The beast of hype is a nasty one. It takes wholesome innocents like Sharon Van Etten and aligns them with a world of unfair, ill-informed assumptions, too-cool-for-school bio photos, and overwrought press releases. Prepared or not, this past week, Sharon Van Etten was well acquainted with the publicity machine. But Saturday night’s sold out show at the Black Cat was a strong reminder that this young songwriter can never be stripped of her charm, passion, or eagerness, not even by such a vicious beast as hype. For better or worse, it also showed she ain’t perfect.

The evening began with a rousing set from Austin, TX quintet Shearwater. Once an Okkervil River side-project featuring Okkervil River’s Will Sheff and Jonathan Meiburg, the band has since evolved into a showcase for Meiburg’s Scott Walker-indebted, brooding baroque-rock, with Sheff and Meiburg parting ways to focus on their respective outfits.

In support of their tremendous forthcoming LP, Animal Joy–a rollicking ode to primal instinct– the band glided through a set of mostly new material. The new tunes are notably jauntier than the gloomy, post-rock we’ve come to know from them, the band opting for more straightforward pop song structures, upbeat rhythms, and less of this. As a fan mostly familiar with (and excited by) their doom and gloom material, the set felt a little less vital than I may have hoped for, with the chaos much more contained than usual. But nonetheless, Meiburg’s impassioned, operatic howl was morosely intact as was the rest of the group’s precise musicianship.

Shortly thereafter, the ever-adorable Van Etten (I don’t mean to patronize, but there’s just no other way to describe her) and her three-piece backing band emerged. But, unfortunately, SVE and co. didn’t immediately amaze. The group began with “Warsaw”, the first cut off of the less-than-a-week-old Tramp. But something was off. Van Etten’s overdriven strums seemed slightly out of time with the rhythm section. You could see the bewilderment on her face. Maybe it was the early tour date jitters, or she simply was off her game, but it wasn’t a captivating way to open things up. Luckily, it was the only blatant misstep of the night.

From there on out, it was smooth sailing.  Van Etten quickly won the crowd back over with the opening chords to “Serpents”. It wasn’t as ferocious as she showed it could be on Jimmy Fallon the other week, but then again, Aaron Dessner wasn’t on the Black Cat’s stage, either. Can’t really get better than that.

Focusing mostly on new material, SVE’s syrupy pipes filled the room just like you’d expect them to. Her impeccable, folk-spun melodies were executed with precision and passion. The thing that’s so incredible about Van Etten, is how she’s able to meld harsh and gentle together so seamlessly. At its core, her music is angry, but a gentle approach to that anger yields undeniably gorgeous results. Her lyrics are bitterly heartbreaking, her strums occasionally crass, her energy genuinely raw and powerful. But there’s a sort of delicate beauty to it all.

A song like the distortion-filled “All I Can”–which was played to complete and utter perfection–is a great example. It’s dark, brooding, painful, even desperate, but, like the greatest of songs, it begs you to live in it without immediately scaring you off like typically angry music does. Saturday night, its swirling tones and soft strums grew into an energy you never would have foreseen at the song’s soft-spoken start.

Most importantly though, the set was filled with all of the heartwarming cute-isms of any other SVE show: She talked to the front row on a personal level in between nearly every song. She made sure to comment on absurd goings-ons, like an obnoxious, crazy woman dancing like she was at a rave instead of a folk-rock show (“Isn’t that why you all came tonight? That was amazing!”) and call out a photographer who broke a pint glass right at my feet without even apologizing  (“I think you just broke a glass, dude. Is there blood on the floor?”). She shared an old song and B-side as if we were her close friends (“Life of His Own”). She openly drank Jägermeister from a metallic flask, smiled at the grateful crowd, and made us feel welcome in her presence.

And though it may not have been the best SVE show I’ve ever seen, lacking some of the others’ haunting, entrancing qualities, she did prove that, against a ton of odds, she’ll never sacrifice her eccentric charisma to the machine of hype. In adorably bad-ass fashion, she’ll gently rage against it.

