Highly Refined Pride

First off - the first video for the new Mountain Goats album, Heretic Pride, was posted today. Looks like "Sax Rohmer #1" is the first single. The video is similar to the Bob Dylan video for "Subterranean Homesick Blues" but I definitely got more of a kick out of this one. The Mountain Goats' vid is much more "wow" than the "haha" that goes along with Dylan's. Watch it:

Next on the docket - I've been ordering vinyl to frame and put on the walls of my apartment. I've been getting records that really meant a lot to me growing up. The flat will feel more like home that way. A packaged arrived for me today with Minus the Bear's Highly Refined Pirates in it. Even better, the vinyl is clear and orange, which I am told is special. So of the albums I plan on mounting, here is what I have in:


A new one should come in soon too.

The Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride

I've been listening to the Mountain Goats' new record, Heretic Pride, all night now. There have been background listens, there have been critical listens, active listens, and there have been relistens. I've listened to the record a few times over, and still want to hear it again. This one is something else. I've listened while watching the Patriots run the table, while reading about a way to determine points per possession from basketball box scores, and while doing nothing at all besides listening.

I don't feel like I can write a review of Heretic Pride at this point. It would be lots of comments like, "This is so damn cool!" And it is. But that isn't terribly insightful. So now for the attempt at insight. These were the things that I was curious about before hearing the album, and what caught my ear while listening.

1. The production and arrangement - It seems like ever since John Darnielle first went into the studio and released Tallahassee, the production has gotten increasingly interesting and natural sounding. Heretic Pride definitely sounds more like a full band is in the studio than any Mountain Goats album to come before it. Piano and organ work are featured more prominently on songs here than anything since "No Children." Scott Solter and John Vanderslice really got the sound right on these songs. The string parts are great, and "San Bernardino" features some stringed instrument ostinato from the start that intrigues me greatly. Arrangements are inventive and strong throughout.

2. Bright Mountain Choir - I've always enjoyed the parts of the Mountain Goats' back catalog that featured Darnielle's voice paired with a female singer. Be it Rachel Ware, the BMC, or Kimya Dawson. The parts where female vocals show up are treats.

3. Jon Wurster - I used to think "This Year" was the Mountain Goats' rocker. Not any more. Wurster elevates a number of these tracks to great heights. I hope to see JW on drums along with Peter Hughes and John Darnielle the next time a tour comes through the area.

4. Monsters - Some research would probably reveal more ties, but the monster theme that had been previously suspected is somewhat present. Heretic Pride is not an album about monsters, but perhaps an album about how it feels to be a monster, or be perceived as one. I like that better. Perhaps there will be a video for one of these songs, and monsters will be involved. I'd like that too.

5. Michael Myers Resplendent - One year ago this week, Darnielle posted a demo of this track. It was good. When HP's tracklist was announced, some fans were surprised that MMR was closing things out. Or curious might be the better term. I was very curious as to the changes, if any, Michael Myers Resplendent had undergone from the "Grendel's Mother" esque demo. Well, MMR went in a totally different direction than I had expected. It's big, and it deserves to have the final say on Heretic Pride.

Really, there is only one song on HP that I'm not already sold on, and that is only because it is a little too reggae for my tastes. Lyrically, it is solid. Now I will just wait in anticipation for the liner notes when the record is released on February 19. This record should be one of the best for next year, it would have been for 2007. I just hope that when the end of 2008 rolls around, people won't have forgotten how outstanding Heretic Pride is like they did with The Reminder.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to anyone who happens upon this site.
I spent my eve of Christmas watching the new Sigur Ros DVD, Heima, and I'd say it is on par with the group's studio work. The footage isn't a necessity, but it is definitely enjoyable, and watching it made me remember how epic and mind blowing the last half of the final track to ( ) is.

After enjoying myself on Christmas day, I'll be spending the 26th with family. On the 27th, I plan to go spend a day in Chapel Hill. Definitely plans to see one great person, maybe a couple more friends if they can swing it. Hopefully, I'll be able to take in the North Carolina vs. Nevada game. The 27th has me more excited than the 25th.

