The anticipation that surrounded the last two weeks leading up to the release of Shellac'snewest album, Excellent Italian Greyhound, seemed to be of a bygone era. It was a lovely experience to see and talk to so many guys and gals, young and old alike, who were actually excited about the physical release of a new record. Not just the usual, "Yeah, I'm an asshole. I got this leaked download a month early." That's a cool little party for you, but where's the communal joy in that? Shellac has not forgotten the art of the record as a complete package, utilizing everything from a free CDR with vinyl releases to the real maple syrup slathered on the logo of one of their seven inches. To an almost annoyingly geeky degree, people look forward to their album art and packaging as much as the music, and as annoying as that can be, it is a rarity to see that kind of care in music today, from bands as well as their fans.
Jay Ryan, of The Bird Machine fame, did the cover art of the outer sleeve, adding to a legacy that includes an incredible oversized print for the Touch and Go anniversary last year and countless show posters for many noteworthy bands. Some of you may remember his Art Prostitute exhibition that was the triumphant swan song of the Denton gallery and the Good Records book signing that he did in correlation with said event. Ryan is also a talented musician, who played in Dianogah and the pathetically underrated Hubcap. The inside artwork features more literal interpretations of the album title featuring drummer Todd Trainer's miniature greyhound, Uffizi.
Once you get past the novel and beautiful cover art, there is the music. No amount of jaw-dropping cover art would matter in the slightest if Shellac hadn't remained a force in underground music simply by continuing to play sporadically these past seven years and adding to an oft-stated declaration as being one of if not the greatest live bands on earth. The only downside to having such a dangerous live reputation lies in having to somehow represent all those unique moments on record. Those who have seen Shellac live this decade (or heard bootlegs and live radio sessions, etc.) have become familiar with their yet-to-be-recorded live staples, and at some point the group seemed to have amassed enough material for a new record. In fact, they've often stated as much, repeatedly announcing the album title when asked by audiences at one of the traditional Q and A sessions at their shows. I was convinced it was a joke, and I suppose it is.
The idea of what the record would sound like and the record itself creates a disparate gap that is either a pleasant or unpleasant surprise depending on what you're expecting. I had grown to really enjoy the live versions of the unrecorded material so it is admittedly tough to live up to those recordings and live experiences. As much of an impressive band as Shellac is in the studio, I believe the standard they have set live is now unsurpassable. The rawness and immediacy of live versions of "Genuine Lullabelle" and "Spoke" in particular render them undeniably definitive, and I'm not just saying that because Strongbad is featured on Lullabelle. In fact, I've never been a Homestarrunner fan, and I'm as perplexed as anyone about the cameo. Albini is such an outspoken critic of such accepted cultural changes of the past thirty years (from Protools to Graffiti Art) that his inclusion of an internet cartoon character seemed beyond unlikely. It's not just that I don't find Strongbad funny, but it ruins the quiet intensity of the song. I'm sure that's somehow the point but it doesn't make it anymore enjoyable. Lullabelle sounds like it formed in the long improvisational stretches Shellac includes in their sets, especially in the classic "Billiard Player Song."
Another surprising aspect of the album is how much the inclusion of bass player Bob Weston as lead vocalist stands out on 2 of the album's 7 vocal tracks. Weston is a much different vocalist than Albini, and that's not exactly a plus- he alternates between a soft monotone and a shout that makes him a dead ringer for D. Boon, and although his shouting has always been a great part of Shellac's sound, his singing has more of a "modern rock" tinge to it, which falls flat in comparison to his more spirited vocal attempts. His voice was heard on two tracks on the last album, but they blended in more seamlessly compared to his work on EIG. The record has more crooning than any other Shellac record, and it seems that a lot of chances were taken in that regard- there's even an actual harmony on "Elephant."
The playing itself is on par with some of Shellac's best work, a case in point being the gorgeous instrumentals, "Kittypants" and "Paco." "Paco" also contains a sound not included on most Shellac songs: fingerpicking, as opposed to the usual stabs and scrapes of Albini's metal plectrum. The result is a beautifully subtle texture not often heard in his guitar playing, a style usualy noted for it's harshness of tone and choppy, terse technique. The repetitive bassline of the album opener "The End Of Radio" recalls their most extreme exercise in unchangingness, "Didn't We Deserve A Look At You The Way You Really Are" from 1998's Terraform.
