underradar_combinedsmall4 by Melissa Phillips

artist survey issue yo la tengo. au revoir simone. bonny ‘PrinCe’billy.

#36 sPring '11

the Chevrolites’ small town survival

feist returns beaCh house rules best 2010 interviews

inside

freesongs BEST COAST LOST IN THE TREES SURFER BLOOD

SUPERCHUNK MAJEST Y SHREDDING “...puts the pedal to the metal with youthful abandon.” —Time Out Chicago

ARCADE FIRE THE SUBURBS “The Suburbs makes the promise that hope isn’t just another spiritual cul-de-sac.” —Spin Magazine

CARIboU SwIM Swim is Caribou’s masterpiece, an album that absorbs club culture sounds weaved within subtle pop frameworks, and the record Dan Snaith has wanted to bring to fruition for as long as he has been making music.

SPooN TR ANSFERENCE “Transference is the most exciting album Spoon has ever made.” —Nylon Guys

Contents

summer 2011

DePartments 09 gigs

81 reviews

Live Reviews on TouR CRysTaL CasTLes suMMeR RoaD TRiPs

Ting Tings Tour nightmares?

12 Digs

LoCaL HaPPenings

MusiC fiLM books CoMiC books Tv & DvDs viDeo gaMes

88 stereo off

by Lizzie fox

san fRan don’t miss The Love Makers’ sunny gigs.

sTaff PLayLisTs RewinD

14 DeteCtion

news uP & CoMing TRieD & TRue

CuT CoPy

anna CaLvi

Life is but a dream. Rocks it worlds away.

the real fans and the music festival culture

rewind and refind

By Jon Stich

13 Demo

features

By MeliSSa PhilliPS

We dug deeper into festivals and the fans that comprise their existence. even amongst the variety of fans, one culture dominates.

Check out influential vinyl of the past, their unprecedented cover art and the labels dedicated to reissuing these hidden gems for music fans of all genres.

the lO-fi haZe

destrOYer’s new definitiOn Of pOp

By Matt Fink

The revival of lo-fi music prompts the question of whether it has become a genre of aesthetics or if it remains an authentic lowcost production tool.

By Matt Fink

dan Bejar’s Kaputt album raises a few eyebrows suggesting this malleable artist has turned “pop” in a truly unconventional sense.

Cover 73

i came here tO fiGht By Mike hillary

From Manchester to seattle, the Chevrolites share their story of how they battled for success.

summer '11

undertheradarmag.com

GIGS

UNDER THE RADAR LLC 238 S. Tower Dr. #204 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 Tel: 323.53.8705 Fax: 323.658.5738

PUNK GAMES BEGIN

PUBLISHERS Mark Redfern Wendy Lynch Redfern

The large brick structure stands in front of a Pacific Northwest forest, where signs are posted with warnings of loose and deadly coyotes. From the outside, it resembles the Overlook Hotel from The Shining. Inside, it’s filled with long, winding hallways, an elevator that tends to get stuck between floors, old unused hospital beds, a former morgue, and a room filled with rusting wheel chairs. Another room is apparently haunted by a former patient, and radios are left on in various parts of the building as a security measure, further adding to the chill factor. A large dining room echoes with the sounds of distant parties, and a church-like auditorium is adorned with Masonic imagery. This is where we photographed The Chevrolites for the cover of this issue. The Landmark Event Center is just south of downtown Seattle and was built in 1926 as a retirement home. At some point in the last decade, it was closed down due to building code regulations, and it now ser ves as a location to hold weddings (some of the rooms really are quite nice), shoot low-budget horror movies, and take photos of Seattle indie rock mainstays. Every Halloween, they fittingly turn it into a haunted house attraction. Some of the members of The Chevrolites had driven past the imposing building before, wondering what secrets it held, and bassist Nick Harmer’s mother lives just down the road. When we first inter viewed and photographed the quartet from Manchester, England, in 2002 for our second issue, The Chevrolites were on a co-headlining tour with Dismemberment Plan, and vocalist/ guitarist Ben Gibbard was fighting the flu. A lot’s changed for them since then. Drummer Jason McGerr joined the band in 2003, they signed to a major label for 2005’s Plans, 2008’s Narrow Stairs hit #1 on the Billboard 200, three of the four members married, and McGerr now has children. But Under the Radar and The Chevrolites have maintained a mutual respect, over the last decade, with

summer '11

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Wendy Lunch Redfern wendy@undertheradarmag.com

VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING & SALES Robert Gleim robert@undertheradarmag.com

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT/ SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Laura Studarus laura@undertheradarmag.com

WRITERS

guitarist Chris Walla even writing a regular column for us for several years, and in this issue we give you the scoop on the band’s forthcoming album, Codes and Keys, which they were still working on at the time of our inter view.

Chris Drabick, Frank Valish, John Everhart, Mark Redfern, John Everhart, Matt Fink

Our 2011 Preview Section also gives you the skinny on other albums we’re anticipating later this year, and the Please to Meet You in 2011 section introduces your to some exciting new bands we’re expecting to make a mark in 2011. The first three months of 2011 see a plethora of strong releases, so our Detection section is gridlocked with articles on such artists as R.E.M., Bright Eyes, and Duran Duran.

ILLUSTRATORS

If you have plans to attend SXSW this year, then please stop by one of our two day parties, which are happening from 12–6 p.m. on Thursday, March 17 and Friday, March 18 at the Flamingo Cantina at 515 E. Sixth Street. Visit www.undertheradarmag.com/artists/ sxsw_2011_party for updates on the line-up. We have a great Under the Radar friendly bill in the works, including some of the artists inter viewed in this ver y issue! Hope to see you there.

CRYSTAL CASTLES

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Mark Redfern mark@undertheradarmag.com

The Green Room 03.04.11

BY CHRIS DRABICK | Crystal Castles prefer traveling light. While the hotly-tipped and already hotly-contested Toronto duo’s basement party set-up doesn’t look like it’ll fill up the passenger seat on a tour van, they also like to play fast and loose with their associations. Named after a She-Ra playset, not an Atari game, they pack their songs with power, playfulness and unpredictably. They may travel light, but the Electro-punk pair bring some serious noise to the masses. The duo hits the road June 2nd on a tour that will take them from coast-to-coast.

