The production here is clean, and the vocals ring through with perfect clarity, as on the bouncy, African rhythm guitar heavy “Winter” that unfortunately never fully hits its stride. The acoustic driven “Remote and Dark Years”, a Peter Gabriel-influenced song, finds singer Davison symbolically using a beer can stuck in the gutter to rid himself of his gloomy past in the lyrics, “I pick them up and flatten them and push them through the grates.” The intentions are good, as is the sentiment, but it lacks that gut-punch impact it needs to be effective.

It’s not all bad, though; when Atlases turn up the amps, things get decidedly better. The toe-tapping of “Vampires” might be the most straight-forward track they’ve ever laid to wax. “Be Three Years Old” continues this brief momentum with its breezy melody and poolside prowess. It’s songs like these that should make Vampire Weekend take a hard look at this group to fill the opening slot on their next tour. Album closer “Important”, a Walkmen-esque dirge, rises above all else and is not surprisingly the one track that doesn’t fit the mold of Grateful. This is a shame, because as the album blueprint, it would’ve laid the groundwork for a much more hard-hitting record.

In the end, it is hard to hate such harmlessly light music. Beware and Be Grateful, as pleasant a listen as it may be, carries with it a feather’s weight, and that usually equates to an album with little staying power. But with laidback and carefree summer months rapidly approaching, this album might be just what you’re looking for.

Essential Tracks: “Important”, “Vampires”, “Be Three Years Old”

The inaugural Bunbury Music Festival runs July 13-15th at Sawyer Point and Yeatman’s Cove in Cincinnati, Ohio. Weezer, Death Cab For Cutie, Guided By Voices, and Jane’s Addiction top the lineup, and they’ll be joined by Dan Deacon, Manchester Orchestra, RJD2, Jukebox the Ghost, Ra Ra Riot, Grouplove, The Airborne Toxic Event, Minus the Bear, Maps & Atlases, LP, Foxy Shazam, 1,2,3, and YAWN, among others.

Single day and three-day passes are now available via the festival’s website.

Pre-sale for Perch Patchwork is now available here.

Map & Atlases 2010 Tour Dates:
05/12 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater *
05/13 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge *
05/15 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret *
05/16 – Seattle, WA @ Neumo’s Crystal Ball *
05/17 – Portland, OR @ Berbati’s Pan *
05/19 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore *
05/20 – San Luis Obispo, CA @ Downtown Brewing, CO *
05/22 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah *
06/26 – Chicago, IL @ Subterranian %
06/27 – Chicago, IL @ Green Music Festival
07/06 – St. Louis, MO @ Firebird
07/07 – Omaha, NE @ TBD
07/09 – Denver, CO @ The Marquee
07/10 – Colorado Springs, CO @ The Black Sheep
07/11 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
07/13 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
07/14 – Vancouver, BC @ Media Club
07/15 – Seattle, WA @ Vera Project 3
07/16 – Eugene, OR @ TBD
07/17 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom Of The Hill #
07/19 – Visalia, CA @ Howie & Son’s Pizza #
07/20 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Muddy Waters #
07/21 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah #
07/22 – Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Theatre #
07/23 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress #
07/25 – Dallas, TX @ The Loft #
07/26 – Austin, TX @ Emo Jr’s #
07/27 – Houston, TX @ Mango’s #
08/05 – Ann Arbor, MI @ Blind Pig #
08/06 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop #
08/07 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern #
08/08 – Montreal, QC @ Casa Del Popolo #
08/10 –Portland, ME @ Space #
08/11 – Boston, MA @ Middle East Upstairs #
08/12 – New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
08/13 – Brooklyn, NY @ Knitting Factory
08/14 – Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie #
08/15 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat Backstage
08/17 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Brillobox #
08/18 – Newport, KY @ Southgate House #

* = w/ Frightened Rabbit
% = w/ Fang Island
# = w/ Cults

When they’re not rocking out in vans or retirement homes, the Philadelphia natives recently extended their spring tour. The remainder of April’s performances will feature Maps & Atlases, while Free Energy and Jukebox the Ghost will provide support throughout May and June. Check out the full list of dates below. Considering they recently played one of our SXSW parties, you probably already know we recommend checking ‘em out.