There is nothing too far out of the ordinary as far as Shellac's overall approach here, as the more straightforward aggression of At Action Park and the drawn-out experimental sides of The Futurist are still recognizable throughout the record. I would have to strongly disagree with the contention in the Pitchfork review that Shellac sounds "indebted" to other acts on EIG , as if referencing of this sort was something new. I would say that Albini has consciously taken from groups like AC/DC, Golden Earring and ZZ Top going back almost twenty years or more in his career. The classic rock chugging and throbbing is nothing new. A big difference in Shellac circa 2007 is that it seems more apparent than ever that the band is a an on-again/off-again recording project, something that wasn't always so detectable. Terraform especially seemed like a cohesive statement, even though the songs were recorded over a number of years. The new record seems much more like a scraping together of aged and unreleased material ("Spoke" has been around since the mid-90's and "Be Prepared" at least since 2002), and has the feel of something that might just have been overworked live. Perhaps the worst thing about this record is that it doesn't include what I felt was the best song the band had written this decade, "Hang On." Albini stated at some point that the lyrics seemed to coincidentally reference the Iraq war, something he definitely didn't feel comfortable with. In order to avoid any sort of accusations of Bono-like aspirations, the song was dropped. If you can track down a live recording of this, I highly recommend it. I'm not one to whole-heartedly endorse downloading or bootlegging, but that damn song is perhaps my favorite piece of music that I've heard in the '00's, and I'm hoping it's released on a seven-inch that I can overpay for at some point.
For die-hard Shellac fans, which I have no qualms admitting to being, this will be another record that's welcome with open arms, ending a seven year wait. It may not really be "best album" material, but it still shreds most of the sewage that surrounds it on the Good Records or Insound sales charts. Even if Shellac is in danger of showing their age or releasing their possibly worst recording, this could still easily be the best release of 2007. I don't know if I will ever pay another band that high of a compliment: They could beat you on their worst day.
Excellent Italian Greyhound was released on June 5th, 2007. The vinyl version is packaged with a free CDR of the entire album.
All I know of is bad ass jazz happening at Amsterdam, and fans of M. Wardcan check out his performance opening for DFW's own Norah Jonesat Nokia Theater. I think I'll pass.
1. Glen Reynolds - In Between Days 2. Room Sound - Fire and Frontier 3. Robert Gomez - Brand New Towns 4. The Polyphonic Spree - Wait 5. St. Vincent - Paris Is Burning
OVERALL TOP 20
1. Battles - Mirrored 2. Glen Reynolds - In Between Days 3. Room Sound - Fire and Frontier 4. Dungen - Tio Bitar 5. Voxtrot - Voxtrot 6. Elliott Smith - New Moon 7. Shellac - Excellent Italian Greyhound 8. A Hawk And A Hacksaw - Hun Hangar Ensemble 9. Afghan Whigs - Unbreakable 10. Handsome Furs - Plague Park 11. Clientele - God Save the Clientele 12. Soundtrack - Once 13. Pelican - City of Echoes 14. Menomena - Friend and Foe 15. Daniel A.I.U. Higgs - Atomic Yggdrasil Tarot 16. Montag - Going Places 17. Mont De Sundua - Mont De Sundua 18. Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond 19. Ladybug Transistor - Can't Wait Another Day 20. Great Lake Swimmers - Ongiara
Once upon a time I was at a Clientele show at Hailey’s, and one of the opening bands (Great Lakes?) sounded as bad as you might expect a band claiming Brooklyn as a surrogate home would sound. It made no sense for them to open for Clientele. In addition to the fact that they were just awful, their sound was not at all congruent with an atmosphere that would have been appropriate for a Clientele show. In contrast, Beachhouse was a much better choice this time around.
