2011 In Briefs: An Ongoing Saga

Video: Dri - " Two Are One"

In internet years, "Two Are One" is a pretty old song, released way back in 2007 by Adrianne Verhoeven—a former member of the now defunct Anniversary. Verhoeven, who records as Dri, seems to have been remarkably ahead of her time, sounding at times almost identical to artists-of-the-moment like Victoria Legrand of Beach House here, and, on various other tracks off her album Smoke Rings, like the washed out and sample-laden sound of "chillwave." The masterful video for "Two Are One" was directed by Neil Krug, a photographer of all things vintage, pulpy, and awesome.

Dri - "Two Are One" (Daytrotter session)
Dri - "Inspiration" (from Smoke Rings)

UPDATE:
I just got an email from Dri, who has a new project called Extra Classic. The band will be playing Manimal Vinyl's showcase at SXSW with another Everybody Taste favorite, Jenny O. More details about the show here. You can sample the group's first single, the uptempo dub and reggae-fueled "Congo Rebel," which will be released as a 45 shortly.

Extra Classic - "Congo Rebel"

Jessica Lea Mayfield - "Blue Skies Again"

I haven't heard a straight-ahead pop song this good in a while. The hopeful "Blue Skies Again," thanks to its crisply produced guitar attack, has long legs that spring and bounce to a beat that begs the listener to come along for the ride. The ride being 21-year-old Jessica Lea Mayfield's second full-length album, Tell Me, released earlier this month. Produced by the Black Keys' Dan Auerbach, Mayfield's light country vocals and crafty songwriting often arrive ablaze with creative instrumentation and flourishes, like the bare rolling bass guitar on "Tell Me" or the bubbly keyboard riff in "Grown Man." It's a beautifully executed album—one that I'm looking forward to diving into again. The single "Blue Skies Again" is available free only for a limited time as the iTunes single of the week, so snag it while you can.

Jessica Lea Mayfield - "Blue Skies Again" (from Tell Me)

Young Man - "Stangers"

On "Strangers," what starts out as a quiet acoustic ballad surprisingly turns into something else entirely: an energetic tropicalia-fueled time machine that opens up a window into a mother's relationship with her child—one beautifully colored by the soaring vocal harmonies of Chicago's Colin Caulfield. Caulfield—a Youtube sensation turned Frenchkiss Records signee—has only a few original recordings to his name, but each is suffused with a tone and personality that is both wholly developed and refreshingly unique. This is more than an artist to watch—this is one worth stalking.

Young Man - "Strangers" (from Strangers single)
Young Man - "Heart of Chambers" (Beach House cover)

New Sonny & The Sunsets: Hit After Hit

Everybody Taste regulars Sonny & The Sunsets have announced their second LP, Hit After Hit, due out April 12th on Fat Possum. The album features several cuts Sonny Smith composed for his 100 Records project, including "She Plays Yo-Yo With My Mind" and "The Bad Energy From LA Is Killing Me" by respective fictional groups Weed and Durango Dexter & The Dolphins. The album's title also shares the name of a track Smith wrote for his side project, Earth Girl Helen Brown. While it may be hard to keep up with Smith's interconnected grab bag approach to releasing music, what's clear is the quality of his craft: timeless 50s and 60s-inspired instrumentation, an effortlessly cool and nonchalant vocal delivery, and clever lyrics woven together by a thread of simplicity.

Sonny & The Sunsets - "I Wanna Do It" (from Hit After Hit)

Infinity Cat: Spring 2011 Sampler

Infinity Cat—the hilariously titled Nashville label responsible for shedding light on the city's riff-heavy underground punk scene—has released an excellent sampler of its roster, including tracks by flagship band Jeff The Brotherhood and Everybody Taste's personal favorite, Natural Child. Grab all 12 tracks over at the Infinty Cat homepage. So far, the sampler has already turned us on to the likes of Denney and The Jets via his lo-fi country-tinged ode to drinking, cocaine and pain pills. If you dig, make sure to head to the store and grab the vinyl goodies while they last, as both Natural Child 7"s have already sold out.

