Photography credit: Chris Alvarez

Just because you operate the world’s most influential independent music website doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to put on a decent festival. I mean, given Pitchfork’s impeccable scenester credentials and the air of smug self-satisfaction that permeates some of its article this could have been the American equivalent of being trapped in a Shoreditch industry party. But all credit to them- they acquit themselves marvelously with a superbly-organised event that delivers the musical quality you’d expect from the hipster bible without the pretension that mars its closest UK equivalents. (*cough*FieldDay*cough*)

Tortoise were a curious choice of opener – though generally lumped in the post-rock bracket they sound little like Explosions In The Sky and their ilk, their songs much more complex than the endless glacial crescendos that usually beset the genre. Their ferocious introduction involved a dual drum assault that’d do Boredoms proud, but their progression towards a more cerebral, minimalist direction, whilst technically dazzling, was too inaccessible to engage the crowd. Then again, they were miles better than Yo La Tengo, the kind of band who extend a song not because it needs to, but because they’ve apparently run out of ideas. Maybe it’d have been more riveting for established fans (especially as the setlist was picked by public vote), but by the end of their fiftieth interminable jam I just wanted them to go away. Continue Reading

Upper Air is of a similar quality to Bowerbirds first album Hymns For A Dark Horse, but reached by a slightly different path, the lyrics focus on relationships and love and being astounded by nature, sometimes in the same song. A more varied musical approach is also pursued, with things like organ, autoharp, varied percussion (less of a reliance on the ol’ bass drum) and upright bass being utilized with some interesting acid etched results, whilst still retaining a basic rustic folkiness. This is a clean sounding album, guitar tone, vocal, violin and that upright bass all beautifully presented.

Mark Paulson has left, or is perhaps less involved in Upper Air, in his place is Matt Damron who is listed as ‘drummer’. No doubt about that as there’s more kit audible, (cymbal and snare, for example), the bass drum is still there, it’s just usually paired up with the newer percussion (‘Beneath Your Tree’ being a good example), when it’s not trying out new approaches like the long rumbling thunder in ‘Ghost Life’, ‘Crooked Lust’ and ‘This Day’ (as opposed to the usual thump-thump-clack). It’s good to see the band trying something new out, like the thick organ droning in ‘Chimes’, or stunning upright bass in ‘Bright Future’, and even better when it blends in well with the already established aspects of their sound. Continue Reading

Bowerbirds

“Not many people have beards in Britain. I mean, back home everyone I know has a beard. Everyone in my band has a beard. Everyone in my other band has a beard. But you get to England and then….no beards”. Gig goers of the UK, you have been warned by sometime Bowerbirds member, and full time Megafaun Brad Cook to get your hair folicles back to work. He has a point- the crowd tonight is decidedly unhairy, a surprise given that Bowerbirds play the kind of delicate fusion of folk and americana that normally brings out the facially fuzzy in their droves. But I digress. Continue Reading

My Bloody Valentine

H-O-L-Y-S-H-I-T

Check out the lineup for this years Primavera Festival. Full details in the official press blurb below.

Barcelona, 18th of February 2009 – Once again, the best of international independent music will meet in the Parc del Fòrum of Barcelona. The festival, which this year will take place from the 28th until the 30th of May, maintains its eclectic quality by presenting an array of artists, who stand out in the originality and quality of their performances. The festivalgoers will witness an amazing display of talent from the participating bands.

This new edition of Estrella Damm Primavera Sound will be marked by the double performance of My Bloody Valentine, the mythical band of the 90s who made a comeback last year, by the visit of Sonic Youth with their new record, the classics of indie rock Yo La Tengo, the elusive electronic music of Aphex Twin, the ex lead singer of Pulp, Jarvis Cocker and the British band Bloc Party.

In the section of artists with a long history are artists of the calibre of The Jayhawks and the return of one of the most important bands of post punk: A Certain Ratio. Joe Henry (selected by Rockdelux as best concert of 2008) and the veteran Michael Nyman will also perform at the festival. Other influential artists who will be there in the Forum from the 28th to the 30th of May are Shellac, the Black Lips revitalizing punk, the frontman of Grandaddy Jason Lytle, the mythical and overpowering The Jesus Lizard, Magnolia Electric Co, from France, Phoenix, the Sonic Boom Spectrum, the kings of drone metal Sunn O))), Kimya Dawson or the hardcore Fucked Up.

Every year we try to include a high number of bands playing in Spain for the first time and this year among the chosen ones are: The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Crystal Stilts, Girls, Lemonade, Sleepy Sun, Shearwater and Carsick Cars, a young band from China, protégés of Sonic Youth.

