Sound Bites

Sonic Paramedics Weep for New Wire EP

Expect the worst. No matter how much you loved a band, even if they never made a bad record, and all the original members are participating in the new recordings. This is how I approach everything reunions and albums by bands who've been together more than 20 years. Cause chances are, it's going to suck.

But some groups you have more hope for than others. Wire are one of them. Like the Fall, Wire have never had any interest in nostalgia, constantly moving forward for the last 30 years. When they reformed in 1986 they refused to play songs from their first three records, though they did hire a Wire cover band, the Ex-Lion Tamers, to open for them. (They did however play some oldies in 2000 when I saw them at Irving Plaza -- a radical idea for them.) Even when the results are less than successful (1990's Manscape) you can never say they aren't doing their own thing.

Wire ceased to function a second time in the early 90s after making one record as Wir (drummer Robert Gotobed had left the group), but Colin Newman, Graham Lewis, Bruce Gilbert and Gotobed resurrected the group around the millenium, and have trickled out new material in the form of a series of Read & Burn EPs in-between reissues of their classic albums.

Read & Burn 3 is the first new recordings we've had in about five years, and these four tracks show they've lost none of their momentum. They're still playing songs at 12XU speed, impressive when you think Bruce Gilbert is in his '60s. I'm especially partial to the nearly 10-minute lead track "23 Years Too Late" as Newman and Lewis share vocal duties. Graham Lewis has always had this menacing quality to his vocals* and it's used to good affect here. Wire promise a brand new album in 2008 that will include no previously released tracks.

MP3: Wire - 23 Years Too Late (Buy Read & Burn 3)

*If I ever got to be music supervisor on a horror film, I would campaign for Wire's song "Feed Me" (from the Awesome The Ideal Copy) to be used in it. It's Graham Lewis at his creepy best.

MP3: Wire - Feed Me (Buy The Ideal Copy)

Playing Above Their Weight Class

Let's Wrestle have a song that begins with the line "I Wish I was in Hot Chip." [EDITOR's POST-PUBLISH NOTE: This is incorrect. The line is "I wish I was in Part Chimp.] " Hot Chip's forthcoming album has a song called "Let's Wrestle." [EDITOR's POST-PUBLISH NOTE: Also incorrect, it's just called "Wrestlers," though I do believe at the time (before the album came out) that it was called "Let's Wrestle." Anyway.] One had to be the direct result of the other, right? That sort of stuff doesn't happen by accident. [EDITOR's POST-PUBLISH NOTE: It does when this writer gets it all wrong.]

I don't know the answer to this conundrum, but I do know I like Let's Wrestle a lot. They're kind of like Los Campesinos or Art Brut, with a love and deep knowledge of pop music filtering their worldview. The London trio have been around for two years but only released their first single, "Song for Abba Tribute Record,"  back in May on the 7"-only label, Marquis Cha Cha, and features brokenhearted lyrics like "the position that I am in even genocide seems reasonable" with dissonant, Pavement-y jangle. It's b-side, "I Wish I Was in Husker Du," got most of the attention, though, and contained the aforementioned Hot Chip reference.

Now on Stolen Recordings (home of Pete & the Pirates and Screaming Tea Party), Let's Wrestle have released their second single, "I Won't Lie to You," and it's even better. Twice today I've listened to it four or five times in a row. Singer WPG is still having girl problems. "No matter how many records I buy, I can't fill this void." Within a minute the situation is worse: "The duvet's on fire, and so's your hair." The chorus is catchy and it's all over with in two and a half minutes.

MP3: Let's Wrestle - I Won't Lie to You

Ready for Hot Chip?

Hot Chip really like teasing us. About three weeks ago, they added new single "Ready for the Floor" to their MySpace player. But, initially, when you clicked on it, all you got was Alexis Taylor chanting "Do it do it do it do it do it do it do it now." Then every few days it got a bit longer, adding "say it say it say it say it say it say it say it now."

Well, you can finally hear it hear it hear it hear it hear it hear it hear it now. Well, about half of it at least, on their MySpace player or the whole thing on various BBC radio stations. It's actually going to be reviewed on BBC 6music's Roundtable tomorrow, which airs at 2PM EST but ut the show is archived so you can listen later. It should be a good show as the guest reviewers include curmudgeon David Quantic and Norwegian soon-to-be-big-deal Ida Maria. They're also reviewing new singles by Supergrass, Malcolm Middleton and, er, Madness.

I've heard "Ready for the Floor" a few times now  and think it's really good, definitely in the "Boy from School" brand of Hot Chip singles. It's officially out January 28. The SoulWax remix, however, has hit the web:

MP3: Hot Chip - Ready for the Floor (Soulwax Dub) (via Distortion Disco)

And now a music video... sort of. They're up to their old two-faced tricks:

Meanwhile, Headphone Sex went to see them recently and they were giving away a limited edition 7” with two demos/leftovers, which he promptly ripped and posted. They’re both worth checking out, and one of them is basically just Alexis and his guitar.