Set List:
Warsaw
Serpents
Give Out
Peace Signs
Kevin’s
Ask
Life of His Own
Magic Chords
Leonard
In Line
All I Can
I’m Wrong
Encore:
Love More

New York by way of Australia genre benders Young Magic unleash their debut LP, Melt, on February 14th via Carpark Records. You can stream all 11 of the album’s tracks below (via The Hype Machine).

Other albums available for an early spin:

– Bahamas‘ new self-titled LP is out tomorrow (Feb. 7th) via Brushfire Records. Stream it now at Totally Fuzzy Blog.

– Shearwater returns with its 7th LP, Animal Joy, on February 14th via Sub Pop. Stream it now at NPR.org.

The 11th annual Sasquatch! Music Festival runs May 25-28th at the Gorge Ampitheatre in George, Washington. Topping this year’s lineup are Jack White, Beck, and Bon Iver, with Pretty Lights, Tenacious D, The Shins, Girl Talk, St. Vincent, Feist, and Silversun Pickups, among the other heavyweights.

Also playing are Spiritualized, Childish Gambino, Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai, M. Ward, tUnE-yArDs, Wild Flag, Mark Lanegan Band, Shabazz Palaces, The Walkmen, The Head and the Heart, Metric, The Joy Formidable, Little Dragon, SBTRKT, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Alabama Shakes, Kurt Vile, Zola Jesus, The War on Drugs, araabMUZIK, and Ted Leo and the Pharmacists.

The bill also boasts Nero, Wolfgang Gartner, Deer Tick, Cass McCombs, Shearwater, The Helio Sequence, Gary Clark Jr., Apparat, THEESatisfaction, Dum Dum Girls, The Cave Singers, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Purity Ring, Active Child, Com Truise, Starfucker, Cloud Cult, Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires, Grouplove, I Break Horses, Trampled By Turtles, Said The Whale, Hey Rosetta!, Gardens & Villa, and Craft Spells.

This year also marks the return of a comedy lineup with a live performance of Portlandia, in addition to Nick Kroll, John Mulaney, Todd Barry, Beardyman, Rob Delaney, Pete Holmes, and Howard Kremer.

Check out the complete lineup at Festival Outlook.

Festival passes go on sale February 11th at 10:00 AM PT via the festival’s website.

In these parts, South by Southwest is primarily known as a five-day, alcohol-fueled music festival, where thousands of artists take to music venues, pizza shops, and even – uh – restrooms for a shot at music blog stardom. In fact, it was the best music festival of ‘em all last year. But South by Southwest is also a showcase for new films and documentaries, many of which focus on music-related topics. Today, the 2012 film schedule was revealed and Girl Talk, Big Star, Paul Simon, and Bad Brains are all featured subjects. These films and more, with their accompanying descriptions, via SXSW.com:

– Girl Walk // All Day: A feature-length dance music film that combines freestyle dance with the daily chaos of New York City, set to Girl Talk’s recent mashup album, All.

– Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me: A feature-length documentary about the massive critical acclaim, dismal commercial failure, and enduring legacy of pop music’s greatest cult phenomenon, Big Star. (Work in Progress)

– Under African Skies: Paul Simon returns to South Africa to explore the incredible journey of his historic Graceland album, including the political backlash he received for allegedly breaking the UN cultural boycott of South Africa designed to end the Apartheid regime.

– Bad Brains: Band in DC: How four young men from DC changed music forever. (World Premiere)

– The Comedy: Indifferent even to the prospects of inheriting his father’s estate, Swanson (Tim Heidecker), a desensitized, aging Brooklyn hipster, strays into a series of reckless situations that may offer the promise of redemption or the threat of retribution. Also starring Eric Wareheim and LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy

– Uprising: Hip Hop & The LA Riots: 20 years after riots ripped through Los Angeles, Uprising documents how hip hop forecasted – and some say ignited – the worst civil unrest of the 20th century. (World Premiere)

– An Evening With Sacred Bones Records: Brooklyn-based record label Sacred Bones presents an evening of original and curated programming of music videos, short films, works in progress, and a rare screening of their first film production, Twelve Dark Noons. (World Premiere)

– Charles Bradley: Soul of America:  The incredible late-in-life rise of 62-year-old aspiring soul singer Charles Bradley. (World Premiere)

– Rock ‘N’ Roll Exposed: The Photography of Bob Gruen: Iggy Pop, Debbie Harry, Yoko Ono, Alice Cooper, Billie Joe Armstrong and others discuss the incredible life and work of the world’s foremost rock ‘n’ roll photographer, Bob Gruen. (North American Premiere)

– Grandma Lo-fi: The Basement Tapes of Sigrídur Níelsdóttir: At the tender age of 70 she started making music – and then she couldn’t stop! A tribute to the Danish/Icelandic artist and late bloomer Sigrídur Níelsdóttir.

– Sunset Strip: The 100-year history of the loudest street on the planet, The Sunset Strip. (World Premiere)

As for the music portion, a number of new acts have been added (or re-added) to the schedule in recent days, including The Shins, Best Coast, Kasabian, Miike Snow, Neon Indian, OFF!, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Big Star’s Third, Sharon Van Etten, Deerhoof, Japandroids, Matthew Dear, Nneka, Rachel Yamagata, Shearwater, Murs, Tennis, Diamond Rugs, Cancer Bats, Caveman, Fake Problems, Fanfarlo, Gary Clark Jr., Doldrums, Machinedrum, Princeton, Cities Aviv, Eternal Summers, and James Husband. Check out a more complete list at Festival Outlook.

Badges are available via sxsw.com

Brooklyn singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten has extended her upcoming spring tour, with dates now running until late April. Along the way, Van Etten will split bills with The War on Drugs, Shearwater, and Carter Tanton. She’ll also make appearances at South by Southwest and Iowa’s Mission Creek Festival. Check out the full tour schedule below.

Van Etten’s third LP, Tramp, hit stores on February 7th via Jagjaguwar. Check out video of her recent TV debut on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon below, as well.

Sharon Van Etten 2012 Tour Dates:
02/10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s #
02/11 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat #
02/12 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle #
02/14 – Columbus, OH @ Wexner Center #
02/15 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Ladies Literary Club for Calvin College #
02/16 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall #
02/17 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall #
02/18 – Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center #
02/21 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace #
02/22 – Montreal, QC @ Il Motore #
02/23 – Boston, MA @ Paradise #
02/24 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg #
02/25 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom #
02/26 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom ^
03/14-15 – Austin, TX @ South by Southwest
03/20 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Avalon *
03/21 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent *
03/23 – Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater *
03/24 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret *
03/25 – Seattle, WA @ The Neptune
03/27 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The State Room *
03/28 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater *
03/30 – Iowa City, IA @ Mission Creek Festival
03/31 – St. Louis, MO @ Luminary Center for the Arts *
04/01 – Bloomington, IN @ Rhino’s *
04/19 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
04/20 – Charlottesville, VA @ Jefferson Theatre
04/21 – Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle
04/22 – Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree Cafe
04/24 – Knoxville, TN @ The Square Room
04/25 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
04/26 – Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
04/27 – Cincinnati, OH @ Mayday Northside
04/28 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Carnegie Lecture Hall

# = w/ Shearwater
^ = w/ Carter Tanton, Glass Ghost
* = w/ The War On Drugs

“Serpents” (Late Night with Jimmy Fallon):

Austin psych folk outfit Shearwater will release their new album, Animal Joy, on February 14th via Sub Pop. The band delves deeper into the rock and roll abyss with the album’s first single, “Breaking the Yearlings”. Beginning with a slow, rambling intro, the song quickly breaks into a giant crescent wave of whimsical keys, organ, jagged-sounding bass and guitar, and some heavy, impactful drumming. Some of the more folksy or country elements of the group’s sound have been removed, replaced with a concussive blast of darker, more straight-forward indie rock that’s still anything but simple. Check out the song and/or download your own copy using the widget below.