Drink Up Buttercup 2010 Tour Dates:
04/15 – Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwells *
04/16 – Carlisle, PA @ Dickinson University
04/17 – Fredericksburg, VA @ Fredericksburg %
04/18 – Harrisonburg, VA @ Clementine Cafe *
04/19 – Akron, OH @ Musica *
05/01 – St. Bonaventure, NY @ St. Bonaventure University
05/05 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Bowl
05/06 – Oswego, NY @ SUNY Oswego
05/08 – Toronto, ON @ Legendary Horseshoe Tavern
05/09 – Montreal, QC @ Green Room
05/11 – Winooski, VT @ The Monkey House
05/14 – New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
05/16 – New Hope, PA @ John and Peter’s
06/04 – Jacksonville, FL @ Jack Rabbits  ^%
06/05 – Tampa, FL @ Crowbar %
06/06 – Orlando, FL @ The Social %
06/08 – Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree  ^%
06/09 – Nashville, TN @ Exit In  ^%
06/10 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop ^%
06/11 – Carbarough, NY @ The Club At Water Street Music ^%

* = w/Maps & Atlases
^ = w/Free Energy
% = w/Jukebox The Ghost

And yes, the picture in this post is absolutely pointless aside from the fact it features “Don’t Forget.”

And the best part is the lineup is as good as the name. On Wednesday, March 17th, aka the first official of the music component of SXSW 2010, we’ll round up — drum roll #3 — Theophilus London, Broken Social Scene’s Jason Collett, The Death Set, Drink Up Buttercup, Acrylics, Gemni Club, Maps & Atlases, The Depreciation Guild, Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt, and Dignan and bring ‘em all to Peckerhead’s in downtown Austin, Texas.

Sounds fun, right? Did we mention it’s free to attend? Or that they’ll be free tacos and So-Co, courtesy of Taco Cabana and Southern Comfort respectively? Yep, all your body parts will thank us from your ears to your toes!

Please click here to RSVP. A special thanks also goes to the Best Buy Music Instrument Store for all the fresh gear that will be banging through your earholes all week. And of course Knuckle Rumbler who helped put this all together!

Theophilus London – Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, this rapper is not at all picky when it comes to the musical genres. Not only does he cite everyone from Michael Jackson and Prince to Kraftwerk and The Smiths as influences, but back in 2009, he, in collaboration with Machine Drum, released This Charming Mixtape, a confluence of  The Smiths (the name) and Elvis Costello (the artwork). Soon afterward, Theophilus would release his proper studio debt, This Charming Man, which was executive produced by 2x DMC World Champion DJ Iemerge and features productions from MachineDrum, Jimmy Edgar, and Letherette.
Check Out: “Humdrum Town”

Jason Collett – In addition to being members of an amazing band, members of Broken Social Scene also have a history of shelling out quality side-projects. Take Jason Collet for example. Next week, the Toronto native will release Rat a Tat Tat, the fifth album in what has become quite the solo discography. Backed by Toronto outfit Zeus (who will also be joining him at the party), the album hears Collett’s acclaimed singer/songwriting teamed with the likes of Andrew Whiteman, Tony Scherr, and The Stills’ Liam O’Neil. The end result, according to label Arts & Crafts, is a “remarkable and honest example of a storyteller documenting and soundtracking his experiences and surroundings with distinct and precise ability.”

The Death Set – Back in 2008, the Australian outfit caught the music world by storm with the release of Worldwide, an album which fuse punk rock sound and energy, electronic music production, and hip hop sampling. NME touted the band as the “#1 biggest hope of the future,” while Allmusic picked the album as one of the best of the year. Two years later, The Death Set look to one again kick it off a notch with what should be a jaw dropping performance at our day party.

Drink Up Buttercup – The Philadelphia outfit is one of those bands that took to CMJ Music Marathon last fall, subsequently blew audiences away, and is now the hottest thing in all of music. Plus, word on the street is that these cats swing pretty hard live, with their song content containing subjects varying from star-crossed lovers to bad trips and fairy tales. Got your attention much? Sound like a jangly Tom Waits? Definitely.

Acrylics – If you need any reason to like these Brooklyn natives, then look no further to the fact they are signed to the label of Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor. What’s more, they’re recently released debut EP, All Of The Fire, was recorded in a converted church. Oh yes, and they’re currently touring with A Sunny Day in Glasgow and the Morning Benders. Seriously, what’s not to like here?

Check Out: “Molly’s Vertigo”

Gemini Club – Chicago represent! Fusing the energetic and precise aspects of DJing with live vocals, synthesizers, guitars and bass, this trio has been catching Chi-Town by storm since the release of Future Tidings last August. They call themselves a “rock band from the future.” We call them kick ass.

Check Out: “Mary’s Day”

Maps & Atlases – Also hailing from Chicago, this quartet sports one of the more impressive resumes of any band to hit South by Southwest this year. They’ve toured RX Bandits, Matt & Kim, These Arms Are Snakes, Foals, Portugal. the Man, and more. In 2009, they were listed as the new band in Illinois as part of The Boston Phoenix’s 50 Bands, 50 States supplement. Finally, they have an impressive discography, including one, yet-to-be-titled forthcoming effort that was recorded Jason Cupp (Finch, Nurses). (We already know it will be good.)