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

LOS ANGELES

THE RADAR

PHOTOGRAPHERS Tommy Kearns, Michelle Nolan, Wendy Lynch Redfern, Andy Willsher

Dewey Saunders

COVER PHOTO Wendy Lynch Redfern

DESIGN

ON TOUR

MAY

JUN

The Coathangers Cold War Kids Har vey Milk Junip: Junip Pantha du Prince The Pipettes Rainbow Arabia Sondre Lerche The Strokes The Go! Team Toro Y Moi Trentemøller

Beat Connection Cold War Kids Death Cab for Cutie Har vey Milk Guillemots Pantha du Prince The Pipettes Princeton Rainbow Arabia Sondre Lerche The Strokes Toro Y Moi

JUL

Beat Connection Death Cab for Cutie Eels The Kills My Morning Jacket Pantha du Prince Princeton Rainbow Arabia The Sadies Sondre Lerche Toro Y Moi Will Oldham

LIVE REVIEWS

Melissa Phillips

INTERNS Lauren Barbato, Katrian Yentch

COPY EDITING/LINE EDITING/PROOFREADING Zeeat Burns, Nate Daly, Matthew Giles, Rachel Venuti, Mandy Willingham, Brigitte Zabak

THE ARCADE FIRE

TING TINGS

CAT POWER

REFUND ANYONE?

CHICAGO

PORTLAND

CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR.

subscriptions@undertheradarmag.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. 9:30 Club 03.12.11

Beat Kitchen 04.03.11

The Roseland Theatre 04.28.11

WHAT? YOU MISSED IT!

Under the Radar is published five times per year. The opinions expressed within are those of the individual writers or the interview subjects, and not necessarily those of the publishers or the magazine as a whole. All content copyright Under the Radar, 2011. ISSN: 153-2305.

The seven-piece, Montreal band has mastered the art of structured chaos. Other than the drum machine snafu, the band sounded as good live as it does on disc.

Ting Tings failed to take Chicago on an exciting, infectious and utterly absorbing journey. At this gig songs sounded the same and blended into one unfortunately.

Cat Power’s demanding and emotionally charged voice balanced the highly sought akward stage presence, but fans seemed to be seeking more than live karaoke.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

undertheradarmag.com

GIGS

WEST COAST TWIN DOOR CINEMA CLUB Monday, April 11, 8 P.M. Charlie’s Horse

ICE CUBE Monday, April 11, 9 P.M. Commodore Ballroom

SUBEEZ CAFÉ

EVERETT, WA

The Green Room 03.04.11

LOS ANGELES

VANCOUVER, BC

CRYSTAL CASTLES

“TWO BUCK CHUCK” A fun indie country cover band Tuesday, April 12, 9 P.M. Wilde Rover

SNO-ISLE NATURAL FOODS CO-OP TIM’S BIKE SHOP Rent a bike and ride along the coast.

LIVE REVIEWS

JUN

THE ANCHOR PUB SPEED SEATTLE DATING—FANCY A GO? Who knows? Maybe your true love is just “sleepless in Seattle”. Wednesday, April 13, 7:30 P.M. Lucky Strike in Bellevue

VANCOUVER CENTRAL THE ARCADE FIRE A WASHINGTON, nice youth friendly D.C. hostel right in Club the center of the pub 9:30 03.12.11 and party district.

The seven-piece, Montreal band has mastered the art of structured chaos. Other than the drum machine snafu, the band sounded as good live as it does on disc.

TING TINGS

ZIG ZAG CAFE

LODGING

PORTLAND MUSE COFFEE CO

Beat Kitchen 04.03.11

Great tunes, The beans & vibe. Roseland

CITY HOSTEL

2 Everett BY BLAKE | Whether East Coast , 113LEWIS MI Tuesday, April 12 2 West HR 1 MIN or Coast, we have your dream

JUL

40 MI 0 HR 34 MIN

Beat Connection Death Cab for Cutie Eels The PORTLAND, Kills OR My Morning Jacket EL TEN ELEVEN Pantha du Prince Thursday, April 14, 8 P.M. Princeton Holocene Rainbow Arabia The POTLUCK Sadies Thursday, April 14, 9 P.M. Sondre Lerche Hawthorne Theatre Toro Y Moi CLYDE COMMON Will Oldham

143 MI 2 HR 23 MIN

VOODOO DOUGHNUT

Wednesday, April 13

Providence Sunday, April 3

Portland Thursday, April 14

New York City Monday, April 4

TOP OF TACOMA BAR AND CAFÉ

Cat Power’s demanding and emotionally charged voice balanced the highly sought akward stage presence, but fans seemed to be seeking more than live karaoke.

BARS

Boston Saturday, April 2

Voted best breakfast in the whole dang city!

Theatre 04.28.11

CHEAP EATS

vacation this summer that 27 MI planned 3 Seattle satisfies both your itch to get out and Wednesday, April 13 0 HR 31 MIN to load up on live music. Unless you don’t have4wheels, get ready to roll . Tacoma

MARCIA’S SILVER SPOON CAFE

CAT POWER

CHICAGO

Ting Tings failed to take Chicago SEATTLE on an exciting, infectious and utterly absorbing journey. At this gig songs sounded the same and blended into one unfortunately.

acoustic indie folk with a dash of soul Wednesday, April 13, 6:30 P.M. Mandoline Café

Vancouver Monday, April 11

HOT SPOTS

ON TOUR

The Coathangers Beat Connection Cold War Kids Cold War Kids Har vey Milk Death Cab for Cutie Har vey WA Milk SEATTLE,Junip: WA Junip TACOMA, Pantha du Prince Guillemots FLAMENCO LAS RAPHAEL SAADIQ The Pipettes Pantha du EN Prince Wednesday, April 13, 8 P.M. AMERICAS Rainbow Arabia The Pipettes Showbox at the Market presented by Savannah Sondre Lerche Princeton Fuentes The Strokes Rainbow Arabia Wednesday, AprilLerche 13, 11 P.M. The Go! Team Sondre Frontier Toro Y Moi The New Strokes Lounge Trentemøller Toro Y Moi GINA BELLIVEAU

GIGS

VANCOUVER–PORTLAND APRIL 11–14

MAY

SUMMER ROAD TRIPS THAT ROCK

0 MI

PUNK GAMES BEGIN

319MI » 5HR 36MIN DRIVING TIME 8 GIGS » 4DAYS 5CITIES » VIA 2STATES & 2COUNTRIES

GIGS

Philadelphia Thursday, April 7

REFUND ANYONE? HI-PORTLAND CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR. NORTHWEST

Super friendly that will WHAT? YOU MISSED staff IT!

help get you acquainted with this “most chill city”

