album certainly push the pop envelope a bit more than what you have heard from Field Music. TWTW seems to take a few more sonic and lyrical risks than the usually safe and sugary Field Music material, and the gamble pays off. A great example of this is the stretched out, 7 minute adventure that is the song “Yesterday’s Paper”, which could be the albums best song, but is certainly not something that would work as well on an indie pop album.
The Week That Was will be heading out on the road this fall with The Sea & Cake and their album hits US shores on September 23rd from Memphis Industries. Check out a great song from the album for free download below…..
Longtime WOXY listeners might remember the Xtrabeats nights we used to hold at Bogart’s and the riverboat cruises where everyone would drink and dance - sometimes, to excess - the night away. This was back when dance music had lyrics. When songs of all kinds were given 12″ dance remixes. Indie Disco. That was then….
Last week, I was telling a friend about Friendly Fires, the next band I intended to write about for [This Just In], and was asked to describe their sound. I said Indie Disco.
“Ewwwwwww……”
I don’t know when but somewhere along way, dancing to guitar-based indie music seemed to go out of fashion. My guess is it was ushered out about the time flannel shirts were flying off the racks. The time honored phrase “it’s gotta good beat and you can dance to it” became as in vogue as Hillary Clinton was at the AMA, circa 1993. Suddenly, folks became too cool for school to bust a move and it was Footloose all over again.
Still, I’ve always been a sucker for a catchy tune with a good beat and, as an example, fell hard for The Whip’s X Marks Destination debut earlier this year. Now comes Friendly Fires, another British band, a trio from the town of St. Albans. After a couple of single releases over the last two years, they’re set to release their self-titled debut on September 23rd via the XL label (it’s already available digitally and as an import).
Is it completely original? No, but it ain’t Fleet Foxes either (who I like, for the record). Friendly Fires bring the groove on every one of the disc’s 10 tracks, from the Talking Heads nod “In The Hospital” to singles-of-the-week “Paris” and “Jump In The Pool, produced by Paul Epworth (Bloc Party, Maximo Park), the sole track not produced by the band.
So, if you like a danceable indie record and are a follower of bands like The Rapture, Radio 4, Bloc Party and have a couple of Prince and Talking Heads tunes stuffed into your iPod, the debut from Friendly Fires should mix alongside quite nicely. I’ll vouch for the fact that it does have a good beat and you can indeed dance to it, if you want.
Friendly Fires self-titled album is available digitally and as an import, hitting stores on September 23rd. The band supports Lykke Li on US dates from October 23rd thru November 3rd.
Northern Kentucky resident Daniel Martin Moore has accomplished what countless bands and artists before him could not. He became the first artist in the history of venerable indie label Sub Pop to be signed from the submission of an unsolicited demo recording. I first heard of Mr. Moore earlier this Spring when I was making one of my frequent trips to Shake It Records here in town. Darren, one of the co-owners of the store, played me some of Daniel’s music that afternoon and I was instantly struck with how delicate and calm his voice was. Sometimes I hate comparisons to other artists because they tend to build false expectations in a listener, but the ones mentioned in Sub Pop’s own bio of him (Chet Baker, Nick Drake) ring true.
Months after my initial exposure in the record store, I was sent an an advance copy of his debut album Stray Age. One of the first things I noticed was that he does a cover of one of my all-time favorite songs, Sandy Denny’s “Who Knows Where The Time Goes.” That was enough to make me fall in love. But, listening to the full album proved to give plenty more than a well chosen cover of a folk classic. Some songs, such as the title track you can download below, simply feature a beautiful recording of Daniel and his guitar. Elsewhere on the cd, he is joined by a host of talented session players including violinst Petra Haden, who performs on three cuts.
Recorded in Los Angeles with acclaimed producer Joe Chiccarelli (who has previously worked with The White Stripes, The Shins, and U2), every song here is an absolute treasure. It is exciting to have such a stunning debut album surface so unexpectedly from right here in our own backyard. Here in the tri-state, you can catch Daniel performing live on our WOXY.com stage at the MidPoint Festival on Thursday, September 26th. For those of you who aren’t local, you’ll get a chance to hear Daniel perform live when he makes his debut in our WOXY.com Lounge on October 6th.
