This is fine.
For some of us, catching Youth Lagoon on this tour would be the first time we caught the group with a full line-up, as the last time I caught Trevor Powers he was working the stage on his own. Such a change was likely to mix the sound up. We arrived early to catch the recent signing to Matador Records, Magical Cloudz.
Read on for my thoughts and photos from the excellent Brian Gray.
Rating: 
It’s hard not to fall head over heels for any release by Kurt Vile, no matter what he does. There’s something about his vocal delivery, and the mood he manages to establish with every tune he writes. Wakin On a Pretty Daze isn’t any different; it maximizes his chill factor, yet wraps it all in a neat auditory box for you to play over and over.
Looking at the track listing, you might be overwhelmed by the length of “Wakin on a Pretty Day,” which clocks in at 9.5 minutes. But, don’t let the number be daunting, as Kurt Vile manages to capture your attention from the get-go, carrying you with his smoky vocals for the entire duration of the track. The guitars, of course, have that swirling effect that highlights both the tone and the strumming style. Even when he tapers off toward the end with a string of “yea, yea, yeas” it’s hard not to feel the emotional pull of his songwriting. In fact, many of the songs on Wakin On a Pretty Daze are well-over the typical length one expects, like this one, but not a one of those could really be discarded.
For me, the beauty in what Kurt does is not just in the lyrics or the songwriting, but in the overall mood left with the listener, myself in this case. I like the solemnity presented in a song such as “Girl Called Alex,” opening with a trickling bit of guitar before Vile makes his grand entrance. He fills some of the negative space with distorted guitar. There’s no rush in what he’s doing, always showing restraint where others might push on too quickly. That track fits perfectly back to back with “Never Run Away,” which uses a touch more pace, though the vocal delivery is what holds my interest through this track; I also appreciate the way the guitar lines work in and out of the track’s quieter moments. It’s easy to be concise in a shorter time frame.
While I enjoy all of these tunes, I think he accomplishes more in the little songs here. “Shame Chamber” has a bit of a crunchy stomp to it, though lower tones of Kurt’s drawn out vocal and the cutting guitar plucking soon rid the track of that sentiment. He even flirts with this pop vocal inflection (see 1.16) that leads me to believe he’s flirting with visiting other musical territory. This number is much like the following tune, “Snowflakes Are Dancing;” that track has a nice little coat of haze and gentle tones on the vocals to accompany the natural warmth of Vile’s guitar playing.
After spending hours listening to the new album, I think you’ll find it’s strength lays in the fact that the length of the songs and the emotional pull allow you to completely let yourself get lost. I imagine that’s what Kurt Vile has always been after, creating guitar pop that leads its listeners into an endless state of wonderment. Take a few trips around the block with Wakin On a Pretty Daze and you’ll surely feel the same.
Matador Records continues their push to diversify their catalogue by adding Majical Cloudz, the songwriting project of Devon Welsh. The label will be releasing the Impersonator, the new full length effort, on May 21st. It takes time for this track to open up to you, much as I expect it will take time to absorb the music within the album…I mean that in a good way. Electronic flourishes slowly trickle in just before Welsh’s deep voice slowly unfolds. I like the almost operatic quality of the voice; it’s not too over the top, yet it’s far from ordinary. I think people are really going to find something to sink their teet into here.
Download: Majical Cloudz – Childhood’s End [MP3]
I just absolutely love Kurt Vile. While some artists I adore seem to be hit or miss, this guy just doesn’t ever seem to write a bad song, let alone a mediocre one. His latest single features those smoky vocals and light guitar sound, occasionally stopping for some careful strumming moments; I even like the stuttering vocal of “away-ay-ay-ay” that he throws in there. His new record, Walking on a Pretty Daze, will be released on April 9th via Matador Records, and I guarantee that it’s not going to get a bad review from anyone, unless they’re crazy folks.
Download: Kurt Vile – Never Run Away [MP3]
I can almost assuredly say that by the year’s end, everyone at the ATH offices will have admitted at one point or another that Kurt Vile‘s upcoming record, Wakin on a Pretty Daze, is one of our favorite album’s of the year. It seems outrageous, I agree, but such is the power Kurt holds over us, especially with this new single he’s just released. There’s something to his simplicity in songwriting that maximizes his emotional draw between himself and listeners. It sounds like almost anyone could write these songs, but no one could do it so effectively. The album is out on April 9th via Matador Records.
Download:Kurt Vile – Wakin On a Pretty Day [MP3]
Rating:
Okay, so you know Yo La Tengo, the alternative band who has only been around for about thirty years and have released twelve studio albums? No? Well, crawl out from that cave you’ve been living in and get with things! This band has been putting out quality indie rock for a lot longer than most, and Fade is far from a disintegration of such merit and raw talent that this band possesses.
On the first song of Fade, “Ohm,” you have a fine example of the Velvet Underground-esque style of endless looping of the gritty guitars to start things off right. It’s a long track, pushing seven minutes, but the persistence of the song keeps you intrigued for its duration. The mild gang vocals slide in amidst some heavy hitting percussion, contributing to add up to a fuzzy, beast of a number, which sets the band up to launch right into yet another album filled with music that is simply easy to listen to—you can easily find yourself lost amidst the subtle vocals and the overall gentle sound.
