Guilty Pleasures

John Oates and ‘Weird’ Al Yankovic should no longer father children together.

Ok, let’s start over.  While browsing the web this afternoon in search of who-knows-what, we came upon this interesting little blog that brought our attention to the even more interesting figure you see depicted above.  His name?  Darwin Deez.  Normally, we’re not ones for super catchy indie pop dressed in synthetic rhythm, but there was something about this incessantly appalling lad that kept us looking.  And listening.

Based in NYC, Darwin recorded his recent self-titled full-length on a computer in his apartment, and while that may not be terribly unique this day and age, it is quite impressive to say that the crazy little dude is tearing it up in the UK right now.  What are your home recordings doing?…

Additionally, he’s got some pretty clever, creative videos to accompany “Up in the Clouds” and “Radar Detector” (you can’t beat dance moves like the ones on display here).

So we’ve been pushing this bruise all afternoon, and now we pass it along to you in hopes that you enjoy his music and videos as remorsefully as we have for the last couple of hours.  It’s ok to feel giddy.  Go on…

Richard Butler Touched My Hand

Richard Butler - Psychedelic Furs

 

It’s crazy imagining that,  after all these years, the impact of Psychedelic Furs’ frontman Richard Butler reaching out to you from the stage and shaking your hand mid-song would still be electrical. 

That is, unless you’ve seen the Furs perform live on their 2010 tour. 

Last night’s performance at the White Rabbit in San Antonio was nothing less than electrical.  The Brothers Butler – with help from Mars Williams, Paul Garisto, Rich Good, and Amanda Kramer – filled the stuffy hardcore venue with energy that seemed to stem directly from the Furs’ 1981 American debut; and the relevance and potency of their music after close to 30 years was palpable.  Every head in the crowd bobbed, every body in the room swayed, and not a moment of it was lost on the variously aged audience that stood enthralled before the stage; for well over an hour, teens, 20-somethings, 30-somethings, and beyond wouldn’t give up an inch of floor. 

Rich Good and Richard Butler

 

Unlike openers, She Wants Revenge, the Furs didn’t stack their setlist with the most popular, accessible songs toward the end.  In fact, they ripped right into the audience with one of their most identifiable tracks, “Love My Way,” followed it up shortly therafter with “Ghost in You,” and never looked back.  All smiles and laughter, Richard Butler danced and weaved about the stage during every song, pleasing the audience with his signature ‘elbow-leaning-on-the-mic-stand’ and ‘prayer-hands-above-the-mic’  moves.  He even spun around during “Heaven”… f— yeah!  If his charisma and energy grew throughout the set, it was hardly noticeable, as he hit the ground running with high-intensity, effortless dancing and nonstop crowd engagement. 

Mars Williams

 

But saying that Richard Butler’s presence was the only memorable part of the experience would be a tragic error.  Mars Williams wailed his saxaphone to life on songs like “Heartbeat” and “Sister Europe,” often leaning into the crowd in an amazing spectacle of strained neck veins and flash-fingered fury.  Tim Butler, cool behind dark sunglasses, galloped across the stage and interplayed with Rich Good, who was tearing up the strings of a smooth white-on-white Fender Jaguar.  Meanwhile, Garisto adroitly laid the thumping framework of each song as angelic Amanda Kramer (Information Society), stood smiling behind two massive synthesizers. 

 A band as successful as the Psychedelic Furs can’t very well stack a setlist when their entire discography is loaded with cult hits and chart-ranked songs; the whole set was stacked.  They showcased a range of styles from the rough-edged “President Gas” to the melancholic “She Is Mine” and finally arriving at the infectious “Pretty in Pink.”  And when they, at last, thanked the crowd (for the umpteenth time and after returning for an encore), the White Rabbit was that much more empty for them having left the room. 

Look out, Austin… here come the Psychedelic Furs.

Film’s Cool

Greg Bertens - Film School

 

Summer in San Antonio is brutally oppressive.  You can hear how hot it is as the heat leans audibly against windows, which crackle as their construction swells with the oppressive breath of sun.  But the coolest thing we’ve done all summer is chat with Film School frontman, Greg Bertens.  We talked about FS’ musical shift, the upcoming album, and a potential tour.  Our conversation with this fuzz-warrior-turned-dream-popstar took our minds off the unbearable heat, and for a moment, there was a hint of Pacific breeze. 

*   *   * 

Thanks for taking the time to do this, I really appreciate it. 

Greg Bertens: Oh, no problem.  Thank you. 