Go over to the Mountain Goats' website. John Darnielle put up a demo of a collaboration that he and John Vanderslice hope to work on. Let him explain it to you.

Hope everyone has a great time over the holiday.

In the Craters of the Moon

The first few tracks from The Mountain Goats' new album, Heretic Pride, are making their way to the internet. The album is due February 18th, and JD has explicitly stated not to link or share the tracks, so I'm not going to be that guy. Will I download it when I get the chance? Yes. Will I buy it the day it comes out? Yes. No sharing though. Don't ask.

Anyway, the track I've listened to the most, "In the Craters of the Moon," is pretty spectacular. Epic sound, and beautiful too. So, consider this a hype entry. I'm not going to search out the HP's tracks one by one. I have a feeling HP might have a thematic strain running throughout, so I want my first exposure to be an intact one for the most part.

HP Cover Art

4AD has the cover art for Heretic Pride, the Mountain Goats' upcoming release, on their website. This graphic is rather small, but the cover seems much more different than I would have expected. Expect something a little more badass? The approaching storm and totally heavy metal font say "YES!" I heard from one person who has given a listen to a watermarked copy (no, I don't have it and haven't heard it) that this album was much edgier and used the full band more often. This album may or may not be monster themed, so I'm hoping that John Darnielle's appearance in Aesop Rock's zombie themed video for "Coffee" won't be the last footage of JD with ghouls we get. I plan on buying the vinyl when the record drops on February 18, 2008, because framing a compact disc and putting it on the wall is dumb.

Small Labels Play it Smart?

I'll always remember Christmases when I was younger for the wealth of new music I got my hands on. I got my first cd player for Christmas, along with my first cd's. Growing up in a house that was still operating on cassette tapes and vinyl, I remember my older, cooler cousin explaining to me that, "no, you can't flip over your Space Jam Soundtrack cd and have it play on the other side." Sorry R. Kelly. Christmas was a great time to be a music fan - when else were you going to wake up and have that hot new Chumbawamba or Wallflowers album waiting on you (guess which one of those bands I still like)? Christmas as a kid who loved music was monumental until I stepped outside the music box and started listening to artists who weren't so popular or weren't recording for major labels with big distribution deals. Once we age a little and our musical tastes mature in leaps and bounds, we can't really expect Grandma to find that album from the Mountain Goats back catalog. Do they have it at the Wal Mart or the Best Buy? Sorry.

What got me thinking of all this is that since I've started writing here again, I thought I would give a little review of a new album I was listening to. And then I realised that besides Radiohead's In Rainbows, nothing new and exciting had made its way through my speakers in a couple months. And the last thing the internet needs is another review of Radiohead's LP7. It seems to me that during this time of year, the musical giants like Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones all put out best of albums, and the contemporary independent artists delay new releases. What I believe is happening is that smaller record labels (think Matador, 4AD, Merge sized labels and smaller) recognize that a majority of pre-Christmas record sales come from people buying records as gifts for other people - and the chance of Aunt Bettye or even Mom or Dad going into the local record store in the alley to buy Magnolia Electric Co.'s new box set is unlikely. If you look at the slated releases for the past week, along with the coming weeks, only major label artists are dropping their albums before Christmas. It isn't until the 8th of January when smaller labels begin to release albums. I don't think this is a "our small staff is off during those weeks" things either. These small labels know kids are more likely to go purchase records themselves than have them purchased for them, especially the week or two after the holiday when they might have some Christmas money. All of this sounds like smart business practices to me as well. The better the Secretly Canadians of the world know their niche in the market, the better chances the artists they put out will be successful. John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats summed the entire situation up perfectly last month with this quote about his intentions for his new album, Heretic Pride:

It will be released by 4AD, and features artwork by Vaughan Oliver. It was
recorded at Prairie Sun, and produced by Scott Solter & John Vanderslice. We
are really excited about this album, and we wish it were out right now, but
there is a law against releasing albums in December unless you are Queen. Any
album you see released in December is actually by Queen, no matter what it says
on the cover. Then in January everybody is recovering from having listened to
too much Queen. Hence, February. See you then!