The band will be on tour with Sharon Van Etten early next year. Peep their full tour schedule below.

Shearwater 2012 Tour Dates:
02/10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s *
02/11 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat *
02/12 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle *
02/14 – Columbus, OH @ Wexner Center *
02/15 – Newport, KY @ Southgate House *
02/16 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall *
02/17 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall *
02/18 – Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center *
02/21 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace *
02/22 – Montreal, QC @ Il Motore *
02/23 – Boston, MA @ Paradise *
02/24 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg *
02/25 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom *
03/28 – Amsterdam, NL @ Bitterzoet
03/29 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique
03/30 – Brighton, UK @ Haunt
03/31 – Manchester, Uk @ Deaf Institute
04/01 – Glasgow, UK @ Stereo
04/03 – London, UK @ Scala
04/04 – Tourcoing, FR @ Le Grand Mix
04/05 – Paris, FR @ La Maroquinerie
04/06 – Düdingen, CH @ Bad Bonn
04/08 – Gallen, CH @ Palace
04/09 – Milano, IT @ Bloom
04/10 – Rome, IT @ Circolo Degli Artisti
04/11 – Ravenna, IT @ Bronson
04/12 – Lubijana, SI @ Menza pri koritu
04/16 – Dresden, DE @ GrooveStation
04/17 – Hamburg, DE @ Prinzenbar
04/18 – Berlin, DE @ Comet
04.19 – Istanbul, TR @ Babylon
04/21 – Athens, GR @ AN Club

* = w/ Sharon Van Etten

Austin’s own Shearwater will return early next with their seventh studio album. It’s titled Animal Joy, and it’ll be released on February 14th by the band’s new label, Sub Pop Records. Recorded with producer Danny Reisch in Bridgeport, CT throughout most of 2011, the album features mainstays Jonathan Meiburg (vocals, guitar, and piano), Kimberly Burke (upright and electric bass) and Thor Harris (drums) alongside guest performers Andy Stack (of Wye Oak) on guitar, keyboard, and saxophone, Scott Brackett on keyboards, Cully Symington on additional drums, Sam Lipman on clarinet, and Elaine Barber on harp.

As announced yesterday, Shearwater will spend much of February touring the U.S. with Sharon Van Etten. Check out the band’s upcoming itinerary below.

Shearwater 2012 Tour Dates:
02/10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s *
02/11 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat *
02/12 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle *
02/14 – Columbus, OH @ Wexner Center *
02/15 – Newport, KY @ Southgate House *
02/16 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall *
02/17 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall *
02/18 – Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center *
02/21 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace *
02/22 – Montreal, QC @ Il Motore *
02/23 – Boston, MA @ Paradise *
02/24 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg *
02/25 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom *

* = w/ Sharon Van Etten

Entitled Civilian, the album drops on March 8th thanks to Merge Records. Vocalist/guitarist Washer and multi-instrumentalist madman Stack laid down the record with mixing engineer John Congleton, who also happens to have worked with previous tour-mates Shearwater, as well as St. Vincent. The resulting songs are, in Wasner’s words, “as a whole, about aloneness (the positive kind), loneliness (the horrible kind), moving on, and letting go (of people, places, and things).”

Three days following the CD, LP, and digital release, Wye Oak will take to the road for 18 shows across North America. Fellow Baltimorians Lower Dens will accompany them through DC, NC, Atlanta, and Norman, OK. Brooklyn’s Callers will take over the duties for the rest of the trek, including stops in Vancouver, Salt Lake City, St. Paul, and a handful of California dates.

You can check out the tracklist for Civilian and complete tour information below. Before you get to that, though, you might want to click ‘play’ on the title track from the album. Go ahead, before all your friends see those blips, too.