Hot Chip's new album, Made in the Dark hits stores February 4 in the UK. Not sure of the American date. Taylor dishes on the new album at their website but we've yet to see an official tracklist. The album art, however, looks like this:

Tally Ho! The Clean to Play NYC?

Well here's a bit of a mystery. Heather at Ugly Floral Blouse emailed me asking if I knew anything about The Clean playing Cake Shop at the end of the month. Um, no I hadn't. A visit to the venue's website did indeed show three -- three! -- nights featuring the legendary New Zealand band, Nov. 29 - Dec. 1. This would be pretty big news if true, so I went to Merge Records' website, the label who put out the entirely-essential Anthology (#85 on Blender's Top 100 Indie Rock Albums Ever) and there were the three shows.

It kind of makes sense. Singer David Kilgour is in America touring for his new solo album (my review of his recent Union Hall show here); his brother and Clean drummer Hamish lives here in New York. The big question is whether Robert Scott will be apart of these shows' lineup. He's the third constant in the Clean over the band's nearly 30 year existence, who also fronts the wonderful Bats (who played Cake Shop, upstairs, last year), and that would really make it something. Otherwise, it's the Brothers Kilgour. Either way, it will be the first time Clean songs have been played on these shores in a long, long time. I know they toured the U.S. in 1990 for their then comeback album, Vehicle. Not sure if they've been back since then (probably) but it's still a big event. Certainly one you'd think wouldn't have slipped out as quietly as this.

UPDATE: According to Cake Shop's website, it is the Brothers Kilgour and Robert Scott... hooray!

The extremely nice Cake Shop folks obviously are Flying Nun fans, so I guess I can't begrudge them having the shows but I do kinda hope they announce another show somewhere else, like Union Hall or Mercury Lounge. I can't imagine the average Clean fan (mid-30s at the youngest) enjoying the nonexistent sightlines and other problems the venue has. But three Clean shows at Cake Shop are better than none at all.

If you're unfamiliar with perhaps New Zealand's most influential band, here are two gems, including the indispensable "Tally Ho." They're both on Anthology which you should buy right now.

MP3: The Clean - Tally Ho

MP3: The Clean - Diamond Shine

He's a Peculiar Boy

OK, this is driving me crazy. Does anyone know what band/artist is performing the cover of The Monochrome Set's "He's Frank" in the club scene of tonight's episode of Heroes? ("Four Months Ago") I have Googled, gone on message boards, etc, all to no avail.

I love the Monochrome Set and "He's Frank" is one of their best-known songs. The only band I've ever heard cover it is The Sneetches, which they actually released as a single back in 1989 or so. This version sounded more like Iggy Pop or Alabama Three or Leonard Cohen. But I'm stumped. This is what the Internet is for, right? Surely someone knows.

In the meantime, here's both the original and the Sneetches' cover:

MP3: The Monchrome Set - He's Frank (Slight Return)

MP3: The Sneetches - He's Frank

UPDATE: Unlikely as this sounds, I remembered this morning that an old friend of mine, Errol, is actually producing the Heroes soundtrack. So I emailed him with my query and I got this response: "Ah - thats off the forthcoming soundtrack and is not available anywhere yet...  ; )." Gee, thanks, Mr. Evasive. I then prodded him further and he told me but asked that I not reveal it. It was recorded exclusively for the soundtrack... which doesn't have a release date yet but will be "early 2008."

And if you aren't familiar with The Monochrome Set, they were certainly one of the odder bands from the post-punk era -- dandys with razor-sharp, funny lyrics, and cabaret stylings but yet they kind of rocked in their own way. Also makers of great instrumentals. You can't miss with this Greatest Hits collection. I'm going to have to do a proper post on these guys sometime soon....

Euros Childs + David Kilgour + Peter Moren + Pseudosix | Union Hall | 11.09.2007

"This next song is 16 minutes long... and about every two minutes it sounds like it's ending. But it's not, so please don't clap. It kind of ruins the momentum." That was pretty much the only thing Euros Childs said all night I understood, apart from some of his lyrics, what with his thick Welsh accent.  Actually, for all I know he was speaking in Welsh some of those times. He has never shied away from his native tongue  -- his former band Gorky's Zygotic Mynci sang more often than not in his native tongue and one of the two albums Childs released this year, Bore Da, is entirely in Welsh.

