Following their 2003 debut LP, The Cold Nose, the band went to rehearse, and fortunately record their “practice” sessions. Nearly all the tracks on this upcoming album are aptly titled “Practice Room Sketch”, which, according to Pitchfork, were recorded at New York University music rooms. The album includes a few more complete songs taken from their January 2006 recordings, as well. You can check out the full track listing below.

Archive 2003-2006 will be released on July 20th via American Dust in the US.

Archive 2003-2006 tracklist:
01. Practice Room Sketch 1
02. Deadly Disclosure
03. While We’re Young
04. Grand Army Plaza
05. Practice Room Sketch 2
06. Brightest Minds
07. Practice Room Sketch 3
08. Flip
09. Practice Room Sketch 4 (Tired Hands)
10. Golden Apple
11. Practice Room Sketch 5

The first thing that struck me about Poison Arrows was the synthesizer vocalist Justin Sinkovich plonked away on. The sound was as ’80s throwback as it gets: that is, it was super-cheesy. Switching over to electric guitar helped this out some, but the layer of velveeta left on stage was often a lot to overcome. Dropping those sounds over a groove reminiscent of Holy Fuck, the trio seemed to be trying their best to defrost the crowd. At times, this combination worked, finding a welcome intersection between funk and moody rock. At worst, it sounded far too much in the vein of Depeche Mode.

Their set-closing song may have been their best, though. Patrick Morris’ bass and Sinkovich’s guitar locked together in a math rock hook that turned, somehow, into math blues. Throughout, drummer Adam Reach pounded away in a bluesy thump. This song best exemplified the combination of the band’s parts. Morris used to be in Don Caballero, and their post-math style showed up in spades. Sinkovich used to be in Chicago favorite Atombombpocketknife, and their brash, noisy indie rock sounded out just as well.

Allá took the stage next, and if their tropicalia shoegaze couldn’t brighten up Schubas, god knows what would. The ethereal vocal loops, stuttered bass lines and cymbal waves got a few people dancing, but things were still a bit on the chilly side. Vocalist Lupe Martinez’s shimmery, lithe vocals were a consistent hit, as was the machine gun drumming of Angel Ledezma.

Angel’s younger brother Jorge took his own share of the spotlight though, flailing around as he chopped out tides of roaring guitar chords. His droning and crashing added a layer of what may be described as “Boredom’s Latin American cousins who don’t want to weird you out”.

The number of dancers grew exponentially as Allá’s set went on, and Disappears only boosted the growth. They may have Brian Eno and Suicide among their “Top Friends” on MySpace, and they may claim to be “CCR via Minor Threat”, but these dudes kicked out some non-stop garage rock. Vocalist Brian Case sounds like he learned how to sing from the school of Johnny Rotten and Eddie Argos, but in the best possible way. His bark and shout fit right in with the post-punk, reverb rock that the rest of the group laid down underneath.

It was clear, though, that everyone was there to see Department of Eagles. As soon as the lights dimmed, howls and whistles erupted and the icy audience got wild. Daniel Rossen walked to center stage with his arms full of water bottles. “I have many beverages to keep me awake”, he said sheepishly. Shortly thereafter, the opening strains of “Phantom Other” swirled through the hall. Fred Nicolaus had his synth set on “chorus”, and for the first time in the setting’s history, it sounded pretty damn cool. Sounding equal parts Neil Young and Paul McCartney, Rossen’s crooning had the whole audience warmed all the way up.

Rossen knew it was cold outside though, and he was the first person all night brave enough to acknowledge it. Well, sort of: “You know, weather…it’s pretty interesting”.

Just a short while later, he introduced the band, saying it was its first in the current setup. He introduced bassist Matthew Million quite succinctly: “He has a moustache. It looks pretty cool”.

After playing a couple of new songs, Rossen declared that they were going to play a “really old song”, and calling it “pretty embarrassing”. It turned out to be the amazing “Sailing By Night” off of their debut album. Stripped down to all acoustics and Rossen’s saccharine voice, the song was a piece of sheer bliss.

Next came a cover of “Too Little Too Late” by pop sensation Jojo. Again, Rossen had his terse, pithy comments for his own music. “This is a really ridiculous cover”, he mumbled. “You can get it for free online…just about anywhere. Just like all of our music. That wasn’t supposed to be funny”. And searching this number out is completely worth the non-effort.

After hitting fan favorites “1997″ and “No One Does It Like You”, Rossen’s bandmates left him alone to close out the show. Per usual, he awkwardly introduced the tune, only saying it was new and that he didn’t know whether it was any good. Well, it was. Rossen looped a set of harmonies of his own voice, then put together a sublime folk pop gem. Ending the song with “And if you’ll all look away” was the perfect awkward ending for the show, a beautiful harmony with uncertain lyrics.

————

As a freshman in college, I got stuck in a pretty bad situation in the dorms. I was one of four in a cramped, smelly room. One quiet, early-to-bed-early-to-rise alongside three not-so-quiet night owls. One reader alongside three…well, I won’t go into detail, pending legal outcomes.

Daniel Rossen, singer/songwriter of Grizzly Bear, was much luckier. At NYU, he and roommate Fred Nicolaus formed the dreamy, glitchy collage duo, Whitey on the Moon UK, recording in their bedroom and giving out the result to friends. They wound up releasing an LP and two singles on California indie label Isota before running into a San Fran group calling themselves Whitey on the Moon. So, before releasing their debut full length, they changed the name to the much more blog-able Department of Eagles.