Sure.  Let’s talk about Fission, the upcoming release you have due out at the end of July.  Its sound marks some noticeable differences for you guys as Film School.  So… 

GB: Mhmmm. 

How natural were those changes for you guys, and is it something you feel you’ve been striving toward? 

GB: Oh yeah, definitely.  I mean… you know, it’s interesting, actually.  The past couple years, there’s been a lot of changes, in general, I think, within the band, one of them being that we separated from Beggars and, I don’t know, I also had a moment where I was at an MBV (My Bloody Valentine) show.  It was funny.  They were playing and – I hadn’t seen them, I’d never seen them before – and it was the first time I saw them and I just like their music so much… and I think that there was this moment where, you know, I felt like they were playing well, and people were really enjoying it, but I realized that I was just kind of over sonic… big sonic rock. (laughter) 

Yeah? 

GB: Which is ironic because I went to that show to be inspired, you know? 

Right, yeah, that’s interesting. 

GB: Yeah, and I just I felt, like, they’re doing it well, but it’s not really moving me, and I think it’s time to move on, you know, in terms of music.  And so I think that at that point, it just kind of freed up a lot of  preconceived ways of approaching music that I’d had.  I think that’s probably what you’re hearing; you’re probably hearing a result of that. 

Well, that’s perfect.  You were inspired, anyways, just in the other direction. 

GB: Yeah, exactly, you know, not at all what I was expecting to have happen.  I think that there were a lot of people that enjoyed that show; I just kind of had the opposite reaction for some reason and moved on. 

So how long have you guys been kicking around the songs that are on this new album? 

GB: We’ve been working on them for about a year, a year and a half or so.  You know, there’s a variety of songs; like, 4 or so were written by Lorelei, one of them by Jason, our keyboardist, so there’s a lot of variety on it.  But I think basically within, yeah, about a year and a half time or so. 

And you’re going to release it on FFO. Was there anything in particular that attracted you all to that label coming off of Beggars? 

GB: Well, FFO is actually our own label. (laughter) 

(laughter) Oh, so you knew someone there?… 

GB: So it’s a self-release, but, you know, we’re actually in talks with other labels now, so I don’t know; we’re kind of discussing exactly what we…how we want to release this.  It’s still on the table. 

After your recent LP Hideout, you guys kind of went underground for a few years, so what were you up to during that time? 

GB: Well, let’s see…you know, it came out in 2007, but we were touring all the way through the end of 2008, so when we were done with that…I think our last show was in Norway (laughter), in Oslo, and when we got back, it was the end of November or mid-November or something, and we basically took 3 or 4 months off.  We did, like, three North American tours, and England, and Norway, and so we were pretty beat down, tired; but we kind of started writing around then, too. So for all of, basically, 2009, we were working on writing.  By the end of 2009, we were recording, and then mixing through 2009 into 2010, so, you know, I think that people think there’s a lot of time off, but, really, there wasn’t ‘cause we were out on the road for about a year and a half. 

Sure, right, I understand. 

GB: Yeah. 

Now you guys have seen some lineup changes, but you’ve released two strong LPs with the current lineup.  You guys are really confident and energetic onstage when you play live.  How proud are you of this lineup? 

GB: Oh yeah, it’s great, I mean… I really like all the members.  You know, it’s possible that we’re going to actually have a couple different people out on the road with us, we’re not really sure yet.  Being that we’re a band that lives in… a couple guys live in different cities. We’re based in L.A., but a couple guys live in different cities, so we’re not really sure exactly what the lineup is going to be on the road.  But, yeah, we all worked on this album [Fission] together. 

What was the motivation for Lorelei’s stronger presence vocally on Fission? 

GB: Well, for one, she wrote a bunch of great songs (laughter).  You know, I think also, I just… ever since Hideout when she came into the band, I just wanted more of a strong female presence and to me, it was just kind of a natural progression coming from Hideout that I thought that I’d like more of, so that’s kind of where we’re at. 

Let’s talk a little bit more about touring.  Do you have any details that you can share in regard to support of this album? 

GB: Not yet.  I wish there were.  You know, we’re planning a fall tour, we’re definitely going out.  It’ll probably be a North American tour, we haven’t really decided any dates yet or who we’re going out with or anything like that, but I know that we probably should be doing that very soon. 

As far as any other plans for the immediate future aside from possible tours and, of course, the release of this album, does Film School have anything else going on? 