The last time I saw Childs was, I think, 1999 when Gorky's was touring for Spanish Dance Troupe. Though I own every album he's released -- Gorky's, solo, or otherwise -- I would still call myself a casual fan. Watching his excellent set Friday night I realize I've been taking him for granted. Childs' solo material may lack the inventiveness and manic energy that made early records like Bwyd Time fun, but it is also absent of the Renaissance Fair embellishments which made them annoying. He's still a quirky songwriter (dig that 16-minute title-track to Miracle Inn, also released this year), but these days his songwriting abilities are given more of a spotlight, as are the harmonies and his mellow voice. Playing as a trio with Gorky's drummer Peter Richardson and Radio Luxembourg's Meilyr Jones on bass, those qualities were abundantly clear. Great set.

MP3: Euros Childs - Horse Riding (Buy Miracle Inn)

What wasn't clear is why he was headlining this show. This is not to knock Childs, it's just obvious that everyone came to see David Kilgour with whom he's been on tour. Half the room left after Kilgour's set, which was too bad. But Kilgour is an indie legend of 30 years. His band, the Clean, which he started in 1978 in Dunedin, NZ with his brother Hamish and Robert Scott (who would form his own influential band, The Bats) have influenced  loads of bands, perhaps most notably Yo La Tengo, Pavement and Superchunk. (Of the latter, Mac McCaughan's Merge label put out a Clean compilation, released Bats albums in the '90s, and has been releasing Kilgour's solo albums since 2002.) Ira and James of YLT (both of whom stuck around for Childs and were well into it) were in the audience, actually, as were Kilgour's brother Hamish, and Carl Newman.

Kilgour, who must be nearing 50 but looked much younger than that with a green military cap pulled down over his curly hair, and still sounds great. His new album, The Far Now, is pretty mellow but live, with his band the Heavy 8's, he's much more in the Dean Wareham (or Yo La Tengo to mention them again)  school of droney, jangly, blissed-out, VU-inspired rock. Full admission: I am a sucker for this sort of thing when it's done right, as it was Friday. I think it was the second guitarist playing a boxy-looking 12-string that really took it over the edge for me.

MP3: David Kilgour - BBC World (Buy The Far Now)

Kilgour and Childs were the main draw but the rest of the bill were notable too. Portland's Pseudosix opened, previously unfamiliar to me, but I left impressed. Breezy and just a touch country-ish in that early-'70s West Coast sort of way, they reminded me of druggy '90s band Acetone but with more melody and less reverb.

MP3: Pseudosix - Under the Waves (Buy it)

There was also a "special guest" on the bill, a badly-kept secret. (The real surprise came later that night.) Peter Moren of Peter Bjorn & John played a short impromptu set of songs he's working on for an upcoming solo album, working out arrangements in advance of his "real" solo show at Joe's Pub on November 19. Stress on "working them out." There were stops and starts, flubbed lyrics... but luckily Moren's a real charmer so nobody seemed to mind. Actually, I would guess half the people there didn't even realize this was the guy responsible for "Young Folks." Which is probably just how he wanted it, certainly different than his last appearance at Union Hall. He played maybe five originals plus a cover of Richard Hell's "Time." I shot video of one of the new ones that Peter said was about his time as a music teacher in Sweden. I knew the name of the song but didn't write it down and now don't remember...

Pop Tarts Suck Toasted was there too, but left after Moren's set, I think.

Versus | Union Hall | 11.09.2007

Friday was a night of surprises at Union Hall. Earlier in the evening, Peter Moren tried out some solo material. But the real treat was after the night's show (including David Kilgour and Euros Childs) was supposed to be over.

1990s indie faves Versus reunited for their first second (???) first show in two years -- the band broke up in  2001 but have played a few shows since, the last being  Teenbeat's 20th Anniversary Party in 2005. (Thanks commentors for helping me get this somewhat straight.) This wasn't the start of a reformation, however -- this was a 40th birthday present for former Teenbeat labelmate Matthew Datesman, who has logged time playing drums for various bands on that influential Arlington, VA label, including True Love Always, Aden, and currently Flin Flon. Teenbeat prez and Flin Flon singer Mark Robinson (who still looks like he's 25) was one of the 50 or in attendence, most of whom were super-psyched to be seeing Versus.

Me, I'm not going to claim that I was ever more than a casual fan of the band, though did like 1996's Secret Swingers quite a bit. And I'd forgotten just how good they were. And still are, even if Richard Baluyut needed a little lyrical help here and there. It was the end of a long night but damn if they didn't sound great and if they were flubbing things I didn't notice. No  real surprise, they've continued to play in other projects (+/-, Whyshall Lane, The Fontaine Toups) but it was great to hear some of these songs again. I've really got to pull out some of those '90s records and give them a fresh listen.