Anyway, as we were suffering through this opening set, my friend made a comment that has stuck with me ever since. He noted that just about every other word out of the singer’s mouth was a pronoun: you, me, we, he, she, I, etc. It was an odd observation to make, but nevertheless, it was like a serendipitous discovery of what it was, even more than the music, that was really irritating about that band.
guTTerTh deserves a pat on the back for sticking their neck out and supporting a slew of acts in the metroplex. To this point, they have 3 releases to their credit (Fair To Midland'sFables of a Mayfly is a fourth on its way June 12th) and incidentally two of the three fall in to the "dangerously high pronoun quotient" category in the way of Daniel Folmer recordings.
Mr. Folmer has received high praise from the Dallas Observer, which recently claimed that he was “on the precipice of something brilliant.” I can understand the anticipatory excitement: DFWd continues to demonstrate surprisingly little propensity to yield quality singer-songwriters, which is especially disappointing given the ostensible regional influence of southern folk/country alaTownes Van Zandt. Even so, I don’t know that such optimism is justified given the aforementioned deluge of pronouns on Folmer’s latest, Gloria.
The most salient feature of Gloria is Folmer’s undeniable inclination to wear his heart on his lyrical sleeve. This, as much as the subdued nature of the music that accompanies him (and I believe Folmer can be credited with nearly every single sound on this album save for a few beats from Cody Seals) is where his appeal would be strongest for the non-dancing-lower-decibel-listening audience. In a case of tragic irony, however, Folmer’s admirable willingness to share the most intimate aspects of his young life is the same quality that may eventually sour on his listeners.
By my count, every single song on Gloria concerns an element of a boy/girl relationship. One after another, the tracks leave a cumulative impression that Gloria is a rather relentless litany of relationship hits and mostly near-misses. I don’t know if all these songs are about the same girl, different girls, or what, but my intuitive reaction is that Folmer should be so lucky to have soooo many relationship issues on his hands. It’s kind of like a catch-22: You must be pretty slick with the chicks if you have enough material to write an entire album about girl-problems.
Track 1, Serotonin, is no doubt one of the album’s strongest, and it deals with the difficulty of sifting through “serotonin side-effects” to find sincerity of sentiment in a relationship. Fair enough, right? I think there’s also a reference to “cutting.” Certainly heart-felt and a weighty topic that many of us of the Prozac generation can empathize with.
Skip to track 3, I’m Not Apt at Speaking French, and there's Folmer sharing his insecurities about a girl being in Europe, without him, topless on a Mediterranean beach, with European men “eye-raping” her.
Track 4, Obsession Blues, reveals more insecurity. There’s a girl, but she was sadly lost to some other guy. The bastard is a “talky one,” a “social butterfly, not the awkward, silent type.”
Track 5, Fancy Free, is also about competing for a chick. This time, the girl enjoys dancing with her new guy, who may or may not be the same guy in Obsession Blues: “Ooh baby dance all night with your brand new boy just like I never would.” Then there's Folmer more viciously: “Sweetheart all your big plans will stumble when you long for pregnancy, so good luck finding a man to raise your children who won’t fuck other women.”
Interestingly, pregnancy is a topic that is present on the album's cover and surfaces several times over the course of the album. The most striking instance is in the next song, the title track. Gloria recounts a night of steamy lust that concludes in a most unsettling way: “We woke in the morning. Sheets were bleeding, our future draining out of your insides.”
Track 7, Final Scene, once again references relationship hell. Perhaps using death as a metaphor for the end of a relationship, Folmer sings “And in our final scene…you’ll bury me inside a scarlet coffin.”
Track 8, Romantic Monstrosity, is somewhat self-explanatory: “A recipe for ecstasy replaced melancholy, this romantic monstrosity, this passionate catastrophe.” By now, some of you might agree that this would have been an equally good selection as the album’s title-track.
Track 9, Sorry for Being so Sorry, is about a relationship that’s hanging on by a thread. Folmer sings about waiting for a girl to call on the phone. He sings: “My flame still burns bright tonight, your words ignite this dimly lit fire.” Not sure if this is the same girl that's on the European vacation in I'm Not Apt at Speaking French.