Check Out:
“Civilian”

Civilian Tracklist:
01. Two Small Deaths
02. The Alter
03. Holy Holy
04. Dogs Eyes
05. Civilian
06. Fish
07. Plains
08. Hot as Day
09. We Were Wealth
10. Doubt

Wye Oak 2011 Tour Dates:
01/19 – London, UK @ Monto Water Rats &
01/24 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre *
01/25 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre *
01/26 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre *
01/28 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues *
01/29 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues *
01/30 – Albany, NY @ Valentine’s
01/31 – Montreal, QC @ Olympia De Montreal *
02/01 – Toronto, ON @ Sound Academy *
02/02 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre *
02/04 – Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre *
03/11 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat #
03/12 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 56 #
03/13 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl #
03/15 – Norman, OK @ THe Opolis #
03/21 – Tucson, AZ @ Solar Culture ^
03/22 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah ^
03/24 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo ^
03/25 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill ^
03/27 – Vancouver, BC @ Media Club ^
03/29 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studies ^
03/31 – Nampa, ID @ Flying M Coffee ^
04/01 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court ^
04/02 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge ^
04/03 – Omaha, NE @ Slowdown Jr ^
04/04 – Iowa City, IA @ The Mill ^
04/05 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club ^
04/06 – Appleton, WI @ Lawrence University ^
04/15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s

& = w/ Jenny and Johnny
* = The Decemberists
# = Lower Dens
^ = Callers

Yeah, that’s cheesy, but true nonetheless. See, though the landmark independent label had reached it’s 21 year anniversary, the majority of fans in attendance were probably 21 when Matador Records started. Some, like me, drove from nearby cities of Los Angeles or Phoenix or Salt Lake City. But most seemed to have travelled much further, whether that be from the East Coast or from overseas. The price and difficulty of acquiring tickets weeded out much of the younger crowd, and though there were some people in their 20s <cough>, we were the minority.

What did that mean for the event? It meant that the crowd was excited but tame, knowledgeable but not competitive and drunk but not belligerent. There were no ambulances pulling passed out girls from the pit, no hydrating stations, and no smell of marijuana in the air. This last note was surely due to the fact that everyone could easily go to a hotel room to take care of their mind altering. Yes, only in Las Vegas could the marrying of venue with accommodations and a sprinkle of luxury and seediness have happened.

The most notably absent festival trademark was hippies. I didn’t see a single one! No, this was a festival made by and for Matadorks (not my term, a nice redhead said I could borrow it, though), and as every MC was made painfully aware, they only wanted to hear music and as much of it as possible.

Friday, October 1st

Guitar Wolf

Night one of the festival started late because of a flight delay, but I didn’t know this at the time. All I knew was the the Matador blog had made it clear the set-times were going to be strictly followed, so when I arrived at the Pearl minutes before the 7:30 p.m. scheduled start time, I was surprised to see the band hadn’t hit the stage yet. Of course, my big fear was that Pavement was going to be forced to reduce their set, a fear some fans took out on M.C. Jeff Jenson nearly every time he tried one of his between-band “comedy” routines (jokes from the M.C.’s over the course of the weekend focused on cocaine, Mark Ibold, and Bob Nastanovich being funnier than actual comedians).

But alas, Guitar Wolf did take the stage and the loudest band in Japan played a fun, but short set. I don’t listen to much Japanese punk, and their set wasn’t enough to make me reconsider this stance, but Guitar Wolf’s set played like an opener – it was short, got you fired up for the acts to come, and was mostly unremarkable. As far as the volume the band is known for, they didn’t seem too powerful up in the front, but I would discover over the course of the weekend that the Pearl has an amazing sound system, if you are in the right spots. In the front, the P.A. is designed to play past you, so most of what you are hearing is the stage volume, which meant the vocals seemed too low for most bands. Standing on the sides meant you would lose some part of the music depending on how the speakers were configured. But in the seats, the sound was of high quality and volume and I never had any complaints when I was back there.

