Carter Tanton Is Not In Tulsa Anymore...Or, Come Hear The Murderous Joy Of Free Clouds!...Better, BUY THIS RECORD AND SEE THIS SHOW!

Carter Tanton alone in his room with a magnificent view...

From the opening strains of "Murderous Joy", the leadoff track from Carter Tanton's new release Freeclouds, I instantly remembered what it was that I loved so much about the singer/songwriter's previous incarnation Tulsa. Tulsa was one of those bands that I was infatuated with and was lucky enough to see at 2008's NoisePop Festival in San Francisco. They had a Neil Young-influenced sound that combined jangle and groove, mysterious yet defined, delicate but forceful. At the center was Tanton's ethereal and haunting vocals and guitar. I just assumed I'd have another opportunity to see them play on their next swing through the Bay Area. Fast forward three and half years and I'm finally getting that opportunity in the form of Carter Tanton solo - opening for Purling Hiss and War On Drugs at the Independent this Sunday, October 23rd. The Massachusetts-based Tanton (and latest addition to Baltimore's Lower Dens) brings a unique quality to the "neo-folk" movement - that includes contemporaries like Kurt Vile - and that is a gift for combining yearning with confidence.

His album Freeclouds, out on Western Vinyl, is an exceptional musical statement. At its core are songs that seem born of nights spent strumming an acoustic guitar alone in a bedroom. Listening to a song like "Pitch Bent Flute" you can almost see the sun begin its ascent into the sky when viewed through a window criss-crossed by the iron of fire escapes. The music washes over the listener in waves and layers with Tanton's angelic voice to calm the musical wanderlust. "Fake Pretend" (which features a vocal by Marissa Nadler who Tanton has worked with) plainly states, "I'm nobody's fool but I've got nothing now." What he does have, is a perfect blend of drum machine beats, shimmering effects on densely layered guitars, and some lovely organ carving out his musical landscape. "Gauze of Song" is a dreamlike serenade with the vague sound of horns in the distance and anchored by a bassline that rolls in and out. "Saturday" is a well-crafted ballad with an acoustic refrain that drips with melancholy minus the melodrama. This song is followed by "Horrorscope", a 3:50 second lo-fi gem that is the most reminiscent of his work in Tulsa. The song will make you want to put on your headphones and hit the streets. In fact, it might render you invisible to everyone participating in the street theatre, save for the dumb, knowing grin of glory the song inspires. "Pasture Sounds" even dabbles in dub and reggae characterized by its reverb-drenched beat. There are so many wonders to be found in this album, it truly bears repeated listens to get at all of Freeclouds nuances and subtleties. This is a can't miss album and a must see bill. Tanton will be joined this Sunday at The Independent by two of Philadelphia's best Purling Hiss and War On Drugs. DO NOT MISS THIS SHOW!

Duvet Says See This! Paris' Jamaica Hit SF's Independent And It's Off With Your Head! Or, They Be Jammin, So I Hope You Like Jammin Too...

They be jamming...I hope you like jamming too.

Debut albums in the age of the internet rarely contain the surprise they once had for music listeners. Often, albums or tracks are leaked on the net weeks, months and even years before the "official release date". So how do you combat verdicts being rendered based purely on a few tastemakers dismissals or approvals? I say see the band live! In the case of Paris' Jamaica, I had the opportunity to see their San Francisco debut at last year's Treasure Island Music Festival. At the time, only a couple of singles and remixes of their songs, "Short & Entertaining" and "I Think I Like U 2" were all that were available. I watched their show with open ears and an open mind. I came away with a love of their harder-than-expected guitar driven pop and hooky tunes. The April 12th stateside release of their debut, No Problem, was reviewed more based on the fact that they come from the same country as French MEGA-STARS Phoenix and the other big name countrymen who helped record and produce it. So let's drop the obligatory names of Justice's Xavier De Rosnay and Daft Punk's sound engineer Peter Franco who helped produce No Problem. For Jamaica members Antoine Hilaire and Florent Lyonnet the real achievement will be how deftly they navigate out of the rut of interviewers focusing their questions on the above rather than on the below.