The national bands, which will increase in the next few weeks, include Extraperlo and The Lions Constellation launching their debut LPs, the comeback of Veracruz with one of the records of the year, the psychedelic metal of Cuzo and the robust post hardcore of Rosvita.

The area of more experimental sounds is covered by artists such as Ariel Pink and Marnie Stern, the unbeatable duo Lightning Bolt or what promises to be the concert of the 2009 edition, Dan Deacon with an ensemble of 15 musicians presenting his new record.

Electronic music and hip hop still have their space in the Estrella Damm Primavera Sound with the visit of the rapper Ghostface Killah, a live performance by Squarepusher, the revelation Ebony Bones, the captivating eclecticism of Girl Talk, the ever efficient EL-P and dance music from DJs like A-Trak (Dj of Kanye West and the coolest hip hop agitator) and Michael Mayer.

The full festival tickets for Estrella Damm Primavera Sound 2009 can be purchased for 115 € (+ booking fee) up until February 22th. The full festival tickets will cost 130 € (+ booking fee) from February 23rd.

The only official ticketing companies are: the entire Tick Tack Ticket network, the CD Drome shops in Barcelona and Madrid, Seetickets UK, Fnac France and PayPal through the festival website.

CONFIRMED ARTISTS: A-Trak, A Certain Ratio, Alela Diane, Andrew Bird, Angelo Spencer, Aphex Twin, Ariel Pink, Art Brut, The Bad Plus, Bat For Lashes, Black Lips, Bloc Party, Bowerbirds, The Bug, Carsick Cars, Crystal Antlers, Crystal Stilts, Cuzo, Chad VanGaalen, Damien Jurado, Dan Deacon Ensemble, Deerhunter, Dj Mehdi, The Drones, Ebony Bones, El-P, Extra Life, The Extraordinaires, Extraperlo, Fucked Up, Gang Gang Dance, Ghostface Killah, Girl Talk, Girls, Jarvis Cocker, Jason Lytle from Grandaddy, Jay Reatard, The Jayhawks, The Jesus Lizard, Joe Crepúsculo y Los Destructores, Joe Henry, John Maus, Karl Blau, Kimya Dawson, Kitty Daisy & Lewis, Lemonade, Lightning Bolt, The Lions Constellation, The Mae Shi, Magik Markers, Magnolia Electric Co., Mahjongg, Marnie Stern, Michael Mayer, Michael Nyman, My Bloody Valentine, The New Year, Oneida, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Phoenix, Plants & Animals, Ponytail, Rosvita, The Secret Society, Shearwater, Shellac, Simian Mobile Disco, SkatebÅrd, Sleepy Sun, The Soft Pack, Sonic Youth, Spectrum, Spiritualized, Squarepusher, Sunn O))) performing “The Grimmerobe Demos”, The Tallest Man On Earth, Throwing Muses, Uffie, The Vaselines, Veracruz, Vivian Girls, Wavves, Women, Wooden Shjips, Yo La Tengo and Zombie Zombie.

ATP STAGE: Ariel Pink, Carsick Cars, The Drones, El-P, Gang Gang Dance, The Jesus Lizard, Lightning Bolt, Magik Markers, Shellac, Sleepy Sun, Sunn O))) and Wooden Shjips.

Us Brits may moan about the weather and the tax, but when it comes to live music, this tiny island is a delight. From where else in the world could we nip off to Berlin, Paris, Barcelona, Copenhagen or, er, Minehead to indulge our burning desire for live music and still scrape into work on a Monday morning? And where else could we hop between a 60,000-seat football stadium packed full of air-punching Bruce Springsteen fans and a miniscule bar where a fragile Edwyn Collins plays a secret set to 50 tearful Dundonians (and one TLOBF writer)? Eight of the site’s most obsessive gig-goers present their picks of the year’s live music. Continue Reading

Words: Emily Moore / Photographs: Rich Thane

It’s been quite a year for live music, 2008; an emotional roller-coaster of euphoria and heady nostalgia and all sorts of superlatives you might reach for to try to describe a clenched throat that doesn’t know if it’s holding back ecstatic cheers or warm tears.

There was the 12 Bar last month, a fragile Edwyn Collins leaning into the protective, wiry shoulder of Roddy Frame, straining resistant limbs and lips into familiar old shapes for a tiny crowd of shiny-eyed Dundonians. There was the Roundhouse a few weeks before that, Kevin Shields’ mouth yawning wide and silent into the din, my skin rippling as though the waves that buffeted the front row were real and not mere sound. And there was the holy still air of St Giles church, in the balmy early days of June, when Justin Vernon raised a guitar to the heavens and 300 faithful erupted into triumphant thanksgiving. It’s pure luck to be granted one such fleeting, epiphanical moment a year, never mind two from one quiet Wisconsinite. Iconic performances seem to have littered the summer months like chewing-gum wrappers, and now another has just fallen at our feet and blown past, reminding me of Winnaretta Singer’s line about the rare and particular breed of music that reminds us that we have “a reason for living on this rock: to live in the beautiful kingdom of sounds.” Continue Reading