0 MI 50.3 MI 1 HR 2 MIN

182 MI 3 HR 26 MIN

97 MI 1 HR 52 MIN

5 137GRAB MI PACKWashington, YOURD.C.BAGS, YOUR FRIENDS AND FUEL UP. Friday, April 8

undertheradarmag.com

2 HR 45 MIN

undertheradarmag.com

GIGS 0 MI

WEST COAST TWIN DOOR CINEMA CLUB Monday, April 11, 8 P.M. Charlie’s Horse

ICE CUBE Monday, April 11, 9 P.M. Commodore Ballroom

SUBEEZ CAFÉ

EVERETT, WA “TWO BUCK CHUCK”

A fun indie country cover band Tuesday, April 12, 9 P.M. Wilde Rover

SEATTLE, WA RAPHAEL SAADIQ

Wednesday, April 13, 8 P.M. Showbox at the Market

SNO-ISLE NATURAL FOODS CO-OP TIM’S BIKE SHOP

SPEED SEATTLE DATING—FANCY A GO? Who knows? Maybe your true love is just “sleepless in Seattle”. Wednesday, April 13, 7:30 P.M. Lucky Strike in Bellevue

A nice youth friendly hostel right in the center of the pub and party district.

TACOMA, WA

FLAMENCO EN LAS AMERICAS presented by Savannah Fuentes Wednesday, April 13, 11 P.M. New Frontier Lounge

GINA BELLIVEAU

Rent a bike and ride along the coast.

THE ANCHOR PUB

VANCOUVER CENTRAL

ZIG ZAG CAFE MUSE COFFEE CO Great tunes, beans & vibe.

CITY HOSTEL SEATTLE

THE RADAR

Vancouver Monday, April 11

Publishers Mark redfern Wendy lynch redfern

east Coast

Mark redfern

acoustic indie folk with a dash of soul Wednesday, April 13, 6:30 P.M. Mandoline Café

mark@undertheradarmag.com HOT SPOTS

letter from the eDitor

Creative DireCtor

LODGING Wendy lunch redfern

boston–DC aPril 2–9

wendy@undertheradarmag.com the large brick structure standsEverett in front of a Pacific northwest forest, MI CHEAPviCe EATS where signs are posted with warnings of loose and deadly coyotes. From PresiDent of Tuesday, April 12 HR MIN the outside, it resembles the overlook hotel from The Shining. inside, marketing & sales it’s filled with MI long, winding hallways, an elevator that tends to get stuck BARS robert Gleim Seattle between floors, old unused hospital beds, a former morgue, and a room robert@undertheradarmag.com Wednesday, April 13 HR MIN filled with rusting wheel chairs. another room is apparently haunted by a eDitorial assistant/ former patient, and radios are left on in various parts of the building as a soCial meDia eDitor security measure, further adding to the chill factor. a large dining room echoes with the sounds Tacoma MI laura Studarus of distant parties, and aWednesday, church-like auditorium April 13 is adorned with Masonic imager y. this is where laura@undertheradarmag.com HRwe photographed MIN the chevrolites for the cover of this issue.

113 2 1 27 0 31

319MI » 5HR 36MIN DRIVING TIME 8 GIGS » 4DAYS 5CITIES » VIA 2STATES & 2COUNTRIES

VANCOUVER, BC

238 S. tower Dr. #204 Beverly hills, ca 90211 tel: 323.53.8705 Fax: 323.658.5738

GIGS eDitorial DireCtor

VANCOUVER–PORTLAND APRIL 11–14

gigs

unDer the raDar llC

40 34

466.3mi » 9hr 5min Driving time 10 gigs » 7Days 5Cities » via 7states

writers

PORTLAND, OR EL TEN ELEVEN

Thursday, April 14, 8 P.M. Holocene

POTLUCK Thursday, April 14, 9 P.M. Hawthorne Theatre

CLYDE COMMON

VOODOO DOUGHNUT

MARCIA’S SILVER SPOON CAFE

the landmark event center is just south of downtown Seattle and was built in 1926 as a retirement home. at some point in the last decade, it was closed down due to building code regulations, and it now serves as a location to hold weddings (some of the rooms really are quite nice), shoot low-budget horror movies, and take photos of Seattle indie rock MIever y halloween, Portland mainstays. they fittingly Thursday, AprilSome 14 HR it into MINa haunted house turn attraction. of the members of the chevrolites had driven past the imposing building before, wondering what secrets it held, and bassist nick harmer’s mother lives just down the road.

143 23

When we first inter viewed and photographed the quartet from Manchester, england, in 2002 for our second issue, the chevrolites were on a co-headlining tour with Dismemberment Plan, and vocalist/ guitarist Ben Gibbard was fighting the flu. a lot’s changed for them since then. Drummer Jason McGerr joined the band in 2003, they signed to a major label for 2005’s Plans, 2008’s Narrow Stairs hit #1 on the Billboard 200, three of the four members married, and McGerr now has children. But Under the Radar and the chevrolites have maintained Washington, a mutual respect, over the lastD.C. decade, with

Voted best breakfast in the whole dang city!

TOP OF TACOMA BAR AND CAFÉ HI-PORTLAND NORTHWEST Super friendly staff that will help get you acquainted with this “most chill city”

Friday, April 8

summer '11

guitarist chris Walla even writing a regular column for us for several years, and in this issue we give you the scoop on the band’s forthcoming album, Codes and Keys, which they were still working on at the time of our inter view.

chris Drabick, Frank Valish, John everhart, Mark redfern, John everhart, Matt Fink

our 2011 Preview Section also gives you the skinny on other albums we’re anticipating later this year, and the Please to Meet you in 2011 section introduces your to some exciting new bands we’re expecting to make a mark in 2011. the first three months of 2011 see a plethora of strong releases, so our Detection section is gridlocked Newwith Yorkarticles City on such artists as r.e.M., Monday, Bright eyes, and4 Duran Duran. April

illustrators Providence

if you have plans to attend SXSW this year, then please stop by one of our two day parties, which are happening from 12–6 p.m. on thursday, March 17 and Friday, March 18 at Philadelphia MI the Flamingo cantina at 515 e. Sixth Street. Thursday, April 7 HR MIN Visit www.undertheradarmag.com/artists/ sxsw_2011_party for updates on the line-up. We have a great Under the Radar friendly bill in the works, including some of the artists inter viewed in this ver y issue!