GB: Well, let’s see… besides releasing the album and touring, I don’t know… what else is there? (laughter).  We have some videos coming up… 

You had a song off of Hideout on a TV show… 

GB: Oh yeah, 90210. 

Yeah, yeah, there you go.       

GB: Yeah, I mean, I’m sure there’ll be that kind of stuff, you know… things happen when you release the album.  I’m sure there’ll be some kind of, maybe, involvement with TV or film.  Hopefully.  If we’re lucky. 

That you know of, how’s the response you’ve been getting to Fission’s new sound so far?         

GB: Right.  Well, you know, it hasn’t really gone out yet to many people, but everyone seems to like it so far.  I mean, I hope that continues.  You never know because a lot of people you’re giving it to in the beginning are kind of just friends and stuff like that, and your friends just want you to be well, but people who don’t really know us that well that we’ve given it to – (people) that have no reason to pat us on the back – seem to like it, so you know I hope that just… 

It’s a good sign already. 

GB: Yeah, I hope it’s a good sign, yeah. 

One more question.  It may sound silly, but, you know… people who love your music, they have their favorite songs.  If you had to choose your favorite Film School song, what would you pick? 

GB: Oh, wow. Favorite Film School song… going back how far?  Pre-Beggars?  Can it go back pre-Beggars?   

Any song.        

GB: Well, let’s see… Beggars would probably be… I like “Sick of the Shame”, actually. 

Good choice!  (laughter)         

GB: Yeah, on the Beggars stuff.  There was a song, actually, that I was humming to myself the other day when I was in the car, and I realized it was off Brilliant Career from 2001.  (laughter)  Which is crazy, you know, I’m like, where did that song come from?  ‘Cause we haven’t… we’ve never played it live and, you know, it’s a song I haven’t listened to in, maybe, 8 years or something like that.  I’d hum it to you, but I can’t. 

It’s haunting you somehow… 

GB: Yeah, yeah.  God, I might have to get back to you with the name of the song.   That’s the thing, you know, I don’t even remember the names of my songs. 

Yes, I’m bad with song names. 

GB: Yeah, you know how people can’t remember the names of bands’ songs?  And I can’t even remember the names of some of our songs so… 

All right, no worries.        

GB: It was from a long time ago. 

Let’s just leave it at that, right?      

GB: Exactly. 

Listen, Greg, I appreciate all the time you’ve given me.  Those are all the questions I’ve got for you.  I received an advance copy of Fission.  I think it’s awesome, you guys are going in a great direction. 

GB: Aw, thanks, man.  That means a lot to me, thank you. 

Yeah, for sure.  I look forward to hearing some details on the tour dates so we can check y’all out. 

GB: That’s great.  Thanks so much, I appreciate it. 

*   *   * 

Snatch your copy of Fission in stores or online July 20th, and stay tuned to The Sound Mind for updates on Film School’s proposed fall tour.  Check out streaming audio of a track off the upcoming release here.

This Is Anne

Anne are a fledgling Portland, OR quartet who have laid down their heavy hardcore roots in lieu of a soothing brand of music that has the sonic rush of a late afternoon drive down PCH.  Their music is best described as a wash of vocals drifting over bright guitar melodies that, even when distorted, emerge beautifully through the cascade of warm gain and overdrive.  Their self-titled, 5-track demo, which is available as a free download here, shimmers with a forceful energy while still maintaing a tranquil ambience akin to West Coast contemporaries The Meeting Places.

The songs on the free download are short, poignant, and memorable; accessible; catchy.  Although Anne is an upstarting band in the Portland area, its members have pasts filled with touring on independent labels.  Departing from their individual groundings in punk and hardcore music, they now find themselves advancing in a new direction toward subtlety and simplicity (and, f—, is it good!). 

Find out the latest on Anne here.

Ceremony Blast Listeners With “Rocket Fire”

In the beginning, there was rock ‘n’ roll.  Then musicians began evolving and trying to outdo their forerunners, all the while forgetting that they were simply advancing the musical “wheel”, and not necessarily creating anything entirely new altogether.  Categories, sub genres, locales… it’s all so tiring, really.

Ceremony realize this and cultivate a sound that spans boundaries and time with overdriven guitar tones, not to mask sub-standard guitar playing or a creative deficit, but to craft one hell of a “wheel” that takes listeners from zero to ass-to-the-wall in less than a second. And whether they gaze at their shoes, the stars, or deep into your eyes, it’s still rock ‘n’ roll to us.  