Check Out: “Pigeon”

The Depreciation Guild – There’s always room for dream pop, right? Another one of music’s new “it” bands, this Brooklyn outfit has essentially captivated the music blogosphere since the September re-release of In Her Gentle Jaws and subsequent U.S. tour with the Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Cymbals Eat Guitars.

The Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt – There’s really nothing not to like about this New York band. On May 5th, the outfit will release the amazingly titled Love You. I Love You. I Love You and I’m in Love with You. Have an Awesome Day! Have the Best Day of Your Life!, on Luaka Bop, the label started by David Byrne of Talking Heads fame. And the best part is that they’ll be giving it their all in support of the release. Per the band’s Neil Fridd: “[I] wanted to make a band that was a band that people went to concerts of not just because they had good songs or Pitchfork liked them, but because they knew that they would have a fucking blast at their show.” Sounds like this will be really good.

Dignan – Texas’ own will kick off the party with some quality indie that cites influences of “Broken Social Scene and Arcade Fire, to grandparents who specialize in lounge music, to their hometown of McAllen with a 95% Hispanic population.” Having recently spent time in the studio, we’re guessing Dignan will return with a fury.

Check Out: “God Save Us All”

Oh yeah, and then there’s that Discovery thing Ra Ra Riot’s Wes Miles got going on…

Ra Ra Riot 2009 Tour Dates:
07/08 – Interlochen, MI @ Interlochen Center For The Arts
07/10 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre &
07/11 – Berkley, CA @ Greek Theatre #&
07/12 – Reno, NV @ Grand Sierra #&
07/13 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre #&
07/14 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre #&
07/16 – Vancouver, BC @ Pacific Coliseum #@
07/17 – Troutdale, OR @ Edgefield Ampitheatre #@
07/18 – Redmond, WA @ Marymoor Ampitheatre #@
07/19 – Redmond, WA @ Marymoor Ampitheatre #@
07/26 – Tulsa, OK @ DFest
07/31 – Jersey City, NJ @ All Points West
08/09 – Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza
08/29 – San Diego, CA @ Street Scene
09/10 – Ithaca, NY @ Castaways *^
09/11 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Place *^
09/12 – Pittsburgh, PA @ WYEP’s Rock The Block
09/13 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop *^
09/14 – Columbus, OH @ The Basement *^
09/17 – Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater
09/18 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon *^
09/19 – Champaign-Urbana, IL @ Pygmalion Festival
09/20 – St. Louis, MO @ Firebird *^
09/21 – Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck *^
09/23 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater *^
09/24 – Austin, TX  Emo’s *^
09/25 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live *^
09/26 – Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon *^
09/27 – Birmingham, AL @ Bottle Tree *^
09/29 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade *^
09/30 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle *^
10/01 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club *^
10/02 – Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero *^

# = w/ Death Cab for Cutie
& = w/ Andrew Bird
@ = w/ The New Pornographers
* = w/ Map & Atlases
^ = w/ Princeton

-Michael Roffman, Editor-in-Chief

The calling card instrumental of the definitive tastemaker of 80′s hard rock guitar, “Eruption” is a minute-and-a-half of Eddie Van Halen doing his worst to abuse the guitar with mostly unprecedented technique. And on thousands of copies of Van Halen I, there’s a little nick in the vinyl right at 1:03 into “Eruption”. It’s a good solo–it’s got a good sense of build, and Van Halen keeps pulling new tricks out of his bag about every thirty seconds–but back to that nick. Scarred by hundreds of repeated needle-drops, 1:03 marks the spot where Eddie just gets too fast, making millions of bedroom-bound teens go “WTF?!”

The technique responsible is called “tapping”–and depending on who you asked, it was either the scourge of the Eighties or the greatest thing since sliced bread. By shifting his grip on his guitar pick, Van Halen freed up his right-hand index finger to sound notes by slamming against the fretboard, resulting in silky-smooth, otherwise impossible to reach arpeggios. By 1984, the floodgates unceremoniously kicked open by the band’s heavy-rotation video for “Jump”, just about every rock guitarist worth his salt (or not) had worked tapped arpeggios into his repertoire–often ill-advisedly. It didn’t take a genius to see “Eruption” as the cornerstone of tapping’s Spandex Age; but thirty years later, a far-flung selection of buzzworthy artists’ careers would hinge on the technique, from right-brained mathcore bands to girl-powered acoustic indie rock.