What I love about Jamaica is their unabashed embrace of the riff. This is not to say that every riff is breaking new ground, in fact there is a "same-y" sound to some of songs on No Problem. But what excites is the attack and crisp approach to what is essentially a RAWK album - that if it is guilty of anything - is catchy as hell and unapologetic in its love for a bygone era, where these types of records were the norm. The production is updated for the digital universe we inhabit, with great detail attributed to the separation of the various instrument tracks. This is one of the cleanest sounding recordings I've heard all year. Guitars enter in and drop out only to reappear and coalesce around really BIG hooks. The bottom end on this record is HUGE, well-rounded and suited for the dance floor. Overall, No Problem has the kind of punch that makes me reminisce to a time when I rode in souped-up Camaros to the Days on the Green of my youth. Like fellow lovers of late 70's- 80's guitar crunch, Free Energy, Jamaica are tuneful and more importantly FUN! Not every release needs to be rated on its relevancy to some greater understanding of the universe. Some records are for putting on at the house as you get ready to go out and search for the same feeling that got you out the door.

The men of Paris' Jamaica

From album opener "Cross the Fader" singer/guitarist Antoine Hilaire puts you on notice that he is not shy about his guitar playing. His voice and delivery is smooth as honey and augmented by some nice high harmonies and thunderous bass playing by counterpart Lyonnet. All the instruments on this record are perfectly separated in the mix, with a combo of live drumming doubled up by matching electronic beats. The sound is thick and tight and a guitar tone lover's dream record. Some songs like "Secrets" feel disposable on first listen but are a ripe for remixes if entrusted in the right hands. That's the beauty of No Problem, it has layers to it that warrant investment. One standout is "Jericho", initially it comes off as a retred of Lou Reed's classic "Sweet Jane" but actually reveals a fun take on a riff that has been borrowed well before Reed. If critics held every band up to the standard of how much ground was broken with a release we could dismiss half of the releases that come across our desk and currently clutter up music blogs. Case in point, "The Outsider", a song I was almost sure I had heard earlier in the album but I liked it the first time and liked this one too. So should I burn the record? Or should I appreciate the bridge and inventive solo that was unique to the track? That is part of the critics job as well, appreciating potential and evaluating a band on where they are in their careers. Jamaica is in its infancy and I refuse to smother it as it lies happy and wide-eyed in the cradle. "By the Numbers" and "Junior" feature Jamaica's driving, jittery, punch and pop. These songs are tributes to the type of music that were topping charts all through the 80's and are done with reverence, not apology. 

The best way to experience this album is by seeing the band live in a club. Jamaica are an air-tight and engaging band on stage. The songs make you want to shake and move, not ponder the importance or relevance of what you're hearing coming out of the PA. They are headlining SF's Independent on Tuesday April 26 with Chain Gang of 1974. I guarantee that a GREAT time will be had by all. No one will be dwelling on what Pitchfork said or crossing their arms in an attempt to dissect the similarities between them and Phoenix. In fact, when Hilaire goes into one of his blistering guitar solos, all you'll want to do is raise your lighter, grateful you're not at home in front of a computer, reading what other people are saying about a band YOU like and shouldn't have to explain or justify why. Listen to this week's "What Duvet Said...About Music" for an interview with the men of Jamaica and for a live review here on the blog.

Noise Pop 18 Finding Its Local MOJO...Or, Hipsters Invade SF For The Best DAMN Music Festitval In The Country!

Dear readers Noise Pop Festival 18 is upon us in less than week and it is chock-full of the best and brightest from San Francisco and beyond!!  This year's festival will run from Tuesday February 22 through Sunday the 27th and signals the beginning of "festival season".  As an attendee of the very first Noise Pop show in 1993, one glorious night at SF's Kennel Club (now the Independent) with Bitchcraft, Carlos, Corduroy, The Mieces, Overwhelming Colorfast, and surprise guests The Fastbacks, I have watched the evolution of a "DIY" one-off show grow into a weeklong, citywide (and Oakland's Fox Theatre) musical playground. The early incarnations of this festival were focused primarily on celebrating the local music scene but soon grew to be the forebearer  for the ubiquitous proliferation of musical festivals all over the country. The festival in years past has had "industry panel discussions", film, art, and cultural components.  In fact, this year will mark the premiere of a documentary on Noise Pop itself entitled, "This is Noise Pop".  This year's festival seems to have gotten back to its core mission of highlighting local talent with some heavy-hitting national headliners. Yo La Tengo, Ben Gibbard, Dan Deacon, Best Coast, How To Dress Well, and indie legends Versus top bills at some of SF's best musical venues. Consider this post to be a supplement to the "What Duvet Said...About Music" podcast spotlighting Noise Pop.  Local acts that are sure to raise their profile after the festival and some of my personal picks are: The Stone Foxes, The Soft Moon, K Flay, Dominant Legs, Royal Baths, Grass Widow, and Young Prisms - to name too few of the amazing talent on display.  For a full look at the schedule and the various venues these performers can be seen at go here.  The original premise for Noise Pop focused primarily on bands that fit the festival namesake but over the years has come to represent the incredible diversity of the indie music scene.  Rather than breakdown each band with tired descriptors and well-worn labels like: post-apocalyptic, high-energy, sultry, experimental, seminal, lo-fi, intelligent, and my favorite, BUZZY!  Truth be told, all those words apply to this year's bill but I'll let you apply them to the bands of your choice.  I will simply, "show and not tell".  Below is some eye candy to get you in the mood from Noise Pop participants past and present...