Stray Age hits stores on cd October 7th on Sub Pop records. A vinyl pressing will arrive later in November from Shake It.
When you look up the word “troubadour” in the dictionary you get this definition. “One of a class of 12th-century and 13th-century lyric poets in Southern France, northern Italy, and northern Spain, who composed songs in language d’oc often about courtly love.” Because of the ‘lyric poets’ part of the definition, the word troubadour has crossed over into being a favorite description for folk musicians of our time, or singer songwriters who possess an elevated storytelling gift.
Whether or not you like the use of the term troubadour, or don’t care at all, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson does something poetic in his lyrics that bring the proper or improper use of the word to mind, and while most troubadours are known for their “courtly” love songs, MBAR is better known for his dark tales of addiction, and brokeness.
His debut album, which is simply titled using his 4 names (he has two middle names) comes with a few indie musicians of note assisting the 23 year old from Brooklyn, by way of Oregon. Recorded by Chris Taylor from Grizzly Bear and featuring Chris Bear & Daniel Rosen, who are also Grizzly Bear members, and Kyp Malone of TV On The Radio, who Miles is scheduled to hit the road with in a couple weeks.
When a new singer/songwriter like Miles comes along, it is hard to shed the Dylan comparisions, but with the extra layers of instrumentation and emotion, MBAR is a musician in nobody’s shadow, and deserves your attention.
Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson is opening for TV On The Radio starting September 5th and will be playing the Monolith Festival this year as well on the WOXY.com stage.
When I got in this new record at the station from Suicide Squeeze that was touted as a new band from Nick Thorburn of Islands, I wasn’t exactly thrilled. I’ve never really been a fan of The Unicorns, Islands, or the myriad side projects that have sprung forth from this acclaimed Canuck (although, truth be told, Arm’s Way did start to win me over).
Human Highway finds Nick teaming up with his good friend Jim Guthrie (who previously was a member of Islands and then went on to record solo and form the excellent band Royal City). I was intrigued enough to pop the disc in after reading that they were influenced by the Everly Brothers and old doo-wop music for this project.
The album works because they let the music of the past inform their songwriting without merely trying to mimic it. This mostly comes through in how they harmonize with each other, their vocals blending gorgeously, but not in an over the top way. Moody Motorcycle is so good, that I can only hope the duo will continue to be inspired and create more music as Human Highway when their schedules allow.
Only after listening to the album a few times and then checking the credits did I realize that my favorite tracks were the ones where Guthrie wrote the music. A perfect example is the album’s title track. It has the grace and beauty of an old Elliott Smith song, but is infused with their sharp blended vocals and slightly more of a bounce than we usually got from Mr. Smith.
The entire album is streaming at their myspace
Jessica Lea Mayfield turns 19 next week. You’d never figure that from listening to her: a smoky, soothing croon that’ll instantly recall Lucinda, Jolie, Gillian and Hope (that’s Williams, Holland, Welch, and Sandoval, respectively). She’s a little bit country, a little bit indie. Doc Martens with a dress. Blend it all together for her debut With Blasphemy So Heartfelt, and it should instantly put the Kent, Ohio, native near the top of everyone’s “hot” list.
The record was produced by The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach and recorded over a two-year period at his home studio in nearby Akron after she appeared on the Keys’ “Things Ain’t Like They Used To Be” from Attack & Release. Still, it’s not like that was her first exposure to the music biz, having performed with her family band One Way Rider since age 8. She plays guitar, bass, and banjo and composed all 12 of the songs on With Blasphemy So Heartfelt with the exception of one co-written by brother David, who plays bass on both the record and in her backing band. Auerbach plays a variety of instruments on the disc, too, and two members of Dr. Dog lend backing vocals on a track.
Perhaps not surprising then, she’ll open for The Black Keys on a string of dates in late September and rejoin them in November for their UK tour, which includes a date at London’s Brixton Academy along with My Morning Jacket on November 12.