But let’s rewind several hundred years for a moment. Although credited by many as the “inventor” of the two-hands-on-the-fretboard technique, even Van Halen’s swollen ego wouldn’t allow him to take top honors, claiming to be inspired by Jimmy Page’s solo on “Heartbreaker” from Led Zeppelin II (which did not feature tapping). However, a variant of the tapping technique had been used as far back as the early 19th century by Italian violin virtuoso/composer Nicolo Paganini, who worked a stunning psuedo-tapping pizzicato technique into his 24th Caprice, a technical watershed that’s pretty much the “Eruption” of the classical violin world. In the 1950′s, jazz guitarist Jimmie Webster published a book called The Touch System for Electric and Amplified Spanish Guitar. The book didn’t exactly fly off shelves–but the technique, which was Webster’s attempt to play piano music on guitar, didn’t go unnoticed.

Along with 60′s jazz greats like Barney Kessel, one player who picked up on Webster’s technique (whether under his instruction or not) was Genesis’s Steve Hackett (side right). His two-handed solos on classic tracks like “Dancing with the Moonlit Knight” and ”Firth of Fifth” predate Van Halen’s work by nearly a decade, and lack for nothing in terms of complexity and speed. However, Hackett’s solos had a tendency to get lost in side-long mega epics, like the jaw-dropping guitar/organ tandem tap solo on “Supper’s Ready” which lives a mayfly’s life about a third of the way into the twenty-minute prog marathon.

And while thousands of tapping solos, from the awful to the sublime, glutted 80′s radio waves, the early-90′s alternative underground waited sulking in the wings. Strangely enough, in 1992, the year when Nirvana’s Nevermind made hair-metal irrelevant, that tapping went from being a center-stage showstopper to a deepest underground cult phenomenon. Chiefly responsible for tapping’s secret life, Don Caballero’s Ian Williams (now of Battles fame) crafted huge walls of sound using both hands and a loop pedal–a technique as ubiquitous and played-out amongst indie-folksters and post-rockers as Van Halen’s tapping was in the white-sneakers-and-Aqua-Net set, as evidenced by the steady spread of tapping techniques throughout the math-rock elite.

Radiating from Don Cab’s home in Chicago to Milwaukee’s jazzy Pele, eventually reaching Seattle-based quintet Minus the Bear by the early 00′s, the technique eventually became so widespread in the insular circles of math-rock that bands like Hella and, to an even greater extent, Chicago’s own Maps & Atlases, made tapping the foundation of their songwriting. But where infinite sustain and ear-splitting distortion had been the hallmarks of 80′s metal’s take on tapping, these below-the-radar pioneers relied on a clean, compressed sound, usually swathed in rhythmic echoes, a la U2′s The Edge–a fitting move, considering the technique’s sordid history.

Perhaps “Eruption”‘s most interesting reflection is in the wave of female guitar players staking their claim to tapping mastery. In a sort of “reclaiming” of the macho spitting-contest attitude towards technique in the 80′s, indie shredders like the mostly-instrumental Kaki King and Pitchfork favorite Marnie Stern have been tapping their hearts out since the early 00′s, putting most of the boys to shame in the process. And these aren’t your Jennifer Battens, with the imitative Spandex tomboy mega-hairdos and Marshall stacks–no, it’s a whole new ball game. No balls involved, in fact–just finger-twisting riffs, guttural slap bass attack, and scintillating tapped arpeggios. In a slice of irony worthy of Voltaire, the very same “Pretty Women” who Van Halen famously objectified in the 1982 banned-by-MTV video for a Roy Orbison cover are giving Van Halen a taste of his own tapping medicine twenty years later. Better late than never.

Tapping’s cyclical history will doubtless continue–its more headbanging incarnations are beginning to crawl out from the shadows again. Mostly under the aegis of sped-up metal shamsters Dragonforce, 14-year-olds and World of Warcraft players everywhere are getting a second helping of recycled tap-wankery. It’s doubtful that any instance of the technique will be as universally influential as ”Eruption”–which even reached people who hated (and maybe even some who had never heard) Van Halen. But it will doubtless survive, just as it has, surreptitiously morphing between cock-rocking caprices, bebop slight-of-hand, progressive bombast, and superhip feminist jams. And just like the 24th Caprice and “Eruption”, some new song will come along and redefine the technique for the next hundred years–as long as stringed instruments are still played (call me in 2109), someone will be tapping. And some douche in the front row is going to thrust up his wiggling fingers in adulation and spill your beer. Or whatever they drink at shows in the 22nd century.

Check Out: