Photographs by David Black. Be sure to peruse his site, he’s shot a lot of great musicians.
“Green Aisles” - Real Estate - Days (2011, Domino)
Indie rockers Real Estate are dropping the follow-up to their charming 2009 self-titled debut in a bit under a month, and have kindly just released the second track from the album as a free download.
Green Aisles is just like the best of their first album— perfectly laid-back, dreamy indie rock. Just in time for our summer here in the southern hemisphere, I can see myself spending more than a few lazy days at the beach with this album.
(Source: airportdj)
GIRLS SET TO RELEASE FATHER, SON, HOLY GHOST ON SEPT 12, 2011
On September 12th, 2011 in UK/Europe, September 13th in US and September 7th in Japan, San Francisco’s Girls will release their second album and third record Father, Son, Holy Ghost on Fantasytrashcan/Turnstile. The album comes two years after their debut (Album), and one year after the follow-up EP (Broken Dreams Club). It is their most accomplished to date.
On the third anniversary of the birth of Girls as a band Christopher Owens and Chet White found themselves entering the studio to begin recording their second album. More a collection of gear than a studio, recording took place in the bowels of a San Francisco office building. The two teamed up with new drummer Darren Weiss and guitarist John Anderson assembling performances and ultimately creating new music and musical relationships to carry the band through its newest incarnation. Quickly the record took shape and with the luxury of time and an outstanding and vast collection of amplifiers as well as tube and transistor based recording equipment the sound was formed. Less explorative than previous records the sound is built on the ideas and ears of a much more confident band. And the outcome is their most important release to date.
Girls have taken what they’ve always done best and have displayed it with amazing clarity and the strongest of intent. Classic songwriting coupled with exciting production is their way. “I’m still all the same,” Owens says. “I still know I have to do it. I still love the songs and writing songs.”
Father, Son, Holy Ghost is at times ebullient and at times absolutely devastating. A truly beautiful record and the perfect amalgamation of a band’s past and present while most importantly leaving us all excited and hungry for their future
“Put Some Sugar On It” by Half Japanese
Today I watched the 1993 documentary Half Japanese: The Band That Would Be King. It tells the story about how Jad Fair decided one day to start a band with no idea how to play any instrument, stating in the film (even after 30 years in the band) that “the only chord I know is the one that connects the guitar to the amp.”
I highly recommend you all check it out (the whole thing’s on youtube). With fascinating interviews of Maureen Tucker (Velvet Underground), the founder of Matador Records and a SPIN magazine writer (their names escape me) each segment of the film has interesting developments in the band’s history (including a great Rambo-esque story told by Penn Jillette).
Even if you’ve never heard of them the movie has great comments on the independent music scene and it’s role with and against large labels.
Mixtape 8: A Salty Salute is ready for-a-downloadin’. Click here for the mix. Click here for the songs (unorganized, unfortunately).
So upon request I’ve made a summer playlist. I tried to balance upbeat sunny pop songs which are instantly catchy, California garage-rock, and (this was my main focus) songs that you could play while drinking beers with your friends on a hot day by a cool lake. I’m gonna use this mix for my drive to the shore on Thursday…noddin’ my head to the beat with the windows down. So to kick off the warmer months right I’ve included a link to the songs again to dump them on your own CD (if people other than me use them) to blast in your cars or boomboxes for your BBQ’s and bonfires and whatnot. Kick back and enjoy!
Tracklist:
- “Piel e Eu” by Bola Sete
- “To Be Myself Completely” by Belle & Sebastian
- “Jackie Wants A Black Eye” by Dr. Dog
- “Torn And Frayed” by The Rolling Stones
- “Waters” by Air Waves
- “Bad Kids” by The Black Lips
- “Jesus, Etc.” by Wilco
- “A Summer Song” by Chad & Jeremy
- “Sleeptalking” by La Sera
- “Should Have Shot Paul” by The Strange Boys
- “Out Of Tune” by Real Estate
- “When They Fight, They Fight” by The Generationals
- “Recently” by Polaris
- “Love Among Social Animals” by Sonny & The Sunsets
- “I’m Rowed Out” by The Eyes
- “Lingering Still” by She & Him
- “Can’t Seem To Make You Mine” by The Seeds
- “Look Away” by The Apples In Stereo
- “Triplets” by Bodies Of Water
- “If Not For You” by George Harrison
*Album art photo by Swampy
An enlightening article by Eric Harvey on the role and context of snapshot photography in indie rock, both past and present.
A mix by one of my favorite illustrators, Mark Weaver. Do yourself a favor and play this right now. Every song is stellar.
Tracklist:
- “Savage Night At The Opera” by Destroyer
- “Maple Leaves” by Jens Lekman
- “Ambivalence Avenue” by Bibio
- “Telstar” by The Tornados
- “Island, IS” by Volcano Choir
- “Nothing Ever Happened” by Deerhunter
- “Norway” by Beach House
- “Feel It All Around (Toro Y Moi Remix)” by Washed Out
- “Knife (Grizzly Bear Cover)” by CSS
Someone made a Smiths vinyl bootleg called Unreleased Demos & Instrumentals. Someone else made a rip of the (pretty illuminating, great) 16-track collection that features, among other things, a couple of previously unreleased Johnny Marr instrumentals (one heavier than the other). Hardcore fans may note it also includes the version of “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” with a final refrain of “there is a light in your eyes and it never goes out” as well as the version of “Death Of A Disco Dancer” with “the improvised ‘whistled solo’ as mentioned in Simon Goddard’s The Smiths – Songs That Saved Your Life.”
Tracklist:
- “The Hand That Rocks The Cradle”
- “Reel Around The Fountain”
- “Rusholme Ruffians”
- “The Queen Is Dead”
- “Sheila Take A Bow”
- “This Night Has Opened My Eyes”
- “Untitled One” (Marr Instrumental)
- “Ask”
- “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out”
- “Is It Really So Strange?”
- “Frankly, Mr. Shankly”
- “Shoplifters Of The World Unite (Reprise)”
- “Girlfriend In A Coma”
- “Death Of A Disco Dancer”
- “Paint A Vulgar Picture”
- “Untitled Two” (Marr Instrumental)
via Stereogum