What makes Ceremony’s recent full-length, Rocket Fire, so relevant is not necessarily what they’re doing, but how they’re doing it and why.  The emotional appeal of each song on the album hits in all the right spots: the sentimental songs are lovely, the angst-ridden songs are fierce, and throughout, each note played and each rhythm created isn’t lost on the listener for lack of purpose within the music.  The intensely distorted guitars grind and shriek their way across many of the tracks, slicing through auditory hemispheres with a grit unknown since JAMC’s Psychocandy.

But while much of Psychocandy‘s beauty may have been too drowned in distortion for the average listener, Ceremony flesh out the deeply melodic appeal of Rocket Fire to ensure their eternal sweep of fuzz only accents each track while not destroying them completely.  Guitar and bass pedals don’t make a song, or a musician, for that matter, but Ceremony prove that meticulously weaving them into music makes for one forceful album that seems could only be propelled by rocket fire.  And the album does take off like a rocket.  The opening blast of “Stars Fall” had us turning down the normal listening level of our iPods and car stereos as the entire album’s volume hits a little harder than your average LP.  Even “softer” songs like lovelorn “Marianne” and “Regret” peak at levels indicative of why venues have asked (and often rudely) the Virginia duo to stop live shows.

Rocket Fire is an album beautifully out of its time, yet unwaveringly timeless.  In an era where so many bands try desperately to create something different, Ceremony have carved their difference with full sonic control over traditional song structures, creating an epic album full of immensely memorable hooks that translate easily across various palettes.

Interpol Unveil “Lights” Video Exclusively Online

Coming off their June 21st show in Buffalo, NY, the newly renovated Interpol released exclusive content online for fans anxious to hear and see their latest endeavours: a downloadable video for “Lights.”

“Lights,” the first track Interpol revealed off their upcoming self-titled LP, now has visual accompaniment courtesy of digital post-photographer, Charlie White.  White, who is fairly new to video production, is no stranger to the digital realm.  As an individual who has achieved a respectable level of notoriety as a composer of surreal digital photography, White unites his futuristic, obscure vision with the equally obscure Interpol to create an enthralling video filled with stunning visual contrasts and steeped in science fiction themes.

Watch or download the video here, and take a glimpse at the remaining dates for Interpol’s upcoming North American tour below.

2010 Tour Schedule

06.23: Mr Small’s Theatre | Pittsburgh, PA
06.25: Crocodile Rock Cafe | Allentown, PA
07.23: Pearl Street Ballroom | Northampton, MA

07.24: Toad’s Place | New Haven, CT

07.25: Ramshead Live | Baltimore, MD

07.29: The National | Richmond, VA

07.30: The NorVa | Norfolk, VA

07.31: Atlantic City HOB | Atlantic City, NJ

08.04: Wellmont Theatre | Montclair, NJ

08.05: House Of Blues | Boston, MA

08.06: Northern Lights | Clifton Park, NY

08.09: Metropolis | Montreal, QC

08.10: Kool Haus | Toronto, ON

08.11: Clutch Cargo | Pontiac, MI

08.13: The Rave | Milwaukee, WI

08.14: First Avenue | Minneapolis, MN

08.15: Vic Theatre | Chicago, IL

08.18: The Music Farm | Charleston, SC

08.19: House Of Blues | Lake Buena Vista, FL

08.21: The Fillmore | Miami Beach, FL

The Future of Autolux is Perfect

Not only has Autolux pleased fans with a sophomore album (after 6 long years), they have planned a pretty extensive U.S. tour in support of it.

The album, Transit Transit, has been described using all sorts of other-worldly adjectives and phrases, suggesting listeners will be immersed in a “deep and profound” universe of uniquely comprised atmospheric textures.  Autolux, a band that knows “a lot about the future,” employ “organic futurism” on their long awaited follow-up to 2004′ s Future Perfect (see?), to create progressive tunes without being annoyingly (and overly) electronic or dismally scant.  Songs off the upcoming album, such as “Kiss Proof,” rock where they should, roll where they’re supposed to, and simultaneously weave an eerie ambience perfect for skating half-pipes in post-apocalyptic West Coast towns.

Released in North America on TBD Records, Transit Transit, will grace shelves both virtual and actual on August 3rd, and will be the impetus for Autolux’s 2010 tour.  The tour begins August 11th in San Francisco and spans across 29 dates, including three performances in Texas.  Tickets go on sale today, so secure your future (perfect) spot in Autolux’s audience before they sell out, in which case you will have been too late.