Natural Child - "Hard Workin' Man"
Jeff The Brotherhood - "Mellow Out"
Denney And The Jets - "Pain Pills"

Video: The Black Keys - "Howlin' For You"

There have been quite a few great Black Keys' videos, but this "Howlin' For You" cut—directed by Chris Marrs Piliero—takes the cake. Brace yourself for exploitive grindhouse-style sex and violence, served with a soundtrack of rip-roaring Grammy winning blues, courtesy of Brothers—Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach. (via IMDB)

Interview: New Animal's Kris Hermstad & Derek Burdette

Aside from the new Radiohead, the album I can't seem to stop playing is the debut from Atlanta's New Animal. The 15-track album—available entirely for free at the group's Bandcamp page—is a richly dense and nuanced psychedelic pop record that weaves its way from a wild lo-fi dance-fueled opening through vast synth and effect-driven soundscapes, uptempo rock, a quiet campfire ballad, and the vocal harmony and harmonium-filled closer "Out There." Through both its light and dark moments, the feeling that permeates through the record is a celebratory one: this is a duo that clearly loves making music and their enjoyment of it can be heard through every foreign and freshly conceived of sound.


So, first off, what are your names and how old are you guys?
Kris Hermstad, 24, Derek Burdette, 25.

What’s the first song you learned to play and on what instrument?
Kris: I'm pretty sure it was that song "Santa Monica" by Everclear (on guitar). That damn riff!!
Derek: "Come as you are" by Nirvana. Same with "Santa Monica," it seems like if you were growing up and playing guitar in the early 90s, everyone was playing the same riffs.

Sheepdogs - "Southern Dreaming"

The Sheepdogs are a reinvention project of sorts. Simmering classic southern rock—think the light shimmering guitar tone of Duane Allman Dickie Betts and the raspy vocal drive of a Ronnie Van Zant—freshly reincarnated via a couple of long-haired, pot-smoking, rabble-rousers from the city of Saskatoon in Saskatchewan, Canada. The band is part of Rolling Stone's surprisingly thoughtful promotional project, where readers can vote for which of their sixteen handpicked young bands will appear on the cover of the magazine's summer issue. Aside from landing on the infamous cover, the winner will also receive a recording project with Atlantic Records and perform on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. My money's on the Sheepdogs, who have an excellent Pop Montreal live session available for free via Daytrotter. If you dig, vote for them here. (via)

The Sheepdogs - "Southern Dreaming" (from Daytrotter's Pop Montreal Session)

Beach Fossils Feat. Jack Tatum - "Out In The Way"

I once referred to the The Beach Fossils as "subtle punks" and that sentiment still applies to the band's latest release, their EP What A Pleasure. The Beach Fossils aren't ones to make a splash—if this is punk music, it's punk with a heavy dose of valium: heavily melodic and straightforward, but never once forceful or angry. The hazy and nostalgic vibe that permeates through the band's music becomes exponentially more intoxicating with the appearance of Wild Nothing's Jack Tatum on "Out In The Way"—a cut of slow burning pop that delivers its punch with devastating simplicity.

Beach Fossils  Feat. Jack Tatum - "Out In The Way" (from What A Pleasure EP)

Streaming/Fondling: Futurebirds, Cass McCombs, Timbre Timbre, Cotton Jones

I don't like streaming. As an avid consumer of all things music, when I really dig something I want to keep it: whether it's by downloading it, preordering it, or running down the street to the record shop and searching for it in the non-alphabetized "general letter" section. The dangling of desirable ear-tingling goods within reach to sample but not take home is like going to the supermarket, fondling all of the best produce, and then leaving them for the next shopper to rifle through all over again. When I find a good grapefruit, I want to it take home. However, this blogger's streaming bin is piling up and am therefore left with no choice but to share these fine gems on a fondle-only basis.

Middle Brother - "Middle Brother"

If you're not sold on this Deer Tick/Dawes/Delta Spirit rollickin' roots-rock supergroup, you should be now. We've heard "Me, Me, Me" and the Replacements' cover "Portland" and now we have the song for which the group gets its name, "Middle Brother"—a furious Chucky Berry-inspired bit of rockabilly and soul that features a guest spot by Nashville's Jonny Corndawg. Do yourself a favor and pre-order this baby on some good old-fashioned vinyl.

Middle Brother - "Middle Brother" (from S/T)

Justin Townes Earle Feat. Dawn Landes - "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind"

Speaking of Josh Ritter, his wife and fellow singer/songwriter Dawn Landes will be stopping in Portland this weekend along with the great and underrated talent Justin Townes Earle. Catch them both at Mississippi Studios on Sunday, February 20th. The Wall Street Journal recently ran an article on the "rehab album" which included a few paragraphs on Earle and his songwriting:

Though artists have certainly written good songs while in recovery, writing songs about the recovery process itself is a trickier matter. "They get very cheesy very fast. With that language you're dealing with a bunch of clichés," says singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle, 29.