Yes, that is Ron Jeremy and Overwhelming Colorfast RULED!!!!....




No video for this but worth listening to this band who played Noise Pop 1994 by the name of Tina Age 13.  If they came out today Pitchfork and the rest of the blogs would be fawning all over them.  Believe that!



Creeper Lagoon should have been HUGE!  Their album I Become Small and Go is a must for anyone who appreciates the spirit of "Noise Pop"...



Action Slacks made their Noise Pop debut in 1996...



Imperial Teen, great band, great festival and the last one to be almost exclusively local...



GBV make their first appearance in 1999 and the festival continues to grow, featuring more national acts.



In 2000 Earlimart plays the festival which expands to Chicago and includes panels and films...Members have since teamed-up with multi-time performer Jason Lytle of Grandaddy to form Admiral Radley.  Admiral Radley will headline the Bottom of the Hill on Wednesday the 23rd...



The White Stripes headline the Great American Music Hall in 2001...



Modest Mouse help celebrate the 10 year anniversary which also featured a set by John Doe (X) and Neko Case...



Cat Power plays in 2003...



Film School plays in '04 and also headlines and Cafe Du Nord on Thursday, February 24th this year...



Local favorite Kelley Stoltz has had a huge influence on many of the bands that want to sound like Brian Wilson...



Matt and Kim play in '07 in a festival that has now begun to feature comedy?



2008 brings in more "dance" indie rock like MSTRKRFT and Wale...



St. Vincent plays the festival in '09...



Best Coast was an opener last year and is co-headlining with Wavves at the Regency Theatre on Saturday night February 26th...



How To Dress Well is one of the more "buzzy" bands to headline this year's Noise Pop.  Their show with Dominant Legs at Cafe Du Nord is already sold-out...

A Review of More Than Free Energy/The Postelles/A B & the Sea @ The Independent...

This is what RAWK should look like...photo by Mike Manson

I hate writing live reviews because my overwhelming sense is that I come off sounding like some self-appointed, taste-making blowhard.  The band did this and played that and you should have been there, or, it was a a complete waste of electricity, time, pot, alcohol, and pills.  They were transcendent or suffered from buzzy expectations that were impossibly inflated by jerk-offs like me, who prattle on endlessly about each new band as if they were the answer to prayers that never need to be heard by any deity worth his impossibly inflated status in the human imagination.  Just words pixelated on a web page to be agreed with or differed or derided but never truly necessary.

Scott Wells casting his line... by Mike Manson

What was necessary was the feeling all three bands playing San Francisco's Independent on January 27th created and put out into the Rawk n Roll universe.  Headliner Free Energy, from Philadelphia, are on tour doing one last North American victory lap for one of 2010's "FUNEST" records Free Energy, before returning to the studio to record a follow-up.  This band gets what it means to be young, free, and seem to truly value the opportunity to play their songs in front of an audience.  To call them infectious is an understatement and I always love the way they can transport me back to a time I was barely even old enough to feel nostalgic about.  Let me tell you, there is NO app for making a person feel that way.  And, searching YouTube videos with a detached reverence in the service of seeking ironic throughlines to your generation's "Cheap Trick", that won't cut it either.  Free Energy get this and go for it, mustaches and all!!  Their songs have BIG hooks that can reel in the biggest hipster marlin on stage before an AC/DC-worthy riff clubs them over the head.  There should be a photo of the band proudly displaying the day's catch, holding some skinny-jeaned, colored Ray Ban wearing, iPhone-documenting hipster upside down by his ankles.  Free Energy are the great fisherman of our time and I was happy to be gutted and filleted and tossed on ice with the rest of "iGeneration".

The Postelles embrace Motown and haberdashery...photo by Mike Manson

NYC's, The Postelles, played a Motown inspired - which seemed inspired by Elvis Costello's Motown inspired album Get Happy - set that was polished and delivered with a dash of self-awareness.  Their songs are extremely consistent and seem destined to provide a soundtrack for young girls who find waify guys that consciously avoid eye contact and fiddle nervously with hats from another era on the top of their soon to be balding heads attractive.  That is not meant to sound snarky, just a reminder that time marches on quickly and being fairly unoriginal in both thought and actions is a precious waste of youthful indiscretion.  Advice to the males in attendance?  Stop being so precious and SACK UP!  These girls want to dance and get laid, not watch you putzing around with gizmos and texting with the people who aren't there with you.

The A B & the Sea...photo by Mike Manson

They grow up so fast...photo by Robert Celli Jr.

Opener, A B and the Sea from San 

Francisco, were joined on stage by another local band The She's.  The nine people on stage age's barely cracked the century mark but played well beyond their years.  This was both impressive and disappointing.  Impressive in that I don't remember bands having the type of equipment and chops that were on display when I was their age.  Disappointing in that I don't remember bands feeling the need to seem so much older and professional and blase at an age when you should be giving your energy away for FREE- to anyone really, like a shotgun blast of naiveté and not giving a FUCK!  It's hard to complain about the sound, which was dialed in and the songwriting was impressive, but it felt a little soulless.

So there is a kind of review of sorts.

Paul Sprangers knows how to work it...photo by Robert Celli Jr.

   

Another Haikiew: The Fresh & Onlys @ The Independent in SF Are Cool And Ask You To Be As Well...

SF's Fresh & Onlys are both fresh and only!...Photo by Halli Forster-Celli

The internet buzz grinder loves to run bands up a flagpole based on the merits of one song or a compelling backstory.  Often, this early point in a band's evolution is a time when they are still finding themselves and experimenting with different sounds.  Having a label pinned on you as the new "it band" almost freezes you in time, just ask Clap Your Hands And Say Yeah.  The resultant critical pigeonholing and the inevitable backlash from the hipsters that first flocked to what they wanted to believe was their own discovery, are the rocky shores today's bands navigate.  San Francisco's The Fresh & Onlys have avoided these pitfalls by sheer force of will, a purposeful emphasis on songcraft, and an almost reptilian skin shedding ability.  Early incarnations of this SF quintet's three year history featured female back-up singers, keyboards, and a decidedly garage-psyche orientation.  With the release of their latest album, Play It Strange, The Fresh & Onlys have achieved the full-blown promise the two previous releases hinted at or obscured in lower fidelity recordings.  The band always possessed a distinct sound and vision which separated them from the rest of the musical herd but the razor tight performance the band put on at San Francisco's Independent last Friday night felt like the dream realized.

Tim Cohen...Photo by RLC

The Fresh & Onlys were back in their hometown in support of England's Clinic, another singular musical experience.  Frontman and bandleader Tim Cohen set the tone for the night when he implored the near capacity crowd, "to be cool to one another, and buy someone you don't know a drink."  While that probably didn't happen much and drummer Kyle Gibson offered a heckler a less hospitable alternative to enjoying the evening, the band definitely made good on Gibson's promise by kicking ASS!  A lot has already been written about Tim Green's production work on the new album as being the most polished of the band's three full-length releases.  While that is undebatable, the real achievement is in Cohen's progression as a songwriter.  He has always had a gift for writing oblique pop gems, quirky and idiomatic songs that also have a familiar quality.  Live, what I was struck by, is how each member of the band puts their own stamp on these compositions without ever detracting from the whole.  Cohen's baritone vocals are somehow light enough to float above the music while giving the songs an anchor for the other instruments to swirl around.  The rhythm section of Gibson and bassist Shayde Sartin provide the band with a restrained but powerful engine.  An added percussionist flanked Cohen and augmented the live sound with the right amount of shimmer and clicks.  He was refreshingly not distracting in his role and a welcome addition to the band.

Wymond Miles bathed in lights...Photo by Robert Celli

For me the real determining strain in The Fresh & Onlys DNA has always been guitarist Wymond Miles.  Miles tone, guitar parts, and leads bring to life Cohen's moody vision.  Notes crackle off his Jaguar like sparks off a beach fire, or reverberate out his vintage Vox amp like an acid soaked Dick Dale riding a wave into the beach.  Songs like "Waterfall", the first single from the new album, reflect the polish and attack he brings to their sound.  Other songs of note from the band's set were "Grey-Eyed Girl" seamlessly morphing into "Invisible Forces" off last year's Grey Eyed Girls.  "Until The End Of Time" whipcracked across an Eastwoodian landscape which would have made Ennio Morricone proud.  The jaunt of "Fascinated" crystalized the direction The Fresh & Onlys seem to be heading in, angular and distilled psyche-pop on par with the best psychedelic music San Francisco has produced.  The hour long set flew by in a wash of cascading sheets of sound.  The audience marching and swaying in place, a glow in the shift of lights and "being cool" to one another.  The following is my Haiku review or, "Haikiew", of the show...and below is some unedited footage shot on my trusty FlipCam of "Fascinated" and "Until The End Of Time".