Beth Tacular, (Accordion, Bass Drum, Backing Vocals), Phil Moore, (Lead Vocals, Guitar, Tambourine), Mark Paulson (Violin, Pedal Keyboard, Bass Drum, Backing Vocals), are the three members of Raleigh, North Carolina’s Bowerbirds, a band that has crafted a brilliant album which could be called folk, but such a classification falls well short of truly giving justice to what they sound like. When listening to Hymns For A Dark Horse you get the feeling that these songs are physical objects as much as they are ephemeral waves of vibrations. Filled with ideas, imagery and metaphors in the lyrics, melodies, themes and rhythms in the instrumentation, songs seem so bursting with life that they are something you experience, something that you can walk around, prodding and peering at. Continue Reading

Damien Jurado

Jagjaguwar and Dead Oceans, the consistently fine spin off labels from Secretly Canadian have oodles of interested signings and new releases coming up – so, in a condensed form, heres everything in one bite sized-ish post. Here goes…

Bon Iver

Signed in the US to Jagjaguwar (4AD in the UK) Bon Iver appeared on New York radio station WMYC this week. You can stream the appearence below, which features mega performances of ‘Creature Fear’ and spine tingle inducing rendiditon of ‘Flume’. Plus a chat about the album, which to be fair doesn’t really reveal too much. Just the same old “so I hear you recorded this in your fathers log cabin” etc etc.. Still worth it for the songs though – listen below:

If mp3’s are more your bag, then you can still grab the A-M-A-Z-I-N-G live session from Daytrotter.

mp3:> Bon Iver: ‘Flume’ [Daytrotter Session]
mp3:> Bon Iver: ‘Lump Sum’ [Daytrotter Session]
mp3:> Bon Iver: ‘Re Stacks’ [Daytrotter Session]
mp3:> Bon Iver: ‘Creature Fear’ [Daytrotter Session]

Also, watch this recent footage of Bon Iver and labelmates Bowerbirds perform Sarah Siskind’s ‘Lovin’s For Fools’ shot at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC. Hopefully they’ll perform it together at Shepherds Bush Empire next month – Bowerbirds are supporting Bon Iver at the sold out show on 11th September. Speaking of Bowerbirds, Brooklyn Vegan has some real nice shots of a recent show of theirs, here.

Women

Jagjaguwar will release Women’s self-titled debut full length on October 7th, 2008 throughout the world (January, 2009 release in the UK, and Canadian label Flemish Eye is releasing the record in Canada.) The band will tour the U.S., Canada and Europe in support of the album throughout 2008, and tour dates will be announced soon.

The band’s debut was recorded by Sub Pop and Flemish Eye artist Chad VanGaalen over 4 months on ghettoblasters and old tape machines in his basement, an outdoor culvert and a crawlspace. Sometimes light and spacious, at other times eerie and dense with an ominous weight, Women hint at the Velvet Underground, Swell Maps or This Heat; a lo-fi masterpiece cloaked in layers of vibrato and guitar wash.

mp3:> Women: ‘Black Rice‘
mp3:> Women: ‘Group Transport Hall‘

These Are Powers

After witnessing the chaos and energy of a These Are Powers live set, Dead Oceans were immediately enthralled with this band, and after a long courtship and some hot and heavy dating, they have finally announced the start of a long and fruitful union. First, Dead Oceans will re-release Taro Tarot and Terrific Seasons in October 2008, followed by an LP of new material in the first part of 2009. The band will support the re-releases with tours of both North America and Europe this autumn.

mp3:> These Are Powers: ‘Cockles’

Secretly Canadian have a couple of decent releases coming up too.. David Vandervelde’s sophomore album Waiting For The Sunrise is released next week in the States (22nd Sept in the UK) – fairly decent easy listening fare. Look out for a review soon. Also, Damien Jurado is set to release his new LP Caught In The Trees on 9th September in the States (27th Oct in the UK) – judging by the lead track ‘Gillian Was A Horse’ we’re in for some what of a treat. I can never understand though why we have to wait so long for UK release dates..

Oh – and one last thing, Dead Oceans new signings The Donkeys will release their staggering self-titled debut on September 8th. It really is quite fantastic – download an mp3 below and see for yourselves. Country-rock at its very finest. Look out for a review nearer the time of release.

mp3:> David Vandervelde: ‘I Will Be Fine’
mp3:> Damien Jurado: ‘Gillian Was A Horse’
mp3:> The Donkeys: ‘Walk Through A Cloud’