The final song, Sculptor’s Touch, is about how a girl left a lasting impression on Folmer: she “molded” him with…a “sculptor’s touch.” Here’s Folmer in all his romantic monstrosity: “When you sleep, with all the lights up high, will you think of me?” “When you dream, with all our nights on fire, sweet tranquility…”
Phew! I guess Gloria at least scores points for consistency. But then again, Folmer’s demeanor is alternately vengeful (Obsession Blues, Fancy Free) and conciliatory | hopeful (Sorry for Being so Sorry). I suppose I can appreciate that he identifies and expresses emotions that can be conflicting in the context of relationship problems, but I think therein lies more tragic irony: the uncompromising passion that dominates Gloria may be at the root of a vicious cycle, which in turn might be cited as the source of the album's monotonous character. “Don’t think twice, it’s all right” would be a pertinent alternative psychology that could open up opportunities to contemplate and sing about things other than girls. It seemed to work for Bob Dylan...
Obviously, Folmer can write about whatever he wants or feels compelled to write about. He’s certainly, like any other artist, under no obligation to entertain me or anyone else inclined to listen to his songs. Moreover, one perspective is that it's a healthy thing when art is the outward product of introspection, and along with that goes a sort of relativism that can preclude judgment. On the other hand, here we have guTTerTh scattering bulletins and comments all over myspace that nag us to go check out Folmer and spend money (a modest sum of $7) on his album. For what it's worth, I actually tend to discount lyrics and the subject matter of songs when considering whether or not I “like” music that I listen to, and I really do enjoy some of the strictly musical content of Gloria.
Maybe I’m jealous that he boasts such an extensive catalogue of relationship experiences. It'd be a shame if my own life is so vapid and utterly devoid of romantic drama (I think I'd welcome serotonin side-effects any day) that I’m inherently skeptical of someone capable of chronicling such melodrama in song upon song. But then again, maybe my outlook is symptomatic of the DFWd experience in general, which itself might play a role in suppressing quality singer-songwriting. It might also explain why someone like Daniel Folmer could reasonably have some of us here on the edge of our seats, anticipating something unique and brilliant.
Dub Assembly feat. Innerlign and Tyrant | Mundo and Lifted MC | Keith P | Royal Highnuss | Soy Capaz (The Green Elephant 5627 Dyer Street) So I think a good argument can be made that the stylistic tendencies of dubstep have had a more profound impact on dance music than any other hybrid genre in the past couple of years. From Skream's excellent debut full of backward glancing and forward looking dub to the dark starkness of Kode 9's work, some of the most interesting electronic music in the world has come in the form of dub recently. And thankfully, we've got a dubstep scene here that any American city would be really proud of. And if the great mixes you've heard from Keith P aren't enough, you don't have to take my word for it. Why don't you look at what Wire had to say about Dallas' own Jason Mundo:
"Don’t assume dubstep is an exclusively South London phenomenon: check the feverish workrate of Jason Mundo, a Texan. This is his third single in as many months, and by the time you’re reading this, no doubt another plate will already be pressed up. Mundo is a disciple of the bottom end, with trademark bass drops. His tunes can be played across dub, dubstep, and breaks sets with equally devastating effect. The bass on “My Sound” comes fully formed, rolling consistently throughout the track with an almost Techno feel, while “Burn it Down” is a choppier breaks affair, breathless with call and response rhythms and intermittent DJ grunts, It’s dub, but not as we know it." – The Wire UK, May 2007
Basically, Dub Assembly 8 is going to be great. Try something new if you haven't already, because it's by far the best thing happening in Dallas this evening.
Sean Vargas and Stephen R (Esoterica- Ft. Worth) Sean Vargas has been holding down this dance party in Ft. Worth for some time now, and it's rare to see two DJs with such good taste playing that town on the same night. Go to this if you're anywhere in the 817 this evening. Disco, punk, bmore, funk, whatever. They'll play something you'll like I'm sure.
