Via Stereogum
Mirroring a post title from earlier this week (via Real Estate), here’s one angled toward the sundown new wave electro-pop of ‘Gum Bowl teamer Elizabeth Harper and her Class Actress project, and a session filed for the Daytrotter crew: Herein you’ll find two from the still-lascivious Journal Of Ardency EP (the title track and “Careful What You Say,” mislabeled “Careful What You Ask For”), along with a pair slated for its full-length followup, due this year. They have names (“Love Me” and “All The Saints”), analog synths, lots of promise, and in the case of “Saints,” a Raymond Carver reference. Here’s what we talk about when we talk about downloading them at Daytrotter.
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Following in Panda Bear’s footsteps, Avey Tare has himself a lone Animal album coming out this fall. Down There, recorded by the most elusive of Animal Collective members Deakin, is Avey’s first complete solo outing. It was reportedly inspired by crocodiles (reptiles, not the San Diego band). Take a closer look at the croc cover art while you read over the tracklist.
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The pretty, spare “Last Song” appears on Clogs’ The Creatures In The Garden Of Lady Walton as well as the Last Song EP, a download-only single that pairs it with two unreleased B-Sides. For those of you unfamiliar with Clogs, the band features Bryce Dessner as well as frequent National collaborator Padma Newsome. This particular track also includes Matt Berninger’s familiar baritone. In another National-esque twist, the song’s video was put together by twin brothers. We’re told Benjamin and Stefan Remirez-Perez are “studying film and animation at the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne, Germany and the Vancouver School’s Digital Design program, respectively.” They’re also making elegant, ghostly videos for Clogs.
Tracey Thorn released her solo LP Love And Its Opposite in May, and now she’s recruited a diverse list of remixers for a digital-only companion EP. Included on the EP is a remix by WALLS — bloggers Sam Willis and Alessio Natalizia (they have an album out on Kompact, so it’s not just bloggers dabbling). (Nothing wrong with that, though). Check their minimalist, spacious version of “Kentish Town”:
New Jersey’s Big Troubles mention Lilys as an influence — I’d bet the house (and an ear) they’re talking about the old Slumberland/SpinART shoegaze/noise-pop Lilys, not the later throwback Kinks version. “Bite Yr Tongue” reads more like a Sonic Youth track. It’s from the forthcoming Worry LP. The video, set at various NJ fast food spots, was shot on Super 8 by Spencer Dennis. The band’s approach to eating pizza leaves a lot to be desired.
We posted a live video of Ra Ra Riot playing “Too Dramatic” at 2009’s Noise Pop Festival in their Progress Report for upcoming LP The Orchard. Now you can hear the longtime live staple in studio form:
We’ve already seen them join forces to cover the Jackson 5. Last night of Montreal and Solange Knowles teamed up again, this time with a bunch of mimes to do False Priests’s “Sex Karma” on Fallon. She appears on the album version, too. She also appears to enjoy the Roots outro music.
We’ve heard a lot about the Vampire Weekend cover controversy from the band and photographer’s lawyers, as well as the lawyer representing Ann Kirsten Kennis. But an article in the Fairfield Citizen, published this morning, tells us a little more about the model (who lives in Fairfield, CT), and why the model release form she signed may be forged. For starters, the release has her name spelled two different ways (Johnson/Johnsen). This is a release signed in 2009, not 1983, when photographer Tod Brody says he took the photo, so it seems like they would have been a little more careful, right? And the release states that:
Swans’ My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky finds Michael Gira seamlessly shifting from Angels Of Light mode to the heavier, noisier realm of his earlier incarnation(s), adding newfound details, nuances, and unexpected elements in the process. This isn’t a surprise: When I spoke with Gira about it last January he told me “[the] approach will be basically where Soundtracks For The Blind/Swans Are Dead left off, with influence of Angels of Light in there too. Probably pretty severe tho, according to my present mood…” What that description doesn’t let you in on is the actual strong quality of the songs. The purists may want to crucify me, but Swans’ first studio album since Soundtracks is also one of Swans’ best, most relentlessly dark and beautiful albums to date. Gira remains angry/venomous, but he’s introduced a kind of time-won wisdom (and guest spot via his three-year-old daughter) you wouldn’t find in the nihilistic ’80s. Get acquainted via the whirlwind (and shivers) kicked up by “Eden Prison.”
Last night Interpol did “Barricade” on Letterman, which was a good opportunity to check out new bassist Dave Pajo and the band’s new live keyboard player, Secret Machines’ Brandon Curtis. Both did well, though, Pajo’s a bit more low-key than Carlos D, in terms of dress and facial hair. Curtis sang the high notes on the chorus, then got flustered when Letterman walked over to thank the band (watch until the end to catch their awkward non-handshake):