Chavez

I’d always heard great things about Chavez, given them a listen multiple times, but never had them click with me. So I was surprised to witness them give the performance of the night. Their sound could be compared to Dinosaur Jr. in both the impressive guitar work and un-poilished vocal technique of Matt Sweeney. Sweeney has had the most distinguished career since Chavez last recorded in the mid-nineties, but guitarist Clay Tarver was the star on Friday night. While appearing as aging men onstage, Tarver managed to make the band young again with crisp solos and a revived passion that saw him raising his guitar over his head at numerous points, like a hockey player would hold the Stanley Cup. Sure they looked like your dad getting the old band back together in the garage, but Chavez proved that age really is just a number and 15-year-old songs can still sound fresh if you mean them.

Setlist: Top Pocket Man, Break Up Your Band. New Room, Unreal Is Here, Peeled Out Too Soon, The Ghost By The Sea, Pentagram Ring, You Must Be Stopped, You Faded, Flight 96

Fucked Up

Because I planned on seeing Fucked Up again later in the night, I took this set to eat some dinner and caught only the last bit. On record, Fucked Up are too screamy/hardcore for me, but I admit it’s quite the spectacle in concert. Pink Eye is a born-frontman, making connections with the crowd and getting every person in the venue to be invested in the set. He brought out his young son and gave the set a different spin, taking the aggression and putting a rounder tint on it. I would’ve skipped dinner if I knew that the later show was going to be all covers, but Fucked Up aren’t going anywhere and I will make it a point to catch their next local set.

Sonic Youth

Another weekend highlight, and about a billion times better than previous shows I had seen from them, which seemed to always be at the wrong time (as an opener for Pearl Jam, the day after they had their equipment stolen in Irvine). Though they have had Mark Ibold playing bass for them recently, Sonic Youth knew this was a party and played the show in their classic formation. Likewise, they played some absolute killer cuts and provided what might be the best single song of the festival, closer “Death Valley ’69″, which was spooky and inciting, giving Sonic Youth the fist-pumper that I always thought “Teen Age Riot” stood alone as in their catalog. Set openers “Tom Violence” and “Schizophrenia” were also tremendous, reminding us of just how good this band has always been. In fact, I might be alone in this opinion, but I think the set did lack by neglecting newer material, as it would have really tied together the set as a complete retrospective. After-all, they are Matador newcomers, and while it was truly a masterful performance, it did seem strange to fail to acknowledge The Eternal.

Setlist: Tom Violence, Schizophrenia, Bull in the Heather, Stereo Sanctity, Mote, The Sprawl, Cross the Breeze, (I Got a) Catholic Block, Shadow of a Doubt, Death Valley ’69

(Writer’s Note: As this is finished, I heard Steve Albini’s comments on Sonic Youth. So I take back everything I said. They suck and their set sucked and I’m way too indie to ever like them. Except when I produce records for major labels. Then, it’s just a paycheck, ya know? It doesn’t matter who signs it…Unless you are Sonic Youth.)

Pavement

Now, you will hear that Pavement were bad at this festival, that the two singers were obviously sick of each other, and that it was a poor end to an otherwise successful tour. I did not get any of that from their set. For one, they are Pavement. I don’t know if you expected them to totally change their demeanor because it was a special occasion, but it seemed like Pavement was almost more Pavement-y because of it. And secondly, I think I’ve heard this kind of report from just about every Pavement show on the reunion, like people are looking for a reason to think that they hate one another. Maybe I’m wrong, but I know they still have to visit South America. I guess that will tell us.

I lined up for Sonic Youth stage-right, because I knew that was where Malkmus had been positioning himself. Many other photographers had this same idea, but Malkmus came out and played “Grounded” with his back to us and facing the opposite side of the stage. After this song, they began changing something in the drums (Spiral Stairs also had some sound trouble, the beginning of a curse that seemed to take over that side of the stage, which some people attributed to Thurston Moore’s barrage of guitar noise) and Malkmus killed time by playing “Perfect Depth”, which was one of many rarer songs played this evening, including “AT&T” as an amazing closer that featured Malkmus leaving his voice on the stage with his reaching screeches.