Syndney Confirm CD release party with Farah | Lazer | PLID | Pretty Vacant (Rubber Gloves) I wasn't crazy about the Sydney Confirm material I heard several months ago on their Myspace page, but a listen to the new stuff the guys emailed to me a few days ago reveals a band that is heading in the right direction, with an Of Montreal | Yacht influenced synth-dancepop sound that might not be exactly what they want quite yet, but is pleasant nonetheless and certainly a sign of rapid improvement for the band. And at this point, anyone who completely dismisses Farah's music and performances can probably be brushed aside as someone who has a personal conflict with her. Is Farah a great traditional vocalist? Not at all. Is she a great performer in a traditional sense? Nope. But Johnny Jewel's music and her strangely innocent and surreal lyrics make for live appearances that are actually quite captivating. We've honestly had people from all over the country asking us questions about Farah, and although we usually don't have a lot of answers for them, thats part of what interests us about her. We have no idea what the hell she is trying to do, and we like it.
The Red Herrings | Street Hassle | iKILLCars (Secret Headquarters) SHQ celebrates it's one year anniversary and gets right back into things with another diverse weekend of shows. Denton's Street Hassle will be celebrating their CD release this evening, and their fuzzed out, lo-fi take on 60's psychedelic blues rock and pop is actually quite good. You've heard all the influences 8,000 times, and you've probably even seen this exact list of influences 8,000 times: Velvet Underground, Rolling Stones, Stooges, Sonic Youth, T Rex, Richard Hell, stuff like that. But still, what you can't take away from these guys is their charming recording aesthetic and their ability to write a good pop song, even if some might tire of the influences on the sleeve thing. I hope this translates well in a live setting. Austin's iKillCaRS, despite a kind of painful name spelling (quit with the caps dudes!), does a pretty good garage rock/pop thing that, again, won't blow you away with influence originality, but is pretty good nonetheless. Red Herrings' tired classic rockisms don't appeal to me at all.
The Party with Krames of Cobra Kai | Nature | Sober | Select(Zubar) For this edition of the Party, Central Booking has brought in Georgia's Krames, who has made a name for himself and his design crew with eclectic sets of latin house, old school hip hop, the newer ghetto shit, and a lot more. It's actually amazing to say that the Zubar party seems to be getting BETTER over time, but that is exactly what is happening. Bigger crowds, better sets. A total blast.
Deep Snapper | Nouns Group | Koji Kondo (Rubber Gloves) The local post-hardcore vanguard all get together on this one, and based on the performances I've seen from these bands recently, the sizable local following they're starting to get is actually quite deserved. I'm sure I don't have to describe the sounds of these bands to most of the people reading this, so if you haven't heard them yet, go listen to a myspace page or something.
Men(JD and Jo of Le Tigre) | Aaron Lacrate(2505-formerly Club 7) Will Le Tigre ever get credit for the indie kids dancing, or nu rave, or ironic bmore funk, or the reemergence of flourecent as a fashion statement? I don't know, but they probably could. Anyway, the two members of Le Tigre that weren't in Bikini Kill will be spinning records at 2505 (Pacific Ave) with Baltimore scene staple Aaron Lacrate. This will be going after hours as well.
Another Holiday | Gashcat | Tenpenny Terribles (Secret Headquarters) Gashcat... hmmm. A pretty interesting band, and actually a bit creepy too. Whether it's the junkyard, almost tribal folk of "Jesus is Coming" or the gorgeous sleepy echoes of "The Black Creek Babies," this is a highly promising local collaboration that sounds like it could really be on to something.
Robert Gomez (Good Records-5pm) Some of the people from Palladium will be giving away tickets to the Manu Chao show on Sunday, and I believeGlen Reynolds plays at 3 o'clock as well. Oh, and when I was trying to find the Robert Gomez Myspace page, I came across the page for some other dude of the same name whose headline quote was "life's a bitch and then you die, so fuck the world and just stay high." So theres that.
Oh, and we didn't forget about The Hold Steady show at Hailey's. They just blow a lot.
SUNDAY
Calvin Johnson | Julie Dorion | Tha Bracelets (Rubber Gloves) Everett True once said that while Nirvana were clearly the most important band of Generation X's era, it was Beat Happening that really had the biggest influence, seeing as how much of what was important about Kurt Cobain and Nirvana came from the confrontational cute aesthetic of the late 80's Olympia scene, aka the one Calvin Johnson started. And while we could sit here and debate this contention if we wanted to, the fact remains that Calvin Johnson's impact on independent music is still highly visible even amongst today's bands, and his solo work, while not quite as revolutionary as what he did with Beat Happening, is still worthy of being taken seriously in it's own right. Highly recommended show.