So until I can get my hands on Heretic Pride or Cat Power's Jukebox, no reviews. Unless someone gives me some Queen for Christmas.

True Norwegian Black Metal - The Mountain Goats at Cat's Cradle

I went to Carrboro's Cat's Cradle last night to catch the Reach for the Skye benefit concert featuring the Mountain Goats. The show started at nine, and had four bands on the bill, which is good for ten dollars, but bad if you have to be somewhere early the next morning. I got there at a quarter to ten as the first band, Hope & Anchor, was finishing their set. I couldn't really make much of the Asheville-based group from the one song I heard, except for the notion that they both looked and sounded like they were indeed from Asheville, which is pretty much saying they looked and sounded like they were from Carrboro. I said hi to friends after their set and checked out who else was in attendance - David Karsten Daniels and Perry from Prayers & Tears were there like always, and took a seat for the next act, the Moaners. The Moaners are two girls, one playing a slew of slide guitars, one on drums, and they are pretty much awful. The Moaners reminded of everything I hated about the whole rock and roll revival idea - sludgy sound, poor musicianship, garage rock, Kurt Cobain vocals, and the notion of loud + fast = good! There set seemed much longer than thirty minutes. No more will be said about them.

Bellafea was up next, and I was rather interested in hearing them. This three piece really reminded me of the better post-hardcore/angular indie from the late 90's. There was the abrasive sonic aspect and metrical changes of At the Drive In, as well as more reigned in moments that were similar to Denali and Engine Down. If I were sixteen again, I probably would have gone ape-shit over their set and would have fallen in love with Heather, the singer/guitarist. However, I am not sixteen anymore, so I just go ape-shit over seeing the Mountain Goats these days and fall in love with John Darnielle.

Last night's Mountain Goats set was a solo one for Darnielle, and was the first time I've seen him play sans-Peter Hughes. I figured it would be a good night from the moment JD walked on stage wearing a t-shirt that said "True Norwegian Black Metal" in Olde English font. I can't remember the entire set, but here is a run through of songs I can recall in order.

Palmcorder Yajna
'New song that was a throwaway from the new record'
Neon Orange Glimmer Song
Dilaudid
Evening In Stalingrad
Keeping House
Game Shows Touch Our Lives
New Monster Avenue
Snow Crush Killing Song
Dance Music
Color In Your Cheeks
Broom People
The Mess Inside
Going to Georgia
Love Love Love
See America Right

(encore)
Jenny
No Children

I am fairly sure those were the songs played. They may be a bit out of order. John said after a couple songs that he decided to put lots of material from Full Force Galesburg in the setlist and wanted to know if anyone minded, and of course there was applause. However, it became evident that the setlist was out of the window halfway through the set for multiple reasons - 1. John couldn't remember the tuning to a song he said "hasn't been played since 1996," 2. John couldn't read the setlist because he didn't have his glasses on, and 3. the crowd was full of people yelling requests at the stage. If JD didn't know a song requested, he would say, "Don't remember that one any more." The call for songs became a bit annoying after a couple rounds of it. I really wish people would just let John play what he wants to play. Sure you might really want to hear him play "This Year" or "No Children." We all do. But do you really want to hear it for the third song? Or do you want John Darnielle to close with it? Wait your turn.

I like seeing the Mountain Goats in any lineup possible, and really did enjoy last night's performance. But I feel like John has a little bit more fun and looks a lot livelier when Mr. Peter Hughes is up there next to him. So, yes, Peter was missed. Who doesn't like Peter Hughes? The man is a great bassist and seems like an all around nice guy. And who else has John Darnielle recorded a record in honor of and called a savior? No one. Anytime the Mountain Goats are on stage, it will be a good time. Any time Peter Hughes is missing, it won't be the same either. John did give us some of his usual hilarious stage banter, likening playing "Going to Georgia" to seeing an ex-wife after twelve years and starting to kiss her and thinking, "Oh, why am I doing this," but by the time the kiss gets to tongue you are like, "Oh yeah, this is great!"