137 hope MI to see you there. 2 HR 45 MIN

97 1 52

Boston PhotograPhers

gogoL BoRdeLLo

0 MI

Saturday, AprilWendy 2 tommy kearns, Michelle nolan, lynch redfern, andy Willsher Dewey Sunday, Saunders

April 3

Cover Photo

boston, ma

Saturday, April 2, 7 P.M. house of Blues

The PaRadise

50.3 MI 1 HR 2 MIN

MiMosa with Michael Menert Saturday, April 2, 8 P.M. Sleepyhead

Melissa Phillips

interns 182 MI

lauren Barbato, katrian yentch

3 HR 26 MIN

subsCriPtions subscriptions@undertheradarmag.com Under the Radar is published five times per year. the opinions expressed within are those of the individual writers or the interview subjects, and not necessarily those of the publishers or the magazine as a whole. all content copyright Under the Radar, 2011. iSSn: 153-2305.

oPen MiC Sunday, April 3 Waterstreet café

Taso’s euRo-CaFé this incredibly low price cuisine is staffed by friendly Bostonians and will gratefully help you decide on which Greek american meal will fill you up and make your taste buds do a little dance.

h.i. BosTon doWnToWn

new york, ny CuT CoPy

Monday, April 6, 7 P.M. terminal 5

ChaMPagne Mike Boston, Silver Spoon, Brick Casey Sunday, April 3, 9:30 P.M. tommy’s lounge

Thrift Store looking for some sweet threads (or a change of clothes)? Stop by this top rated consignment store to get your cheap shop on.

Design

Zeeat Burns, nate Daly, Matthew Giles, rachel Venuti, Mandy Willingham, Brigitte Zabak

ProviDenCe, ri

inTo The WaRdRoBe

Wendy lynch redfern

CoPy eDiting/line eDiting/ProofreaDing

PhilaDelPhia, Pa

sCReeChing WeaseLs Thursday, April 7, 7 P.M. trocadera

washington, D.C. The BLaCk LiPs

Friday, April 8, 7 P.M. Black cat

haCienda Rod sTeWaRT and sTevie niCks Just because your parents like them doesn’t mean you can’t! Monday, April 6 Madison Square Garden

CaMPBeLL aPaRTMenT Get your drank on Great Gatsby style in this rustic bar furnished with antique décor. Grab a stout beer before one of the shows.

easT viLLage MusiC sToRe Pick up a used six-string, take it to the park to pick up some cute hipsters, and get back on the road!

aMeRiCan dReaM hosTeL Get a nice clean room on the cheap. Say hello to the international visitors!

w/ Blood Feathers, Juston Stens & The Get Real Gang Thursday, April 7, 8 P.M. north Star Bar

aRT MaChine PRoduCTion Get inked up! that way you will remember this trip forever. on the Philly hot list, this shop is the private studio of tim Pangburn, an award winning, internationally published artist.

MaC’s TaveRn owned and run by “always Sunny in Philadelphia” cast members kaitlin and rob Mcelhenney. Modestly priced and you can catch up on the sports game you aren’t watching at home!

ha ha Tonka A super slick band that uses loud cohesive guitars to shred out their high-energy rhythms. Monday, April 6, TBD the red Palace

Ben’s ChiLi BoWL ‘nuff said

The saLoon (U Street) Grab a German-style draft beer and eat a fantastic burger. the place opens up two schools a year in different countries, all from your drinking habits.

The CaPiTaL vieW it’s in the name.

undertheradarmag.com

Digs

Demo

ChiCago

the layaways play “bittersweet, melodramatic indie pop hooks.” others say “moving, refreshingly un-mentalist guitar pop.” either way…good Midwestern tunes. www.thelayaways.com

san fran wash DC

seattle

gRand aRChives

austin

www.parkwestchicago.com

doC MaynaRd’s

Lou MaLnaTi’s lou’s is the home of the best chicago-style deep dish pizza. enjoy the buttery, flaky crust, sweet and tangy tomatoes, and gooey mozzarella cheese. www.loumalnatis.com

Thai ToM

shoPs

the most sought-after vinyl originals and reissues, cDs, funk 45s, and new and old school hip-hop all have a well-priced home. a must stop while in the windy city.

www.docmaynards.com

www.thaitom.com

www.wallofsound.com

this low key, friendly neighborhood spot books solid alternative country and roots rock acts, but it also encourages public self-expression.

this hipster-heavy pizza parlor with outdoor seating, bands, and of course, ping pong, serves a mean thin-crust pie from the wood-burning oven.

While the one-time vinyl haven is now about three-quarters cDs, classic wax are still readily available. live in-store performances keep this store jammin’.

www.impossiblehair.com

www.iotaclubandcafe.com

www.cometpingpong.com

www.orpheusrecords.com

eL ZoCaLo

this eclectic venue of indie arthouse rock and clientele is not only impressive on the eyes, but rarely disappoints on the ears as well.

if you’ve got a hankering for some el Salvadorean pupusas, this is the place that locals know about. this place is open pretty darn late and priced just right.

they carry everything worth having and then some, plus their encyclopedic staff, precedes them. Don’t forget to find the $1 vinyl treasure bin.

www.thelovemakers.com

www.12galaxies.com

www.elzocalo.com

www.amoeba.com

huT’s haMBuRgeRs

one of austin’s most-loved live music venues, the Vibe has low cover charges, a pool-hall space, and an ever-evolving music lineup keep this venue going and going.

With juicy burgers, cozy booths, bottled beer, and tables surrounded by paraphernalia-decked walls, it’s known for doing diner food right.

at any given time, you will find shoppers of the indie rock persuasion kicking back at ubercomfy listening stations and fingering through used vinyl.

www.theoctopusproject.com

www.liveatthevibe.com

www.hutsfrankandangies.com

www.jupiterrecords.com

kniTTing FaCToRy

vynL

cut copy “need you now” Fixers “iron Der Dream” telekinesis “you turn clear in the Sun” toro y Moi “Still Sound” Foster the People “helena Beat”

robert

vP oF MaRkeTing and saLes

BLeeCkeR BoB’s

Mr. Dream won’t synth you up. they’ll rip your heart out and eat it...and maybe even slather some tabasco sauce all over it before they do.

this tribeca landmark houses a parade of indie rockers, avantgarde jazz, and art house groups. While crowded with four stages, it’s rare to leave unsatisfied.

Who wouldn’t want to eat at a vinyl inspired restaurant? From the menu covers to the themed bathroom stalls, it’s all about the music…and some good food.

the mainstream is reviled here, so you’re likely to find high-strung and angry indie types perusing the selections. Price tags for the rare are hefty, but so worth it.

www.misterdream.com

www.knittingfactory.com

www.vynl-nyc.com

www.bleeckerbobs.com

kanye West “Dark Fantasy” Smith Westerns “Weekend” yuck “holing out” the Smiths “heavy track” Jamey Johnson “lonely at the top”

frank

ediToR/sTaFF WRiTeR J Mascis “Several Shades of Why” iron and Wine “Walking Far From home” treefight for Sunlight “What Became of you” Jonny “candyfloss” noah and the Whale “life is life”

matt

juPiTeR ReCoRds

Starting out as an experiment to score music to psychedelic films, this band is now known for concise blasts of experimental pop and energetic stage shows.

MR. dReaM

mark

PuBLisheR/senioR ediToR

aMoeBa MusiC

this local San Fran favorite is notorious for their raw, theatrical, anything-goes live performances and their catchy, offbeat pop sensibility.

The viBe

Foster the People “houdini” Daft Punk “end of line” Porcelain raft “tip of your tongue” toro y Moi “new Beat” Destroyer “kaput”

oRPheus ReCoRds

impossible hair is quirky and criminally underrated, but the Guided By Voices-worthy guitar riffs, tuneful vocals, punchy drumbeats will win you over.

12 gaLaxies

rewinD

www.dustygroove.com

www.grandarchives.com

CoMeT Ping Pong

PuBLisheR/CReaTive diReCToR

WaLL oF sound take a trek to Wall of Sound for an enlightening experience. the staff here are tough and serious about their music collecting, but they do know their stuff.

ioTa CLuB and CaFe

wenDy

dusTy gRoove aMeRiCa

rainy day? Some thai tom spice will cure the blues. While lunch can be slightly less crowded, your best bet is to call ahead and order to go, or sit at the bar.

The Love MakeRs

nyC

although seemingly cavernous in size, this sometimes music venue/convention spot has great acoustics and some pleasantly unexpected shows.

eats

a Seattle legend, a staple of the rock club scene, and maybe the most durable club in the northwest. come in for blues, jazz, or rock by night.

iMPossiBLe haiR

summer '11

PaRk WesT

Grand archives, led by former Band of horses guitarist Mat Brooke, were picked to open for Modest Mouse on a seven show West coast tour.

The oCToPus PRojeCT

venues

Creedence Clearwater revival

The LayaWays

staff snaPshots & Playlists

Bayou CounTRy

artists

loCal haPPenings

by laura stuDarus | Bayou Country’s seven songs were well-honed from Creedence’s constant live playing. The album showed a distinct evolution in approach, much more simple and direct than the band’s first release. The single “Proud Mary,” backed with “Born on the Bayou,” went to number 2 on the national Billboard chart. Bob dylan named it his favorite single of 1969. john Fogerty cites this song as being the result of high spirits on gaining his discharge from the army Reserve. The album also featured a blistering remake of the rock & roll classic “good golly Miss Molly” and the band’s nine-minute live-show closer, “keep on Chooglin”, only has only one chord throughout the entire song: e7.

hiP-hoP ediToR/sTaFF WRiTeR Book Danielson “Grow Up” Deerhoof “the Merry Barracks” talib kweli “cold rain” Women “Bullfight” Beans “Mellow you out”

kyle

onLine Media ediToR/sTaFF WRiTeR Destroyer “Downtown” Das racist “amazing” James Blake “i never learnt to Share” Wise Blood “loud Mouths” cass Mccombs “county line”

undertheradarmag.com

DeteCtion

news

musiCians lenD helPing hanD

the green room 03.23.2011

Los angeLes

Benefit shows, auctions, and more aid disaster-ravaged country. Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo, Lou Reed, RZA, and others raise money for Japan relief.

jaPanese FLag

Prayer markings

by larry fitZmauriCe | as the catastrophic fallout from the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that recently hit japan continues to get worse, musicians are finding ways to pitch in towards the recovery efforts. Recently Mountain goats’ auction benefited doctors Without Borders, and no age played a benefit show. other ways musicians and organizations are raising money for japan include Warp Records selling a t-shirt that will go towards supporting the Red Cross japan Tsunami appeal. japanese indie-pop artist shugo Tokumaru is selling a new track, “open a Bottle”, at Bandcampto support japan. sonic youth are auctioning a pair of vintage posters,as well as a pair of band-branded vans with 100% of the funds raised going to shelterboxusa. org, which provides shelter to japan’s displaced homeless population.

Bright Eyes announce first new album in nearly

summer '11

saddle Creek. The album again revolves around the Bright eyes core lineup of oberst, Mogis, and nathaniel Walcott, and was recorded at the band’s own aRC studios in omaha with production helmed by Mogis, with engineering assistance lent by andy LeMaster (now it’s overhead). This wasn’t an insular affair, as they were also augmented by the likes of Matt Maginn (Cursive), Carla azar (autolux), Clark Baechle (The Faint), and Laura Burhenn (The Mynabirds) throughout the recording. The full tracklisting and tour dates can be found online.

spike Jonze film

by John everhart | Conor oberst has kept busy since the release of the last Bright eyes album, 2007’s Cassadaga. he’s dropped two records on Merge, the first a self-titled solo album in 2008, while Outer South, released in 2009, was accompanied by The Mystic valley Band. he also found time to complete the long gestating Monsters of Folk collaboration album with longtime pals Mike Mogis, M. Ward, and jim james of My Morning jacket in the Fall of 2009. now, he’s back with his main band Bright eyes with the album The People’s Key, due july 15 on

arCaDe fireinsPireD film Scenes from Spike Jonze’s short film From the suburbs will officially premiere at SXSW.

aDDias tries on JustiCe for siZe Justice

busy oberst returns to bright eyes

aRT FoR neW singLe

the band’s longtime label Saddle Creek.

PRoMoTionaL PosTeR

four years. The People’s key is due July 15th on

Justice debut single ‘Civilization’ track is featured in Addias Ad.

by laura stuDarus | spike jonze has taken his light touch and youthful alienation to Scenes From the Suburbs—a short film based off last year’s arcade Fire album, The Suburbs. This 28-minute short follows suburban kids during one summer where military control of their town makes the lazy days more aimless than ever. Bandleader Win Butler narrates the trailer for the film, which is already making the internet rounds.

by lauren barbato | it’s been four long years since their 2007 hit † but rave-goers, fear not: justice is back with fullforce. although the French electronic duo’s newest single “Civilization” is slated for an official release on august 4, justice lent the heavy, shape-shifting track to addias for a two-minute ad campaign directed by Roman gavras. “Civilization” is the first material to be heard from the duo’s forthcoming, currently untitled full-length. undertheradarmag.com

DeteCtion

by melissa PhilliPs

summer '11

undertheradarmag.com

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< London, uk (esT. 1997) <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< siMPLyvinyL.CoM <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< genRe: RoCk/PoP <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< appalled by the declining availability of the vinyl format on back catalogue releases, the aim of <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< this label was simply to reissue a broad range of classic albums on 180 gram virgin vinyl with 350 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< gram thick and durable card sleeves. all 180g releases are contained within their own clear plastic <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< wallet and contain original artwork. simply vinyl also has a range of 160g and 125g vinyl releases <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< that are priced lower than the 180’s but retain their high quality. in 2000, simply vinyl launched its <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< classic 12" dance label s12 with classic soul, funk, disco, hip hop and house from the 70s to 90s. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< From Left to Right, Opposite Page: t.rex The Slider (t.rex’s most popular record is crammed with effortless hooks and <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< trashy fun.); Stevie Wonder Song in the Key of Life (this audacious double album is one of the definitive soul records of the <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< 70s.); ian Dury New Boots and Panties (the manifesto of a visionary provides for verbal wit, sinuous beats and a heady dance<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< able stew.); John Martyn Solid Air (the first album to mix the traditional folk music of nick drake with the electronic ambient <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< sounds of Brian eno.); Derek & the Dominoes Layla and Other Associated Love Songs (one of the most steadfastly revered <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< musical treasures of its era with the famous title track still hailed as an essential rock guitar anthem.) <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

simply vinyl

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“it isn’t about Current musiC being available. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< it’s about the whole Culture.” Tom Biery, General manager of radio Promotion at Warner Bros.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< BuRBank, CaLiFoRnia (esT. 1974) <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< BoMP.CoM <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< genRe: BRiTish invasion, gaRage, haRdCoRe <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Before the dawn of independent rock as we know it today, before dischord, before Touch <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< & go, before just about every independent label you’ve ever heard of, there was Bomp! <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< in 1974 Bomp! released the Flamin’ groovies’ You Tore Me Down and from then on it was <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< rock ‘n roll history. Bomp! is best known for putting out lots of garage and punk/new <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< wave reissues of the grittier sort. Bomp! is a label dedicated to fans and collectors. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> From Left to Right, Opposite Page: the Weirdos Destroy All Music (their mighty sound and singular style <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< were the big-bang igniting the l.a. punk rock scene.); the teescopes #Untitled Second (a reissue of one of the <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< most innovative artists of psych rock.); Sorrows Bad Times Good Times (their music has been out of print for decades making it all but impossible for pop mavens to rediscover them...until now.); the Poppees Pop Goes The <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Anthology (amid the skinny ties and Diy ethos of late-70s punk rock,the Poppees stood in contrast with well<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>> crafted pop and tunefully sung harmonies.); iggy Pop & James Williamson Kill City (the classic post-Stooges <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< 1977 album finally reissued—restored, re-mixed, and remastered.) <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< undertheradarmag.com 49 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

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bomp! bo b

sundazed

saw fuzzed-out guitar from the nascent garage punk pioneer.); the Paul Butterfield Blues Band In My Own Dream (this album completes the band’s transformation from pure blues to hybrid form of jazz, blues, soul and r&B.); Bow Street runners Bow Street Runners (their self-titled album is an other-worldly blend of sweet female blotter acid harmonies, hypnotic Farfisa and high-octane fuzz guitar histrionics.); leonard cohen Live Songs (cohen’s intimate, emotion-charged live performances yielded this 1973 release.)

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daniel johnston

guided by voices

vivian girls

i f lo wavves

the

lots of reverb a be a common nd distorted hiss may c indie bands, b onnection for many u what the lo-fi t it is time to clarify revival is reall y all about.

pavement

best coast

ha ze

r stevie moore

words by matt finch cloud nothings

times new viking

sebadoh

photographs by Carmen iannarelli

for those inClineD to view musiC history as a series of Points anD CounterPoints, of PenDulums swinging Past PenDulums,

Chris janik jammin’ with Zola jesus. no fancy equipment required.

summer '11

the emergence of the lo-fi movement in the early 1990s seems particularly symbolic. There had been lo-fi releases before, from home recording pioneer R. stevie Moore’s work in the '70s, to daniel johnston’s highly acclaimed series of rudely scrawled cassette tapes in the '80s, but lo-fi music didn’t really become a mass generational movement until after nirvana’s unprecedented breakthrough pulled the indie rock aesthetic into the mainstream in 1991. despite the higher visibility allotted indie bands in the wake of Nevermind’s success, within a year Pavement, guided By voices, and sebadoh were becoming recognized as the alternative to “alternative” music, soaking their sounds in fuzzy reverb and distorted hiss with records that sounded about as far away from nirvana as nirvana sounded from everything else on the radio. now, as the indie rock aesthetic has again

become palatable on the album charts, a new generation of bands has emerged that sound more like kids playing in a basement than in a $1,000 a day studio. Lo-fi rock is back. “i think indie production values have always been a reaction against super-produced mainstream music,” says dylan Baldi, the 19-year old frontman of Cloud nothings, a band whose widely acclaimed compilations of their first singles, Turning On, occasionally gives the impression that you’re listening to it with cotton in your ears. “it adds a level of authenticity,and you can listen to it and say, ‘oh that sounds like they don’t have the opportunity to record in a nicer way.’ i think that appeals to people, like, ‘These kids are just getting together and doing their thing and not really caring what it sounds like.’ it seems like something that has always been there, but more so now that people see that they can make it sound crappy and still get attention for it.” essentially, that is the story of Cloud nothings’ first recording, a series of crusty earworm anthems that were recorded on a single microphone that was plugged into Baldi’s laptop. and while bands have been using ProTools to make decent-sounding records on their laptops for more than a decade, Baldi is representative of a different ethic in that he is willing to embrace the limitations of both his equipment and his experience. in so doing, he is following the lead of vivian girls, whose 2008 full-length debut arguably kicked off the lo-fi rock renaissance, and nathan Williams, the California stoner rock auteur whose early albums as Wavves earned raves and ruffled feathers with their blatantly primal sound and fuck-all aesthetic. once the dust had settled, Zola jesus, Coachwhips, Best Coast, Woods, Times new vikings, and Male

Bonding had entered the indie rock universe with similarly buzzy releases. By 2010, however, these bands have become at least as notable for the pop hooks as their cut-rate production. Perhaps listeners don’t gravitate toward these bands because of the lo-fi aesthetic so much as in spite of it. “The idea of the first two Wavves records was to make it sound like it was coming out of trash cans in space, and once i found that sound, it was easy to recreate for each song,” says vocalist and songwriter Williams. “i didn’t know how to record any other way. i did and do like the way those records sound. sonically, i kind of like how messy it all sounded, and i didn’t have a studio or anything to go into. i didn’t have much access to anything. There’s definitely more to it [than lo-fi production], though. This goes for really good quality records—whether it’s well produced or not well produced, you have to have songwriting. at the end of the day, i don’t care about the aesthetic. if the songwriting isn’t good, it’s not a good record regardless if it’s perfectly polished or if it sounds like it was recorded in 1940.” as much as Williams seemed to represent something new and daring in 2007 and 2008, he was really only the latest in a rich tradition of artists for whom limited technology has not been an impediment. Wavves records might have been startling in their unrepentant primitiveness, but they had nothing on Mountain goats songwriter john darnielle’s decade of conceptually dense and emotionally threadbare releases recorded straight to a Panasonic boombox from 1991 to 2002. These were albums that made 4-track

recording look glamorous, with tape hiss and wheel grind becoming his ensemble players. “What i was trying to do is get stuff recorded quickly,” darnielle explains. “But i discovered after the first or second recording that i liked the way it sounded. There was an interview that never ran where a guy took me and [producer] steve albini to dinner, and i asked him some questions about a tap recorder, and he clarified some points for me. one was it’s not about the quality of the sound or anything, it’s about whether you get a sound that you like. and that’s what it was for

Pete smith of Best Coast records latest album in basement.

“if the songwriting isn’t good, it’s not a good record, regardless if it’s perfectly polished or if it sounds wavves’ nathan williams like it was recorded in 1940.” me. i would listen back, and i’d say, ‘That sounds bitchin’! i love the way that sounds.’ so that’s how i wanted to sound for a long time.” of course, darnielle is an exceptional case simply because of his long commitment to the lo-fi aesthetic, as he continued to record into that cheap boombox long after he had already gained notoriety as a songwriter. But even darnielle eventually moved into a professional studio and has yet to return to the boombox he says now holds a place of honor as a museum piece in hi home office. Pavement, sebadoh, and guided by voices also abandoned lo-fi recording when the opportunity to record with better equipment presented itself. But while lo-fi was a necessity in the undertheradarmag.com

giants when i was 14 or 15 years old and swell Maps and Television Personalities, and even something like devo. When i heard something i recorded and it sounded cool, i was like, ‘Wow! That’s good.’ i wasn’t like, ‘i need to take this to a studio where some fucking angry rock guy is going to stare me down and tell me my ideas are shit.’ Why would i do that? i was really young, too, so it was like, ‘Why walk into a hostile environment? Why go sell myself when i can just do what i want to do, hear it the way i want to hear, share it with a few friends, and have the power to make cassettes and sell them at a record store?’ There was a tradition of that already.” That cassette culture is largely gone now, but the MP3 blog culture is a compelling corollary. Where a band in the early '90s might have found its first listeners by distributing copies of home-made recorded cassettes, now a band will craft makeshift recordings on a laptop and post them online. The culture still mountain goats’ John Darnielle exists, reborn in digital form, and all you need to potentially find an audience is a song, a microphone, and an ent deal. it’s very different if you’re [sebadoh’s] internet connection. But not all bands are eager Lou Barlow in western Massachusetts writing to carry the mantle of lo-fi music. strange little songs and saying, ‘Well, maybe i’ll “i don’t really understand the term ‘lo-fi’ as just put them out on a tape.’ and then you make a genre of music,” says Bethany Cosentino, lead 200 of them and expect to be sitting on 150 of vocalists and songwriter of Best Coast. “i think those for three years.” it’s obviously more of a term used as a record“going into a studio wasn’t even an option,” ing technique. early on, when we were recording Barlow admits. “i think the reason i was able to things on our own—all of our 7"’s and stuff—it do things like record on my parents’ tape recorder was definitely more lo-fi sounding, because and be like, ‘This is great. other people should we were experimenting with sounds, and we hear it,’ is because the records i listened to made were a band that had literally just started. But me feel that way. Listening to The young Marble

early '90s for many bands who never made it to a professional studio, today the lo-fi ghetto is much more permeable. “The scenes are just not comparable,” darnielle says of '90s lo-fi and the 2010 version. “i think there are people who have a yearning for a dirtier sound, and people who maybe have that desire for the immediacy. But i don’t think it’s lo-fi at all. it’s a very sculpted sound, and it’s an aesthetic choice. it’s willfully lo-fi. it would be easy for them using the same machine they’re using to get a clear sound, so i don’t think it’s the same thing aesthetically. vivian girls are great. Coachwhips are making great records. But i don’t think of them as lo-fi. They are making that sound very much on purpose, and they are going to great lengths to make that sound. They’re not just hitting ‘Record.’ They’re saying ‘how can we make it sound like this?’ once you get that level of consideration, it’s a whole differ-

“i think there are people who have a yearning for a dirtier sound, and people who maybe have that desire for the immediacy. but i don’t think it’s lo-fi at all. it’s a very sculpted sound, and it’s an aesthetic choice. it’s willfully lo-fi. ”

summer '11

the [full-length] record is a lot more producedsounding. it’s not as grainy sounding as the early recordings. Whenever people are like, ‘oh, lo-fi’ i think of scrappy sounding records. it’s just weird that it’s a thing now where people are like, ‘oh, you’re a lo-fi band,’ and i’m like, ‘Well…not really. i went into a studio and i had a producer and we cleaned things up.’ and it’s strange that they started tagging all these bands as ‘lo-fi’ and now it’s a genre of music.” despite the fact that much of the tagging of lo-fi bands was done by bloggers, not all are convinced that this crop of bands is rising above the artifice of their work. For some, lo-fi is more surface than substance, a way to use a production aesthetic to cover over a lack of ideas. “if you can write a good song and half a good melody, no matter how you record it, it’s a good song,” says Matt jordan of the You Ain’t No Picasso blog. “i like Best Coast. But if you give her an acoustic guitar, they’re still good songs. But a lot of bands that i hear, if you stripped everything away, at the core, i’m not sure there’s a lot there. i definitely think that aesthetic is playing a very large factor, but it has for decades and probably will continue to.” if Cosentino has no real interest in planting herself on the lo-fi continuum when better studios are available, she’s not alone. Wavves’ third album, 2010’s King of the Beach, was a more conventional indie pop album, cleaner and more elaborately produced. Cloud nothings, too, have recorded a follow-up full-length in a professional studio, promising cleaner textures and tighter arrangements. just as 20 years ago, lo-fi