Then Malkmus spun his microphone around, and began playfully posing throughout the rest of the set for the hungry crowd. As far a the reunion goes, it was a strange setlist (heavy on E.P. songs, Brighten The Corners) and offered less playfulness, but if there is ever a bright spotlight on Stephen Malkmus, I would hope that he would shy away from it. Maybe his band will always begrudge the man that right, but it is his right. Because without him, honestly, no one would care.

Setlist: Grounded, Perfect Depth, Stereo, Elevate Me Later, Shady Lane, Conduit for Sale, Starlings of The Slipstream, Box Elder, Unfair, Fin, Kennel District, Cut Your Hair, Two States, Gold Soundz, She Believes, Range Life, Stop Breathin’, Heckler Spray, Shoot The Singer, AT&T

Fucked Up Vs. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists

Though Chavez and Sonic Youth killed it, this after-party was the most fun I had all weekend. Now, I didn’t grow up listening to punk or hardcore, and in all honesty, I would never put Black Flag on for pure enjoyment. But I have a profound respect for the scene and what it meant, and both Fucked Up and Ted Leo and the Pharmacists may not be embraced by the punk scene, but they live its ideals everyday and preach its gospel to anyone that will listen. It was fitting these two would play a “versus” set, when really it was about unity and community, with both bands playing together when appropriate and genuinely enjoying themselves.

The setlists included tunes from other Matador artists (Leo covering Liz Phair, Fucked Up tackling a tribute to Jay Reatard, both with Mission of Burma’s “That’s When I Reach For My Revolver”) as well as a wide range of punk-rooted material (Superchunk’s Job Wurster providing guest-Danzig duties on the Misfits’ “We Bite”, both groups jamming out “Rise Above” together, Fucked Up providing a ferocious version of Nirvana’s “Breed”, and Leo using his own material as a stepping stone for guest appearances from Sally Crewe and Tom Sharpling with “Bottled In Cork”). The affair felt intimate, but more importantly it felt like a party, which was the whole point, right? It was nice to see two bands, who notably were in town for the entire weekend, not lose sight of that.

Harlem

And Harlem kept the party going. Though the audience was not particularly large (it had to be near 3 a.m.), Harlem asked the now noticeably drunk crowd to move in close. Harlem put everyone at ease by hoping that everyone was as drunk as they were. They didn’t play like it, though, as they put together the standout set from the young bands on the bill. They even came with their own trio of dancing drunk girls who played cute and spilled their beers.

But Harlem, a band I expected nothing from, were pretty damn good. Despite their difficult set-time, they seemed enthusiastic and their sloppy , 60′s-inspired garage rock was suited for a smaller gathering anyway. It felt like a Black Lips show where the band didn’t ry to fight you. It was enough to keep me in the building for their entire set, though not enough to make me stay for more Guitar Wolf.

I always claim to never get star-struck, but it might just be because I am a little shy. Either way, if I saw a musician on the street, 99 times out of 100 I wouldn’t stop him to chat or shake his hand (noted 1% exception occurred recently while walking by Jason Lytle, stopping to tell him that I was a big fan and then accidentally insulting him by stating that his performance that night was much better than the previous show of his that I had witnessed). And I didn’t really speak to much of anyone besides random concertgoers, who tended to be in the music industry in some way, instead preferring to watch fans live out their dreams. From Ted Leo taking the time to meet fans after his late-night set to Mitch Mitchell walking out and giving autographs before the Guided By Voices finale, the artists knew the dedication and cost that the attendees had absorbed to be there and besides showing their appreciation for their label, also showed appreciation for the reason the label exists: the fans. Ultimately, I was reminded of those fantasy baseball camps where you get a base-running lesson from Pete Rose and Mike Schmidt helps you refine your swing. But, instead, you got to hug a New Pornographer.