My definite favorite from the night had to be John's inclusion of "Snow Crush Killing Song" and "Neon Orange Glimmer Song" from Sweden. "Snow Crush" had a little extra push behind it that made it great to sing along with. When the Mountain Goats play, there will always be songs left out that you want in. I doubt John ever plays "Sendero Luminoso Verdadero" anymore. It is sad anytime "This Year" isn't played live. And playing a show in Carrboro should always mean he has to play "Wild Sage" just for the 15-501 reference. I've never seen John play "Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton" live. But for every song he doesn't play, he delivers with "Snow Crush" or "Orange Glimmer." Or "The Mess Inside." Take your pick.

Oddly enough, after John's last Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill show in May at the Local 506, I heard him talking with a guy afterwards and the guy asked about "The Mess Inside." John said he never played that song anymore but would make sure to play it next time he was in town. He delivered. You have to love John Darnielle.

I might or might not be going to see The National supported by Doveman tonight. Will probably be a last minute decision.

The Internets. You Broke Them.

Having the your Internet connection crash is something that every college student should be used to. It usually happens right when you are about to send in that final draft to your professor before exams. However, one rarely finds out the reason behind the crash, and it is rarely amusing.

I wasn't on the 'net for a while today, and it was a good thing I didn't need to be, because apparently all of North campus here at UNC was sent back to the technological Stone Age. The reason? Because someone might have had the best bad idea I've heard of in a while. Someone I am not acquainted with thought, "Hey, I wonder, what would happen if I took an Ethernet cable and connected one of my dorm room's Ethernet connection points to the other one on the opposite wall?" That type of creativity and curiosity is what it takes to be a Carolina student. That lack of common sense is just what it means to be 20 years old. I've had my fare share of those moments. I welcome a new brother into the fold with this Internet fun. I've inserted below a drawing of what I think the scene looked like upon connection. Obviously, visual art isn't exactly my forte.


Now I'm going to go see the Mountain Goats in Carrboro. Going to be a great night.

Hymns for a Dark Horse

I've done my part in supporting local music today.

I went to Schoolkids Records today and got a real copy of Bowerbirds' Hymns for a Dark Horse, which will go onto be known as the best debut album of 2007. I would go further into this, but John Darnielle has a bit more clout than I do, and he has said all there is to be said about this album here at Last Plane to Jakarta. I opened the LP-style folding jacket up, and the sleeve insert that has all the lyrics and 'thank you' notes is hand numbered. You can see the little smudge. I like that. You can tell this album was a labor of love, being the first release for Burly Time Records, and I love the fact that this album is number 1207 in a first pressing of 1600. So, go buy this before it becomes a collector's item.

I also picked up tickets to two shows, The National on September 7th and Magnolia Electric and the Watson Twins on September 25th. I'm going to stand in front and challenge Jason Molina to a staring contest. He might have ridden with the ghost, but if old Mr. Songs: Ohia thinks he's a match for Mattpoin, he's in for a world of pain.

10 Songs You Probably Haven't Heard but Should Immediately

Note: The following was first posted here on 30 June 2007.

Isn't it a wonderful experience to hear a great song for the first time? The whole jaw-dropping experience where you realize you will listen to this one song until you know every word, until your significant other starts pleading not to hear it again. I love it, and the feeling I get from hearing a new gem is the reason I listen constantly. Below, I've compiled ten songs that don't seem to register when talking about music, but I have dreams that someday they will. Some of the artists are relative unknowns, some are completely knowns. I hope you enjoy, and feel free to comment.

1. My Oldest Memory – the Bowerbirds. Unless you follow the Raleigh-based Bowerbirds, I’m fairly sure you have not had this song pass through your ears. “My Oldest Memory” is the sixth track to the Bowerbirds’ debut, Hymns for a Dark Horse, and these fellows haven’t really gotten a lot of pre-release hype just yet for the album, which comes out July 10. John Darnielle is endorsing the album, so that is probably going to change. Pitchfork recently gushed over it, so I am hoping everyone will know about it before long. But you should run over the www.bowerbirds.org and stream the track a few times over. Make sure to listen to the chorus multiple times as well – definitely the centerpiece of the song with its sing along style. Bowerbirds are the perfect example of how jam-packed the Triangle music scene is right now with talent. The group is worthy of as much praise as any critic can generate, and from what I remember, they got next to nothing from Independent Weekly or the Daily Tar Heel this past year. Really, the Triangle market is so tough to compete in with acts like the Rosebuds and the Bu_Hanan groups stealing the spotlight, as well as the Old Ceremony. All those acts deserve their great reviews, but the Bowerbirds do not deserve this neglect. So go listen to the Bowerbirds, pick up their album, and take in the indie-folk guitars, quirky lyrics, accordions, and pristine home recording.