Nouns Group | When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth | Daniel Francis Doyle | Angry Businessmen (Hailey's) Austin's When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth helped make a name for themselves last year with an Oneida tribute album that received some solid praise. They've brought the excellent Daniel Francis Doyle up from their hometown to join two great local acts for one of the more promising shows of the weekend.
The Black Mountain Army is an interesting but seemingly complicated collective of musicians and artists or otherwise friends in Vancouver, BC. Members reportedly hold down day jobs at a local mental health clinic, which is ironic because their own various musical projects exist somewhat like multiple personalities. Outlets such as Black Mountain and The Pink Mountaintops have generated considerable buzz, and have relied heavily on the talent and influence (and personalities?) of Stephen McBean, a longtime veteran of the BC music scene.
The upcoming debut from Lightning Dust is a notable contribution because, for one, it does not involve Stephen McBean. Additionally, or consequently, the music played by Lightning Dust contrasts greatly with that of previous Black Mountain Army offerings. Their debut further establishes the Army as a ranging music collective worthy of your attention, even if the trek from BC to DFWd is a long one and we tend to miss out on these bands’ live performances.
The Lightning Dust project involves mostly Amber Webber and Joshua Wells. Both are veterans of the Army, and attempting to trace the evolution of their involvement in Black Mountain Army projects is an exercise in taxonomy:
Joshua’s collaborations with McBean pre-date Black Mountain (the band) In the the late nineties the two played together in the esteemed Ex Dead Teenager, who were one of the first bands to record at the venerable Hive Creative Labs, an influential low-budget studio that has nurtured the BC music scene over the past decade (e.g., Destroyer has recorded there). Wells and McBean were later joined by Amber Webber in Jerk With a Bomb.
Jerk With a Bomb begot Black Mountain, with Wells and Webber contributing alongside McBean and others. Black Mountain is often depicted as a drug-influenced throwback to sixties/seventies VU, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, etc. The Pink Mountaintops are an offshoot of Black Mountain in which Wells, Webber, and others perform ideas that are more strictly McBean’s. With McBean at the helm, The Pink Mountaintops were invited to SXSW 2006. Whereas Black Mountain is associated with marijuana and LSD, The Pink Mountaintops project, managing to humor spirituality while remaining fixated on all things sexual, seems more representative of a McBean MDMA binge.
And so if the music of Black Mountain and The Pink Mountaintops references hippie hedonism, that of Lightning Dust is more aligned with the disconsolation a hippie might have felt after Nixon trounced McGovern in '72. Since the album expresses resignation or indolence, if not outright depression, it seems unlikely to approximate the buzz of its Black Mountain Army predecessors.
The lethargic pace of the album is underscored by its instrumentation, which is primarily sparse: Drums are heard on only about a third of the tracks. The generally warm sounds of cellos, organs, pianos, and acoustic guitar are the building blocks for most songs, and they allow Amber Webber and her vocals to be at the center of attention. She keeps things interesting with an affecting voice. At it’s best, she sounds like a groggy Chan Marshall, or a glum, even shivering cold Victoria Bergsman (defected Concretes frontwoman). Unfortunately, the lyrical content doesn't always match the emotional force in which it's delivered.
Webber usually sounds as if she’s communicating something that has her on the verge of tears, but an exception to this and the overall tempo of the album is the third track, Wind Me Up. Not coincidentally, I think that track captures the prize for most likely to be skipped on subsequent listenings. More representative of the album as a whole are Heaven, When You Go, and Castles and Caves. Also strong is the album’s final song, Days Go By, which features a double-dub of Webber accompanying herself beautifully, with simple piano, guitar, and drum parts that trudge along seeming reluctant to keep pace.
Overall, there's enough substance for this debut to be considered more than just another Black Mountain Army vanity project. Those fond of Mark Kozelek's output, or maybe a band like Ida, might be inclined to check it out. If it doesn't sound like your thing, well then sit tight because the recent prolific history of the Black Mountain Army suggests that you probably won't have to wait too long to try out something else entirely different. Lightning Dust'sLightning Dust will be released by Jagjaguwar on June 19th.