Portland Giveaway: Josh Ritter Tickets

Everybody Taste folkie favorite Josh Ritter—whose So Runs The World Away we dubbed our 5th favorite album of 2010—will be in Portland on February 23rd to play the Crystal Ballroom along with Scott Hutchison of Frightened Rabbit. On stage, Ritter is a ball of unequaled energy and enthusiasm. Simply put, I couldn't recommend a show more highly. Luckily, I have two free tickets to give away. 

To enter, simply leave your favorite Josh Ritter song in the comments section below with an email address. A winner will be announced on Friday.

Josh Ritter - "Change of Time" (from So Runs The World Away)
Josh Ritter - "The Remnant (Wallpaper remix)" (from To The Yet Unknowing World)

UPDATE: Hey folks, I picked the winner out of a hat. Thanks for stopping by and playing. I hope you can still make it to the show! Cheers.

Interview: Telekinesis's Michael Lerner

Everybody Taste recently chatted with Seattle musician Michael Benjamin Lerner, who under the nome de plume Telekinesis, released his second full-length album today—the dark and bass-heavy 12 Desperate Straight Lines. We chatted about recording with Death Cab For Cutie's Chris Walla, Lerner's preference for analog tape, his adoration of the band Flin Flon, and the album's excellent grimy and fuzzy bass guitar.

I understand you wrote the majority of 12 Desperate Straight Lines during the winter in Berlin on a 9 to 5 routine. Why Germany? And why the schedule? Were you just determined to start generating new material?

Yes! True. I was going through a lot of stuff in my personal life (breakup, health issues), and I had always dreamed of picking up and going to a place that is foreign and uncomfortable to write music. Berlin seemed to be like the best choice purely because I knew some people there to hook up an apartment, and a practice space. I mean, it turned out to be the perfect situation. I got a killer room in an apartment in an amazing location, and rented a rehearsal space that had a drum kit and a guitar amp and a bass amp in it. It was just so perfect. And it was amazing and cold and snowy and I got to explore and hang out with my friends. I feel completely lucky to have had that experience. I wrote a lot of songs that I am very proud of there. Like "50 Ways," "I Cannot Love You" and "Car Crash." It was fun to follow in the footsteps of Lou Reed, David Bowie and Depeche Mode.

Review:: Floating Action: Desert Etiquette

Let’s talk sports analogies. If Seth Kauffman were a basketball player, he'd be the underappreciated sixth man that comes off the bench in the fourth quarter to sink the winning basket. He may not be a recognized star just yet, but his skills more than speak for themselves: stick Kauffman with any instrument—sitar, drums, guitar—in almost any genre—soul, reggae, rock, folk—and he'll create something classic, albeit in his own distinctly laid back and loose manner. Playing nearly every instrument under the moniker Floating Action, Kauffman has already recorded one track-for-track classic album and his newest release, Desert Etiquette, shouldn’t be labeled any different.

Body Language - "You Can" b/w "Social Studies"

London-based label Double Denim Records announced their newest 7-inch release today: "You Can" from Brooklyn's Body Language. "You Can" is a brilliantly entertaining bit of synth-driven pop worth your every penny, but in all honesty, it's the B-Side "Social Studies" that makes this deliciously intoxicating pop cake. The blippy drum-machine clattering background proves to be the perfect platform for vocalist Angelica Bess, whose Lily Allen-recalling turn here rivals the melodies of another of 2011's most addictive jams—"Ungirthed" by Purity Ring. The single is out in March on transparent red vinyl and limited to just 300 copies. Pre-order the goods now here. Download Body Language's entire Social Studies EP for free here.

Body Language - "You Can"
Body Language - "Social Studies"

Uncovered: "Police On My Back"

For the Clash, "Police On My Back" meant a slashing electric guitar riff and a riotous anti-establishment sing-along—a standout track on the band's 1980 36-track triple-album Sandinista! The song was however originally written and released by London's Equals in 1967—a  Jamaican "rude boy"-influenced and lightly psychedelic work of British pop that featured a pre-"Electric Avenue" Eddy Grant on lead vocals. The Clash didn't reinvent the wheel here, but they did give international legs to an excellent track few outside the United Kingdom would have ever otherwise heard.

Stream: Equals - "Police On My Back"


Stream: The Clash - "Police On My Back"

Braids: Experimental Music with A Magnetic Charm

Critics endlessly laud music that is "new," genre-defying, and experimental. Perhaps it is a noble cause, trying to search for something that is both smart and entirely original, but I find the recommendations are often to the detriment of the critic's very own readers. Should entire afternoons and evenings really be spent trying to force down a bulky hard-to-swallow pill of novelty and hipness when all you hear is layers of rattling noise? If a song doesn't click after two listens, chances are it's never going to and there's absolutely no reason to force it down. I recently gave up trying to listen to James Blake—he's a pill I can't swallow with water, wine or whiskey. That's not to say his music isn't good—it's just not for me. There are simply too many choices in our current digital musical age to invest time in something that comes without benefit or enjoyment.