Recent output from the duo incorporates more and more folk structure, leaving behind the found-sound aesthetic that featured on the older material. That’s not to say they lost their fuzzy side. Instead, it’s a fusion of the Brian Wilson song structure and the modern freak folk style.

2008′s In Ear Park hit pretty big on a lot of the end of the year lists around the internet. Sometimes eerie, often melancholy, always moody, the record is perfect for this time of year, as wind and snow swirl around and night falls early. The album features contributions from friends in Rossen’s other band, Chris Bear and Chris Taylor.

But the appeal definitely goes beyond fans of Grizzly Bear. Where Yellow House was sugary and dreamy, In Ear Park is anxious and dreary. There’s a similar attraction to freak folk and harmony. The sonic palettes are just different enough to set them completely apart.

As Department of Eagles came together again in 2007, after Rossen’s Grizzly Bear-centric days, they recruited their fellow bandmates from Grizzly Bear and Dirty Projectors members as touring musicians, and head back on the road. The result, apparently, is a little rougher than the record, a little less controlled. Which is something I along with everyone attending this week’s Tomorrow Never Knows should definitely be excited to see.

Check Out:
“No One Does It Like You”

Department of Eagles 2009 Tour Dates:
01/15 – Chicago, IL @ Tomorrow Never Knows
01/16 – Columbus, OH @ Wexner Center for the Art
01/17 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
01/18 – Cambridge, MA @ The Brattle Theatre
01/19 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
01/23 – W. Hollywood, CA @ Troubadour
01/25 – San Francisco, CA @ Cafe Du Nord
01/27 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
01/28 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos

With three of the four members of Grizzly Bear in some way assisting with the album’s production, In Ear Park sounds as if it could just as well be billed as a Grizzly Bear album, with little complaint. But the story behind In Ear Park seems to be a bit more complex. The Los Angeles native says he chose to place these songs with his other outfit, a project in the works for several years, because he felt the songs were too personal for a Grizzly Bear album. Alongside Fred Nicolaus, the other principle member of the band, he wanted to try some new things, including a greater focus on more concise songwriting and structures.  Noting these thoughts, the material does appear more “concise,” with less space and mood building than that found on Yellow House, Grizzly Bear’s 2006 effort, but could just as easily be mistaken for Grizzly Bear nonetheless.

The album begins with sporadic harp-like acoustic pluckings and the faint creaking of wood, immediately creating the same surreal feel found on Yellow House. Soon the delicate instrumentation is joined by Rossen’s soft and gentle vocals, slowly pulling you in, before drums leisurely make their way into the mix.  As the song picks up with the addition of louder drumming and piano, so does its catchiness. Here it becomes clear that, like he said, Rossen is attempting to make more succinct music. Where Grizzly Bear wanders into endless whimsical instrumentation, Department of Eagles allows for similar instrumentation to heed the course of the song and end before things get too crazy. This sets Department of Eagles apart from Rossen’s other outfit, but only ever so slightly.

The album continues on smoothly into “No One Does It Like You”. Noticeably louder than the opening title track, the song displays the strongest and most straightforward of structures found on the album. Whistles, Bursting drums, handclaps, and a bouncing bassline carry the tune as Rossen admits “No one does it like you/No one does it like you/ But I try so hard.” Like most of the album’s songs, when vocal harmonies exist, they explode and overpower, in an almost paradoxical manner. The vocals are smooth, soft, and delicate, but simultaneously overwhelming and loud, almost reminiscent of the way in which Elliott Smith tinkered with his voice on From a Basement on a Hill or how Brian Wilson uses vocal harmonies. The album’s organically smooth feel elegantly displays just how much attention Rossen and co. have paid to meticulous production.

The album continues, utilizing the same techniques, delicately exploding with faint snare drum rolls, timpani drums, glimmering electric guitars, piano keys, deep and rich strings, bird chirps, perplexing percussions, and ever-present beautiful harmonies. But it is “Teenagers,” which seems to stand apart from the rest in its sound, which immediately harkens to the musical and vocal stylings found on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. As military drums and high pitched piano keys play alongside handclaps, the song further exemplifies Rossen’s attempts at a more pop inclined sound.

As far as the lyrical content found on the album, the songs seem to center around the themes of nostalgic memories, but are abstract enough to dismiss any woes about them being too personal. “Floating on the Lehigh” appears to mourn the loss of someone or something: “Carry me to rest now . . . We’re letting go forever/ Why you insist on leaving this song till the end I’ll never know,” and  “Classical Records” is a sad look at the tragedy of something forgotten: “Do you listen to your classical records/Or do you let them sleep in their sleeves where they weep?” You’ll sing a long to the catchy melodies, but quite possibly won’t have any idea what you are talking about as you do it.

As the album comes to an end, it immediately begs for another listen. The warm and cozy house that is In Ear Park creaks and echoes throughout its duration. It’s an old mansion of sound, haunted only by its pleasingly disorienting resonance. With each listen, the eleven magnificent tracks sound slightly different, boasting their rich qualities. They seem simple and light at a glance, but ultimately are the result of intricate plucking, well planned banging, and even more complex production. The fact that they appear so effortlessly invented is further proof of their quality. Much is to be found In Ear Park and it would be a shame not to explore something so vast and exciting.

Check Out:
“In Ear Park”
“No One Does It Like You”