Mayfield’s simple arrangements and arresting voice are best exhibited on “Kiss Me Again”, the song that kicks off With Blasphemy So Heartfelt. Take a listen to who Scott Avett of The Avett Brothers says is “the most exciting new artist on the scene today”.
With Blasphemy So Heartfelt by Jessica Lea Mayfield hits stores September 16th via Polymer Sounds.
Shiv takes on the debut album from Gentleman Auction House for another installment of This Just In.
I was wholly unfamiliar with the St. Louis-based band Gentleman Auction House when their debut full-length arrived at the station recently, but I was immediately intrigued. Their unofficial seal of approval happened the minute that I saw Chad Clark (from Beauty Pill) & TJ Lipple (from Aloha) listed on the album’s credits. It’s gotten to the point where these guys can do no wrong to me. They absolutely have the best ears in indie rock and seem to bring out the best in any bands and artists they work with.
When I popped in the cd, it didn’t take long for me to warm up to their sound. On tracks like “Call It Casual” and “We Used To Dream About Bridges”, I thought for a split second that maybe Beulah had reformed with Conor Oberst on lead vocals. With 7 members, the band has a wide range of eclectic instrumentation including trumpets, glockenspiels, and even a lot of “yelling, stomping, and clapping” (as credited in the liner notes).
Sometimes you hear a record and while it may be technically perfect, you immediately get the feeling that the band in question could never pull off their sound in a live setting. On the flipside, I hear a band like Gentleman Auction House and imagine that I’ll appreciate their songs even more after seeing them tear it up on stage. Without any knowledge of their previous EPs, this record has quickly become one of my favorite releases of the year.
Alphabet Graveyard is out now on Emergency Umbrella Records. You can stream the entire album free and/or buy it digitally from our friends at lala.com.
Another “This Just In” today features a look at the new album from Kristoffer Ragnstam. Enjoy Joe’s thoughts on the album below.
When it comes to Swedish singer/ songwriter types, we have become very familiar with the likes of Jens Lekman in the indie world in the past couple years. But if Jens and his brand of swedish geek pop are not your thing, you don’t even have to leave Sweden to find another take on indie pop courtesy of Kristoffer Ragnstam.
Ragnstam prefers more of a power pop approach to things, if you can pardon that overused description, and interjects lyrics that are fun, and sometimes quite thoughtful, which can be rare from popsters at times.
On his second full length album, Wrong Side Of The Room, Ragnstam grabs the listener by hand and whirls you around the room on the first song, “Stop On Top” and barely lets go through the first four upbeat and sugary sweet tunes. And the album is not without a nice punch as well, which brings to mind fellow Swede Sondre Lerche and his most recent album Phantom Punch, which is a good companion album to Wrong Side Of The Room.
Wrong Side Of The Room hits your local indie stores shelves this week via Blu Hammock Records and you can expect to hear some of the songs from us as well. In the meantime, enjoy a free download of “Swing That Tambourine” below.
Welcome to the first installment of “This Just In” where a WOXY.com DJ gives thoughts on a new record that has recently been added to the playlist. Today, Joe takes a stab at the new album from Horse Feathers, House With No Home.
When it comes to mostly acoustic based, sometimes quiet singer songwriter types, I am, admittedly, quite the fan. So it should not come as a big surprise that I am totally bowled over by Horse Feathers. The Portland based trio are preparing to release their second full length album, House With No Home, on Kill Rock Stars and I can honestly tell you that this has become my morning album of choice during the past month or so.
There is something almost sacred about good morning music for me. It has to be gentle enough for me to ease in, but not so sleepy and I stay in my morning coma. Horse Feathers achieves both of those and more on this new album. Combining the hushed tones of early Iron & Wine with vocals and the backing strings you might find on a Bonnie Prince Billy album, Horse Feathers have created a soothing yet complex piece of art. And to be quite honest, the more I listen to songs like “Rude To Rile” & “Heathen’s Kiss,” the less I think this is just a morning album, and the more I think it is suitable for just about any part of the day.
So, if you have ever called yourself a fan of Sam Beam, Will Oldham, M. Ward, John Fahey, or Bon Iver, this is required listening. House With No Home drops on Septemeber 9th from KRS, but you can listen to a song below right now.