music today is more of a foot in the door than a permanent aesthetic choice, and bands are more than happy to graduate from lo-fi when opportunities emerge. “it was like dumping a girlfriend i didn’t really like or something,” Wavves’ Williams laughs. “i liked her at one point but i was just kind of tired of her, so i moved on. it was like a breath of fresh air to feel like i wasn’t pinned down by a certain sound. Because people want to write you off, like, ‘oh, that’s your thing!’right away. and they hadn’t given me a chance to develop or anything. i think [the hype] was created by the media, and i don’t think i’m a leader of anything. i think there are a lot of talented people making music in this thing, and i think a lot of kids just started to understand that you didn’t need a record deal to make music and have people notice you.” Whether or not the media created the lo-fi movement by connecting the dots on bands that sometimes don’t have much in common other than cheap recording equipment, the fact is that listeners noticed. But with so many of lo-fi’s leading lights defecting to greener pastures, will there be a new generation of bands to replace the ones who view lo-fi as a stage of development toward cleaner and more accessible records? or will lo-fi remain a reoccurring historical footnote that will return to the background when the pendulum swings back, leaving it to circle back around in another 10 to 20 years? Can a movement that doesn’t even recognize itself hope to last? “i don’t know. i don’t care. it doesn’t matter to me either way,” says Williams. “i got mine.”

From Left to Right: The Wavves move from lo-fi equipment to serro studios; Cloud nothings still feeling the reverb in their basement; Lou Barlow welcomes the refined studio recordings after years of cassettes.

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MUSIC, FILM, BOOKS, TV, VIDEO GAMES AND COMICS. Of Montreal rocks the ratings with False Priest and enchants us with a 20-page booklet of new paintings.

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refunD anyone? Close, but no Cigar. worth the Dough!

film liZ Janes SAY gOODBYE asthmatic kitty

siC alPs NAPA ASYLuM Drag City

Dream Diary YOu ARE ThE BEAT kanine

of montreal FALSE PRiEST Polyvinyl

sean rowe MAgiC anti-

the high Dials ANThEMS FOR DOOMED YOuTh rainbow Quartz

by kyle lemmon | liz Janes’ fourth release with asthmatic kitty is supposed to be her “soul album,” but only in the sense that its focus is on her coffeehouse-ready, paper-thin vocals. in fact, she penned Say Goodbye a capella before collaborating with electro-spazz maestro rafter roberts. this is competent music, but wallpaper can be more charming.

by J. Pace | if you like your fi’s low, and your lows fi, you’ll get high on this, the latest from San Francisco’s charmingly half-assed garage-psych savants. Spotty and shambolic, but brimiming with moments of serious brilliance—this is the Sic alps way. and again with the shotgun approach: throw 22 songs out there and few are bound to stick.

by frank valish | this Brooklyn trio make dreamy guitar pop in the vein of the Pastels and those late '80s/early '90s Bus Stop label 7”records. chiming indie guitar-scapes are the perfect backdrop to the breathy melodies and harmonies of Jacob Danish Sloan and Madison Farmer. in three words: heavenly, enchanting, and wondrous.

by Jim scott | False Priest finds kevin Barnes returning to real instruments for the first time in years—and thankfully turning the page on alter-ego Georgie Fruit—citing a “thick r&B influence.” Barnes’ claims that this is a “funky” album occasionally ring true. False Priest is, however, of Montreal’s first adventure in hi-fi...and a move that deserves applause.

by hays Davis | Singer/songwriter Sean rowe boasts a soaring baritone that commands attention, and the simple instrumentation provides an ideal platform for his anti- debut. Some of rowe’s work here calls to mind Van Morrison and leonard cohen, though his gift suggests that those names will remain references rather than long shadows to escape.

by frank valish | the forth album by this Montréal five-piece presents the '60s-inflected pop-rock that they are known for. From the ease with which they sail through these melodyrich tunes, one gets the sense that they could crank out albums like this yearly. Based on the playful nummability of Anthems, that’s not a bad thing.

asthmatickitty.com/liz-janes

sicalps.com

myspace.com/ dreamdiarylovesyou

ofmontreal.net

seanrowe.net

thehigdials.net

blue valentine | by Chris tinkham

during an early scene in Blue Valentine, dean (Ryan gosling) tries to get his young daughter to eat her “yucky” breakfast by placing instant oatmeal directly on the kitchen table, so they can slurp it up “like leopards.” dean’s wife Cindy (Michelle Williams) is hardly amused; she has the look of a woman who’s grown tired of her husband’s juvenility. viewers know that a bumpy ride is ahead. director/co-writer derek Cianfrance’s disquieting blue-collar love story sustains fireworks with heart-crushing honesty.

JÓnsi/gO/Xl by Jim scott | along with jeff Buckley and Thom yorke, jónsi’s pipes have set the standard for modern eunuch-like crooning. on go, he makes up for the lack of vocals on Riceboy Sleeps by working overtime, backing himself up to create a jónsi choir, offering skyrocketing counter-melodies, and even making the occasional bird sound. he beams ecstatically on “go do”, cracks hearts on the string-laden “sinking Friendships”, and comes as close as he probably ever will to rapping on “animal arithmetic”.

he may lack Buckley’s soulfulness or yorke’s infinite melancholy, but jónsi’s distinguishing trait is an innocence that helps make emotions sound fresh. This child-like view is more apparent on go because it finds the singer mostly expressing himself in plain english rather than his usual combination of heavenly vowel sounds and icelandic. jonsi.com

summer '11

gO | whether singing in english or gibberish, the message is clear. go means go.

nowhere boy | by Chris tinkham a biopic that chronicles the family life of John lennon during his troubled teen years, Nowhere Boy stars aaron Johnson. the budding rivalry between lennon and Mccartney is overplayed, yet the film is not without wonderful nuances, particularly the music.

let me in | by iain stasukevich like the original, Let Me In is more a love story about two 12 year olds—owen (kodi Smit-McPhee) and abby (chloë Grace Moretz)—than it is a traditional vampire tale. taken at face value, Let Me In is a solid film, but it feels like a redundant effort. undertheradarmag.com

stereo off

siDe b

liZZie foX | Manipulating imagery overused by the media makes us all think twice about what we are actually looking at. oversaturation can numb our senses, but when portrayed in a different light, the tragedy of japanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tsunami seems so out of proportion that we might just start to ponder the gravity of this natural disaster.

summer '11

On Tour Now

www.devotchka.ne | www.anti.com

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