The Babies - "Meet Me In The City"

While I've never fully recovered from seeing the Vivian Girls open up for M. Ward—easily one of the worst live performances I've ever seen—I'm happy to get behind Cassie Ramone's side project with Kevin Morby of Woods. Mostly it's Morby's slurred and gravelly vocal delivery that's won me over, lifting the simplistic pounding of garage rock sing-along "Meet Me In The City" into the pantheon of dirty and disheveled punk rock odes to New York City.

The Babies - "Meet Me In The City" (from The Babies)

Mixtape: Wintertime Space Time

Slightly more psychedelic and experimental than usual to fit the boredom of winter months spent largely indoors, this mix still has its fair shake of pop color— albeit a more hushed and slow burning kind. Headphones are recommended.

SIDE A:

Lloyd Cole - "After Before and After"

Breakfast In Fur - "Shine"

Dustin Wong - "Talking Walking Cloud"

Braids - "Lemonade"

Britta Phillips and Dean Wareham - "Ginger Snaps (and Sugar Winks)"

The Eames Era - "Fake Do Gooders"

Generationals - "These Habits"

John Frusciante - "Song To Sing When I'm Lonely"

Purity Ring - "Ungirthed"

SIDE B:

Mirrors - "Hide and Seek" (Demo)

Tanlines - "Z (Feat. Glasser)"

Warpaint - "Ashes To Ashes"

La Sera - "Devils Hearts Grow Gold"

Spaceman 3 - "Walking With Jesus" (Demo)

Com Truise - "Sundriped"

Jesse Woods - "Ugly Dress"

Broadcast - "Oh How I Miss You"

Wintertime Space Time.zip

To retain track order, drag the folder after it's unzipped into an iTunes playlist.

Generationals - "Greenleaf"

After delivering the goods with their hotly received Trust EP, New Orleans' Generationals are now gearing up for another release—their second full-length, Actor-Caster. The album, due out on March 29th, was recorded over the summer in the dank humidity of Washington, DC with Con Law producer Daniel Black. It's clear from our first taste of the album, the persistent jangling piano pop of "Greenleaf," that not even DC's stifling heat could contain this group's tremendous pop chops. Dig into the new track, courtesy of Spin, along with an excellent cover by the great Floating Action.

Generationals - "Greenleaf" (from Actor-Caster)
Floating Action - "Victim of Trap" (Generationals cover)

Catwalk - "(Please) Don't Break Me"

19-year-old Nick Hessler has been recording under the moniker Catwalk since he was 14. It seems silly to associate a teenager with anything other than angst and naivety, but Hessler's single "(Please) Don't Break Me" is a winsome, confident and dreamy Smiths-like bit of heartache that hits on all the right pop cylinders. The Californian has already released three 7-inches on Captured Tracks with rumors of a full-length coming down the line sometime later this year. Pick up the goods here.

Catwalk - "(Please) Don't Break Me"

The Dodos - "Black Night"

Never hire a vibraphonist. That's the lesson San Francisco's Dodos seem to have learned after the disappointment of their blandly received third album Time To Die. The absence of hired-then-fired vibraphone player Keaton Snyder means the Dodos are back as a duo for their fourth release, No Color, and the album's first single "Black Night" suggests all is well again in the world of these manic minimalists. The duo will, however, receive some help on the album: red-haired alt-country goddess and New Pornographer Neko Case reportedly will add her considerable vocal chops to half the album's songs. Something tells me people won't have any trouble finding the purchase link to No Color—due out March 14th.

The Dodos - "Black Night" (from No Color)

Natural Child - "The Jungle"

"Living in our boxcar laid up in the jungle. Thought I was a God, but now I'm feeling humble. Making lots of money, give it to the children. Making lots of children, now we got a village."

There's something incredibly endearing about Natural Child's "The Jungle"—a scuzzy, garage-rock and possibly psychedelic-fueled country sing-along about living in a boxcar in the jungle. The Nashville band exhale equal amounts of fiery swagger and stale beer into its Southern fare, creating a wonderfully eclectic world where punk rock and country music stand toe-to-toe in a perfect swaying boozy harmony. This young and brash Replacements-recalling trio—who opened for the Black Lips on a recent tour—also have a flare for the loud and heavy, as on the propulsive bass-led track "Nobody Wants To Party With Me." MP3s and vinyl are available to purchase at the band's label, Infinity Cat. Fuck, this band's good.

Natural Child - "The Jungle" (from Scion A/V Garage's Strange Boys/Natural Child 7")
Natural Child - "Nobody Wants To Party With Me" (from Bodyswitchers)
Natural Child - "Dogbite" (from 7")

Doug Hoyer - "Oh, The Wind Will Blow" Feat. Jessica Jalbert

Edmonton's Doug Hoyer—a playful and dead-pan humorist in the vein of Jonathan Richman and Jens Lekman—takes a more straightforward and romantic turn on his newest song, "Oh, The Wind Will Blow." The beautiful ukulele-delivered ditty features a particularly charming interplay between the baritone-blessed Hoyer and guest singer Jessica Jalbert, whose warm tone feels akin to a cup of hot chocolate on a cold and snowy winter night.

Doug Hoyer - "Oh, The Wind Will Blow" Feat. Jessica Jalbert

Previously:
Doug Hoyer - "Lakes of Mars"

Ladies and Gentleman, The Fabulous Stains

The 1981 film Ladies and Gentleman, The Fabulous Stains has been called the link between punk rock and the 1990s riot grrrl movement. I won't go that far. The movie is more of a novelty—a hilarious page in the cult cannon of fictionalized rock and roll films. If seeing a barely 15-year-old Diane Lane and 13-year-old Laura Dern decked out in punk clothes, red eye-shadow, and bleached hair yelling "we don't put out!" isn't entertaining enough for you, take a listen to the Stains' fellow touring band the Looters. The fictitious English punk group is a spinoff of the post-Sex Pistols group the Professionals and features actor Ray Winstone on vocals, the Clash's Paul Simonon on bass, and the Pistols' Steve Jones and Paul Cook on guitar and drums. Below, listen to Winstone hold his own alongside the punk rock royalty and Lane wax poetic on "Wast of Time."

The Stains - "Waste of Time" (from Ladies and Gentleman, The Fabulous Stains)
The Looters - "Conned Again" (from Ladies and Gentleman, The Fabulous Stains)

Vincent Moon's An Island

There's a particularly petty war of words going on between Arcade Fire and director Vincent Moon, one of the creators of the influential Take Away Show series. You can take a gander at the interview with Moon and the cheap shot by Arcade Fire manager Scott Rodger in the comments section here, but at the end of the day it's absolutely inconsequential. The Arcade Fire are the Arcade Fire and Moon is a considerable talent whose work over the past decade has made an incredible impression on the arts, specifically the natural way music is now so often captured. Moon's latest work is a feature that follows around the 8-piece Danish band Efterklang on a small isolated island off the coast of Denmark. Over the course of the four-day shoot, the director and band collaborated with 200-plus local musicians and residents of the island. Screenings are currently taking place all over the world. Check here for a screening near you, or if there isn't one, schedule your own.

Efterklang - "Cutting Ice To Snow" (from Parades)
Efterklang - "Modern Drift" (from Magic Chairs)

Prince's Girl Groups: Apollonia 6 and Vanity 6

Let's appreciate some extraordinarily bad music. In the 1984 Prince-vehicle and bonafide cult classic Purple Rain, Prince's love interest is played by Patricia "Apollonia" Kotero. Apollonia, a virtual unknown at the time, was brought in to replace Denise "Vanity" Matthews—a nude model, Canadian B-movie star, and former Prince girlfriend who resigned from the role at the last minute. Apollonia and Vanity's duties—both on and off screen—were to lead an all-female pop trio created by Prince. Prince's initial idea was to call the group the Hookers, dress them in lingerie, and have Matthews go by the stage name "Vagina." While the names didn't stick, the lingerie did.

Portland's Rumble :: FREE show on Feb. 8th

Everybody Taste is honored to announce it has officially become part of the Rumble: Portland family—a free monthly party and concert orchestrated by Future Sounds. On February 8th, Portland bands Harlowe and The Great North Woods and Pigeons will take the stage at Holocene along with Los Angeles's Letting Up Despite Great Faults. Harlowe and The Great North Woods' haunting folk debut has been a favorite here since stumbling upon it late last year. Songs like "Roses" and "Mason Jars" breathe with a weathered and richly-shaped tone, as casual and natural as they are timeless. After taking the last few months off to hole up and write, the band is now set to debut a new batch of material at the Rumble. Check out more details about the show and RSVP on Facebook here.

Harlowe and The Great North Woods - "Roses"