2. Epilogue – David Karsten Daniels. This fellow is another staple of our wonderful scene in Chapel Hill, and I hate that most people haven’t listened to him. Unlike the Bowerbirds, DKD did get some hype before his release of Sharp Teeth this spring, which is probably going to be on of the top albums of 2007. Yet, even the alpha and omega of pushing unknowns into the spotlight, Pitchfork, couldn’t make it happen for David. “Epilogue” is the ‘secret track’ tagged onto the end of David Karsten Daniels’ previous release, Angles. The man can write some rather depressing music, but “Epilogue” really has a good feeling bounce to it, at least in the guitar line. Perhaps that is why it was the secret song and not a listed track – it sounded too happy. David describes the song as, “Sometime, around town, you see the car your ex-lover used to drive. For a moment you flip out or your stomach kind of sinks. Then you realize it’s a stranger with the same make/model of vehicle. At that point you know you’re not as far away from things as you hoped you were.” That description came from where you should go to get the song, for free: Daytrotter. David’s Daytrotter Session featured a version of “Epilogue” that is well worth having, especially if you need an intro to the wonders of DKD. Make sure to pick up the three great songs above it as well. http://www.daytrotter.com/article/775/free-songs-david-karsten-daniels

3. Basketball Shoes – Hide and Seek. This song is 48 seconds long. The only way you could have it is if a band member gave you a CD-R copy. I’m pretty sure only my girlfriend and I still listen to this song. Hide and Seek was definitely the best spazz-punk/no-wave band out of Winston-Salem, and their live sets are dearly missed. Maybe if everyone goes to http://www.myspace.com/hideandseekwillkillyou and downloads “Jehovah All Over Yah” and then writes to Devin, Zach, and Savannah, we can get a reunion. I’d be there. I make it a point to put “Basketball Shoes” on each and every mix I make for people so they can enjoy the chorus of “You can play basketball in those shoes! / I can do anything in these shoes! / Recognize.”

4. Everything Reminds Me – Le Chevre. I really don’t know a whole lot about the guy that goes by the stage name Le Chevre. I was given a burned CD-R of a home made, self-titled release with 8 tracks on it way back in 2004 by this fellow. I think I remember he is out of somewhere down in South Carolina. Obviously, a bit obscure. The important part is, the music is for real, especially this track. I would describe Le Chevre as Postal Service that relies heavily on acoustic guitars, and a bit more kitsch in the synthscapes. The intro comes in like a good pop rocker, and the guitar work is actually pretty deft for what one would expect out of this genre. What pulls “Everything Reminds Me” together? The great hook of a chorus – “Nothing’s gonna get better until you pick up and start / Images don’t create themselves, but everything falls apart. / Everything in the world reminds me.” Yeah, makes no sense to me either. Sounds great though. I don’t know if this fellow even has a website, but if you feel like doing some investigative work, I suggest trying to find this material. I keep looking for Le Chevre to pop up in the ‘hot new act’ section of magazines like Alternative Press, right next to the flavor of the month.

5. Grendel’s Mother – The Mountain Goats. “Grendel’s Mother” is the odd case of a lesser-known song by a better known artist. Why is it lesser known? It stretches back to Zopilote Machine, John Darnielle’s 1994 release that was recorded on a Panasonic boombox. Couple the poor recording by most standards with being towards the end of an out of print record, and your make your case for inaccessibility. I’m a sucker for literary allusions in song, and no songwriter today does that better than John (he majored in English literature). Darnielle flips the perspective on us – we are not hearing of the triumphant Beowulf anymore, but instead the vengeful mother of a slain son. The usual quite Mountain Goats rage is there still in the chorus – you can run, but I will carry you home in my teeth.