Hikiew:

Space frontier amp sting

Warm and deep voice hung in air

Watched by smokey eyes

Two Ways Out, Indeed…Darker My Love Grab at the Brass Ring.

Down the street from my house there is a breakfast place called Mama's. Everyday I pass the restaurant and the line out front stretching down the block. And everyday, as I pass the line comprised mostly of guidebook-clutching tourists and yuppies (who love waiting in line for things more than anything else in the world), I ask myself the same question, "It's just eggs right?"

What does this have to do with Darker My Love and their record release party at the Independent Tuesday night? Over the last few months there has been a big push by both their label, Dangerbird Records (home to 2006's surprise breakout Silversun Pickups) and local promoting behemoth Another Planet Entertainment, in the run up to their sophomore release "2". After completing a month long "West Coast Residency" of free shows at hipster clubs (the Echo, Popscene, etc.) in both Los Angeles and San Francisco, Darker My Love emerged onto a stage lined with photographers. As I listened to the feedback slowly giving way to a pounding psychedelic riff, I found myself asking, "It's just a rock and roll band, right?"

DML’s sound has always drawn heavily from late sixties psychedelia and early nineties shoegaze. They, along with Wooden Shjips, The Black Angels, the Warlocks, and Brian Jonestown Massacre, are part of decade long revival to bring back that retro drone. DML were formed in 2004 and its members hail from both LA and SF. They have built up strong local followings in both cities, signing with LA based Dangerbird Records in 2006. Tuesday night’s material drew heavily from the new album “2” and their self-titled debut.

In an interesting marketing ploy, a copy of “2” was given out free to those that purchased a ticket to the record release. I see this as an attempt to energize the hardcore base of the band. By giving local scenesters and tastemakers “free” music, the hope is that they in turn will go forth and evangelize on behalf of Darker My Love. The 2/3rds capacity crowd gathered at the Independent were primed.

Darker My Love seems to suffer from a split personality. On one side they are confident purveyors of wah inspired, freak out jams, however; they seem less comfortable negotiating the tighter structure of the pop leanings on the new record “2”. Live, you can get away with less polish on the longer, jam-oriented pieces. Grooves emerge out of the rubble of constructing and deconstructing the three chord patterns laid down by Tim Presley (Guitar/Vocals), Jared Everett (Guitar), and Rob Barbato (Bass/Vocals). But the more tightly written and hooky compositions require a tightness that was not quite there.

That’s not to say there wasn’t moments of trancendence. The band, anchored by Barbato’s rich, round bass parts, hit you in the hips. I’m sure this is one reason why there were so many women in attendence. DML’s songs contain a sexual undercurrent that leaks out of the fuzz. Songs build, then release. On the popier songs, like the single Two Ways Out, airy vocals take over. Presley and Barbato sing very well together, hitting a nice, easy harmony. Two Ways Out has the potential to be a huge hit. It’s simple, infectious, and you can dance to it. It’s the kind of song that will undoubtedly surface in a commercial.

One pet peeve I have with DML in the live setting is how under utilized Will Canzoneri: (organ, clavinet) is, his playing buried in the mix. I’ve seen too many bands that have organ players relegated to atmospheric filler, rather providing another layer of texture to the music. If you’re going to lug a vintage organ onto the stage and mic it, let me hear it!

Visually, the band employed a huge backdrop with images projected onto it. They were severly reminscent of the late sixties. The ink blotter designs replaced by digital images achieving the same effect. The band members themselves, in appearance, embody the split-personality character inherent in their music. Half the band look like they were cast in a mid-sixties mod tribute. The other half sport the bearded visage du jour, the latest trend in indie rock. Which in itself is a wink and nod to the seventies. All these elements work to produce a simulacra of a band out of time.

Time will tell if “2” is the record that will make Darker My Love a household name. I think the band will benefit from the intensive touring breaking an album will entail. The buzz generated by label, publicist, and promoter with the new release will subside and then the hard work of converting those that the press attracts, one town at a time, begins. Maybe one day a line will be stretching down the block outside the Independent for Darker My Love. If you find yourself in it, you might want to ask yourself, what it is your waiting in line for?