While the first song is a bit grungy, it really doesn’t give way to the rest of the album is going to go; the first track is the grungiest number you’ll find on Fade. Immediately after, on “Is That Enough,” while the fuzzy guitars are still present, the string work lightens up things quickly. But as far as the lighter tracks go on this album, stronger songs are to be had later on, such as “Stupid Things.” Fifth on the album, it’s about the peppiest of songs to be had, with Ira Kaplan’s vocals coming at you, echoed and foggy in the verses and sweetly soaring through the choruses. Meanwhile you have a steady upbeat carrying things on jollily. Another unmistakably strong song comes at the very end of the album with “Before We Run,” which incorporates the string work from before, the persistent buzz of Yo La Tengo, and the deep vocals of Georgia Hubley. Similar in length of the first number, the last track on Fade provides for a wonderful ending to the simplicity and comfortable tracks on this album, complete with some magnificent horn work to round things out.
While the majority of the tracks are easily accessible, Fade can also be lost track of when listened to. Sure, it’s a great record to listen to when you’re just laying around or on an afternoon drive, but it isn’t really the kind of album that persists you to listen to it. Fade doesn’t beg for your attention, but it makes good use when it gets it.
I’m busy working on getting the site ready for tomorrow, and this pops up. I’d post it tomorrow, but by then it’ll be old news; it’s too loud to post bright and early in the morning. Iceage will be releasing their newest effort, You’re Nothing, via Matador on February 19th, and this track here exemplifies some of the changes we heard when we caught the group this past summer at Chaos in Tejas (they’ll be playing again this year). I can appreciate the discord, but sometimes I wish this band would just clean up the recording a bit, leaving me with just some shiny hardcore gem. This will do for now.
Download:Iceage – Coalition [MP3]
Wow, I didn’t expect this to come out so soon, and I didn’t expect to be so enamored with the newest tune from Esben and the Witch. The group announced yesterday that their new album, Wash the Sins Not Only the Face, will be coming out January 21st via Matador Records. Opening with a ringing guitar, then moving in with the vocals; from here the song ebbs and flows, leaving the guitar to echo and dance in the background. I’m glad we’re slowly starting to hear great new sounds for the new year, assuming we make it that far (damn Mayans).
Download:Esben and the Witch – Deathwaltz [MP3]
I know that through his association with The New Pornographers AC Newman often gets stuck in that middling ground between Neko Case and Dan Bejar, but his third solo effort, Shut Down the Streets, is a statement of sorts. It demonstrates his knack for writing incredible pop songs with lush arrangements, built for longevity in your record collection.
“I’m Not Talking” threw me at first, opening with a few electronic flourishes before the guitar and the rest of the lush orchestration joins in. It all builds brilliantly, making way for AC Newman‘s voice, accompanied by Neko, to resonate with the listener. There’s something about listening to that distinctive voice that makes his songs so familiar, but even when the vocals subside, there’s beautiful music in between, which demonstrates the progress he’s made on this effort. In the past, his voice has really stuck out as the sole instrument on his solo recordings, but much care has been placed on the construction and arrangements of these tracks. “There’s Money in New Wave,” might sound mostly like a guitar strummed ballad, but tiny touches of percussion and string accents bring out the best in this song, making it more than your standard fare. Oh, and the high pitch of his voice always warms my heart.
But, I can see a lot of people saying that Shut Down the Streets is marked too much by the influence of Newman at the moment of writing this record, himself citing psychedelic-era singer-songwriters. With that being an obvious influence, I think it actually crafts a broader sound that benefits both the album and the listener. In the past, there’s always been that difficulty of escaping your main gig, or side gig (whatever he prefers to call it nowadays), with many songs seemingly coming across as polished demos for New Pornos. You won’t get that when you listen to a song like “You Could Get Lost Out Here,” which is an expansive song that unfolds at the typical pace, though brimming with twinkling electronics, eclectic percussive moments and quieted guitar picking. It’s like AC’s fronting the soundtrack to Peter and the Wolf…with more pop sensibility of course!
Still, if you’re a true AC Newman fan you’ll find heaven in songs like “Wasted English,” a tune that features more vocal accompaniment from Case. It’s got an accordion that serves as the main backbone here, rather than the guitar, which is present, though distant. Or you might enjoy “Hostages” for its bounce and spirit, and again, Neko’s appearance. You see, I think he’s always had these tracks inside, but he just need a little help finding a new way to flesh the songs out. For the most part, Shut Down the Streets is very much what you’d expect from Mr. Newman, filled with splendid melodies/strong ballads, yet he’s differentiated himself slightly. He’s added a more complete sound by throwing in all the accompaniment at his disposal, filling out an album that’s both warm and rewarding, listen after listen. Surely his best to date.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/a_c_newman_not_talking.mp3]Download:AC Newman – I’m Not Talking [MP3]
Shut Down the Streets is available now from Matador Records.
You know, I feel like I beat the world over the head today with some rock n’ roll, so I figure we could close out the day with a little touch of perfect pop from our beloved AC Newman. The singer has teamed up with his New Pornos bandmate, Neko Case, combining for a mellow little pop ballad that’s sure to give you a spritual lift as you try to wrap up the world’s longest Friday. This track will be featured on Newman’s upcoming record for Matador Records, Shut Down the Streets, which will hit the stores on October 9th. Hope everyone has an awesome end to your Friday. Be safe out there folks.
Download: AC Newman – Encyclopedia of Classic Takedowns [MP3]