6. Controversy – Prince. People should all know this song by heart and there should be a choreographed dance to go along. It just seems to get lost because it was released in that pre-Purple Rain period when people were still trying to figure out whom this fellow was. The whole purpose of the song is to bring to mind all these taboo or controversial subjects. In the opening lines, “Am I black or white? Am I straight or gay?” The first chorus, which kicks major ass – “Do I believe in God? Do I believe in me?” It isn’t often that you find existential musings being dropped over a beat your parents would have really enjoyed wearing spandex to. What is really the most controversial part of the song? A bridge that consists of the purple one reciting the Lord’s Prayer over that insistent beat. Also, this song is seven minutes long, which gets points in my book for being an extended jam.

7. Julianne – Wood & Steel. Wood & Steel is a bluegrass band from the triad area. Not ‘nugrass.’ Not that quasi-imitation bluegrass that has been perfected by the Avett Brothers and Old Crow Medicine Show and gets a crossover indie crowd. There is no outlaw aspect here, no rough edges. When these guys play live, it is a suit and tie affair. Just some seriously talented musicians playing insanely difficult music. “Julianne,” the third track from their release The Old Ones are the Best Ones, was written by mandolin player Joey Lemons. It is fast, it is good, there are tight harmonies, and it is best when played loudly while driving down two lane blacktop. If you woman ever leaves you at home because you are no fun, listen to the pleading lyrics of “Julianne” and use them to get her to stay home with you. You won’t regret it.

8. Dooley – The Dillards. People get confused when I try to explain who the Dillards were. The Dillards were occasionally characters on the Andy Griffith Show from years ago, where they played themselves, but weren’t called the Dillards. They were called the Darlins. So the Darlins were the Dillards being the Dillards. Got it? Good. I’ve never heard such amazing banjo playing as done by the guy who pulls of notes here. Never before has anyone played so fast, continuously. The lyrics are great – this song is about a local moonshiner who is the town hero, though no one will admit it. Well, the song is just about the moonshiner. It is amazing to hear where bluegrass was in the sixties, and the Dillards must have been one of the best groups of the decade. The best bet for finding this track will be looking on the net for an anthology or best of work. Just make sure to stay away from their late-career albums. Pure trash when compared to the likes of “Dooley.”

9. Quit – Hey Mercedes. Hey Mercedes’ debut album, Everynight Fire Works, was the album that I listened to non-stop from eighth grade until I finished high school. Most older kids thought they were mediocre or worse because they grew up on Braid, and were loyal to that band. I remember being sixteen and standing outside MSU skatepark in Kernersville and having a discussion with a member of a now well known band that thought Everynight Fire Works was terrible because it sounded like a Braid ripoff. However, no Braid album had “Quit” on it, did it? This is a behemoth track that I think was the best indie rock song ever written. There’s the guitars! The guitars! And Bob Nanna. Go get this, find it wherever you can now that they’ve broken up and were on a tiny label. Even if you don’t like that original brand of emo from the nineties, go pick this album up and stare at the cover for as long as you can. Yeah, amazing, I know.

10. Don’t Turn Around – The Everybodyfields. This is the first track to leak from the Everybodyfields’ third album, Nothing is Okay, which is set to make some noise towards the back end of August. I must say, it is quite a treat to see the ‘fields employ a full band, and I can’t wait to hear the rest of the album. While recent live sets have featured strings, pedal steel, electric guitar, and keys, the drums really do fill this track out. Sung by male half of the band, Don’t Turn Around brings a shinier feel to the waltz tempos of the first two Everybodyfields albums. “Don’t Turn Around” holds all the great aspects of old songs by these guys, but the larger instrumentation does a great job of supporting Sam’s country warble. Be ready for the great guitar solo in the middle, and think about how this track could be a sign of everyone not being sad that Songs:Ohia isn’t what it used to be. Go to http://songsillinoismp3.blogspot.com/2007/06/new-track-from-everybodyfields-ramseur.html for the download.