MP3: Versus - Lose That Dress  (Buy Versus music)

Hey, someone shot video too:

Jim Noir Fans, Christmas Comes Early

Kevin Barnes, let Jim Noir take the heat for a while. The snappily-dressed Brit has rewritten his song "My Patch" (or allowed someone else to do so) so that the lyrics are now Christmas-themed for a series of holiday ads for Target. I watched it a couple times and couldn't quite make out what the new lyrics were -- something like "The Holidays are times of magic / We're counting down, counting down." Buy your mum something nice with the cash, Jim. You can afford it now.

MP3: (buy Tower of Love)

Jim has been slow as Christmas coming up the follow-up to 2005's Tower of Love, which itself was just a compilation of three EPs. He coasted for a while thanks to another commercial, for Adidas, that aired nonstop during the 2006 World Cup but is finally set to release something new. Out next Monday (Nov. 12) as a 7" single or digital download, the All Right EP features four new tracks and you can listen to all of them right now at Jim's MySpace page. The title track is pure 1990 Madchester, a genre  I have a secret affection for (there are lots of embarrassing CDs in my collection), but it feels more like a b-side. The vocoder abuse may be to blame, the song sounds half-finished and a bit novelty to these ears. But it's growing on me.

MP3: Jim Noir - All Right (low quality MySpace rip; pre-order the All Right EP)

The video is pretty cute...if you like creepy ventriloquist dummies:

CMJ 2007 | Yeasayer | R Bar + Fader Sideshow

I've now seen Yeasayer three times. The first was at the "none shall blog" show at Cake Shop. The other two were back-to-back day shows at CMJ -- Friday at Brooklyn Vegan's thing at R Bar, and then again at the neverending Bud Select and Soco-n-Lime schmoozefest ski lodge that was the Fader Sideshow. I hadn't heard them before seeing them at Cake Shop, but had been told that they were "like TV on the Radio meets Talking Heads meets Animal Collective."

Which is utter crap. Yeasayer are, pure and simple, hippie music. Not wanky jam band hippie (though they would've been embraced at Bonaroo '99), no, this is vintage 1969, flowers-in-their-hair hippie music... albeit with modern technology. If Randy California had had access to samplers, Spirit might've sounded a lot like Yeasayer. As someone who came of musical age in the 1980s, I have a deep-seated Eric Cartman-like hatred of hippies -- even those that went to RISD. (Eric would especially hate YS's bassist, whose awful jacket, side ponytail and mustache are pretty much indefensible, though he's undeniably skilled with his fretless instrument.)

As much as I want to despise them, however, I don't. Songs like "2080" and "Sunrise" are kind of undeniable singles, they nail the harmonies (sometimes four-part) and the band are engaging performers. I especially like guitarist Anand Wilder, who also wears an ugly jacket, but has an intrinsic grooviness that cannot be denied. (I also like drummer Luke Fasano's crash cymbal, that looks like it's been through a couple wars.) Dammit, I like them. 1989 Me would be appalled, but he'll get over it in 18 years.

MP3: Yeasayer - Wait for the Summer (Buy Yeasayer's All Hour Cymbals, out 10/22)

For those who live here in NYC, Yeasayer are having a record release party on Tuesday at Glasslands Gallery in Williamsburg. They're not performing, it's just a dance party, the prospect of which seemed to excite the band more than the idea of playing another show.

Dirty on Purpose | Music Hall of Williamsburg | 9.28.2007

Any post I write about Dirty on Purpose is going to be a little biased as they are friends of mine. But I would be a fan even if that wasn't the case I would like them -- their melodic, shoegazer pop hits all my buttons -- and I genuinely think they just keep getting better.

Friday was the last night of their tour with Fujiya & Miyagi and their first time playing at Music Hall of Williamsburg. This was easily the best sounding gig of theirs I'd ever attended. MHoW's sound system is state-of-the-art, and Dirty on Purpose sounded epic. Arena even. Guitars roared and chimed. Yet everything was crystal clear, the bass and drums, everything where it should be... maybe the vocals were a little low but that always seems to be a problem with them. DoP are a band of quiet singers.

Despite being openers it was clear there were plenty of people there to see them -- it was a hometown audience and all. A set full of crowd pleasers -- "No Radio," "Marfa Lights," "Car No-Driver" -- plus a new one (the tremolo-heavy "Audience") from their upcoming Like Bees EP, another new one that I don't think they've recorded yet, and their cover of Real Life's synth-pop hit "Send Me an Angel" which they've been doing for about a year.

The latter I'm sure started as a joke but over the last six months or some has really come into its own and is now genuinely awesome, with George Wilson's guitars going into freakout overdrive. It's still dancey, a little gothy, but with that MBV treatment to it. It would sound brilliant on Gossip Girl in one of the show's many over-the-top party scenes... someone get Alex Patsavas a copy of the EP now.

MP3: Dirty on Purpose - Send Me an Angel