2010 Tour Dates:

08.11 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
08.13 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
08.14 – Seattle, WA @ Neumo’s
08.18 – Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater
08.19 – Madison, WI @ Annex
08.20 – Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
08.21 – Newport, KY @ Southgate House
08.22 – Detroit, MI @ The Magic Stick
08.24 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
08.25 – Montreal, QC @ La Sala Rossa
08.26 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
08.27 – Cambridge, MA @ The Middle East
08.28 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
08.29 – Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell’s
08.31 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
09.01 – Washington, DC @ The Black Cat
09.03 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
09.04 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
09.05 – New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks
09.07 – Houston, TX @ The Warehouse
09.09 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s
09.10 – Dallas, TX @ The Loft
09.11 – Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck
09.12 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theatre
09.13 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Urban Lounge
09.15 – Tempe, AZ @ The Clubhouse
09.16 – Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up
09.17 – Pomona, CA @ The Glasshouse
09.18 – Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre

Sleep Sounds Good

Swervedriver fans who drifted away from Adam Franklin after his folk-inspired solo projects should take another listen as his upcoming I Could Sleep for a Thousand Years exhibits sentiments of Swervie’s salad days.

To be fair, the LP certainly retains the melancholy compositions that made Bolts of Melody and Spent Bullets rainy day albums, but a handful of Sleep’s tracks possess the glorious electricity that leans toward Franklin’s earlier revved-up, string-burning style.

Take, for example, “Yesterday Has Gone Forever”, which you can sample here courtesy of Jack Rabid and The Big Takeover.  The track, Sleep‘s opener, makes the same promise of uplifting, blood-pumping aural experiences that Bolts of Melody‘s “Sieze the Day” made, but keeps it this time; along songs such as “I’ll Be Yr Mechanic”, “I Want You Right Now”, “Spent Bullets”, and “Sinking Ships”, Sleep is not want for music that emotes the liberating pleasure of escape.

Due out June 29th on Second Motion, I Could Sleep for a Thousand Years is one album that should stay in your playlist’s rotation for the remainder of the year, if not nine hundred ninety-nine more.

Modern English Sees Some Changes, Getting Better All the Time

If all you know of the iconic 80s post-punk band Modern English is “I Melt With You”, that’s ok, their new album might be right up your alley.

Yes, the 7th long-player , Soundtrack, released last month, shimmers with all the charm and brilliance of their 1982 After the Snow classic hit that even first-time listeners of Modern English may find just the perfect “soundtrack” to their summer.  Songs like “It’s OK”, “Blister”, and “Here Comes the Failure” radiate the warmth and energy perfect for memorable windows-down, untethered, afternoon drives to nowhere in particular.

Modern English will tour in support of the album, kicking off the North American leg in Louisville, KY on July 10th.  What’s more, the original lineup will perform all sets, their first reunion since the mid-80s.  Soundtrack is the follow-up to ME’s 1996 Everything’s Mad release, making it the first album they’ve produced in 14 years.

And well worth the wait.  Though devoid of the dark-tinged sound of After the Snow, Soundtrack is worth its weight in pop and does not disappoint.  Sample some tracks here, or download “It’s OK” for your Friday afternoon drive home.

Modern English 2010 Tour Dates:

07.10 Louisville, KY Forecastle Festival
07.11 Chicago, IL Double Door
07.14 Foxboro, MA Showcase Live
07.15 Toronto, ON Lee’s Palace
07.16 New York, NY Le Poisson Rouge
07.17 Las Vegas, NV Red Rock Casino
09.04 Sausalito, CA Sausalito Art Festival

Finally, Good News from Interpol

As if Pixies’ fall return to the U.S. wasn’t exciting enough, Interpol announced today more details (albeit, obscure) on their upcoming album, a self-titled LP they plan on releasing in mid-September.

After recently re-scheduling most of their North American tour due to U2′s cancellation, hopefully the album’s presence will at least compensate for Interpol’s absence and keep listeners warm throughout the chilly months of winter until “the time is right and the light is nice.”

Coming off the North American tour cancellation and Carlos D.’s recent decision to leave the band, let’s hope that Interpol’s mid-September offering is more than enough to make up for their current large debt.

Until then, wrap yourself in the comfort of this teaser (if you haven’t already), available off the upcoming album.

UPDATE: Interpol finds qualified replacement for Carlos D. in David Pajo.  Pajo – who has played with the likes of Slint, Tortoise, Stereloab, Zwan, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Royal Trux, The For Carnation, and Dead Child – will make his debut performance with Interpol at their June 21st show in Buffalo, NY.