There were plenty of other reminders of the appreciation throughout the weekend. Saturday night’s after-party featured free Miller Light. Throughout the weekend, the top level record and merchandise stores offered signing sessions from the artists; everyone from Sonic Youth to members of Pavement. And there seemed to be no backstage corridors, as I rode elevators with both Fucked Up and Superchunk. Indeed there also seemed to be a lack of artist hospitality, unless they were given comps at the food court. Or maybe some artists were so grateful they wanted to eat with the fans, too. Doubtful.

Even the merchandise was made to impress, with each attendee receiving a free tote bag that held a program, a Matador pin, and a special 12-inch vinyl. I’ll let you guys hunt for what is on it, but it’s cool. Lastly, seven different artists created posters for the festival, each limited to only 200 prints. Most were sold-out by the end of the weekend and I’m keeping mine above my bed until I meet a woman who can convince me to get something more tasteful.

From the event being inside a hotel, to the in and out privileges, being off the strip and even the parking at the resort, everything gleamed with convenience. Any gripes that were heard on the first day had been silenced by the last. Yes, Matador at 21 succeeded big time at being a crowd-pleaser.

Saturday, October 2nd

Girls

I have seen Girls quite a few times and think their debut album is just fantastic. That being said, the conclusion of their hump-day kickoff set left a sour taste in my mouth. After beginning the show by admitting that they barely squeaked in to the main event and showing genuine gratitude for being able to participate, singer Christopher Owens ended the show by pleading with the other founding member, J.R. White to return to the stage.

The set began with a nice wakeup-call with “Laura” and then seemed to be content to lull the audience to sleep with a number of slow songs. Sure the crowd was sparce, but I was surprised to see the band so subdued. This, though, appeared to be a trick, as the band finished “Hellhole Ratrace” with its typical noise-jam and was about to kick into “Morning Light” and “Lust For Life”, basically signalling a complete change in the set and finishing with wow factor, like a boxer applying the knockout while the opponent was unsuspecting. And it would have worked, which is probably why White was so upset when his guitar began having technical problems (yes, in the same spot as Stairs). And though he grabbed a tambourine from the drum kit to finish-up “Morning Light”, his momentary making-due was indeed momentary, as he threw the tambourine to the ground at the conclusion of the number and stormed off stage. After his pleas were ignored, Owens led the band through the concluding number and left the crowd to draw their own conclusions about the state of the San Francisco group. Please note that alleged band fights at this point of the festival equalled the number of reunions.

Come

Okay, reunions went back ahead, and for good. Come, like Guitar Wolf, was a band I wasn’t really familiar with and their set didn’t really change that. It sounded like Chavez meets Hole and had a few rabid fans, particularly the coked-up dude next to me who kept yelling “Boston”. But the set seemed to please those who wanted to be pleased, and I think that was the point of the weekend. Making new fans would only be a bonus.

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion

Man, Jon Spencer must get a lot of ass. He does this cool dip and pop move that looks almost like the splits but isn’t, plus he has awesome sideburns and plays music professionally. The only thing that might deter the ladies is his seeming lack of a vocabulary outside the words “baby” and “blues explosion”. Sometimes he curses, too. But I have a feeling it doesn’t matter once they see the kneeling-dance-move-thingie. I’ve never much enjoyed The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion on record, but live they are a force to be reckoned with; hopefully this comeback lasts a little while.

Perfume Genius

Talk about shit luck. I have been pretty vocal about Perfume Genius. I adore their debut album. But scheduling the duo performing songs of a deeply personal nature involving sexual abuse, drugs, and suicide was not appropriate considering the party that Jon Spencer tried to incite minutes earlier. The funeral-like silence was broken only when “Mr. Peterson” tells of the eponymous teacher’s jump off a building, which one listener in the back must have not seen coming, because he yelled “Holy shit” like a football fan after a punishing, blindsided hit. Unsuspecting or drunk witnesses were forced to muffle laughter, to varying degrees of success. It was perfect for Cat Power, who didn’t have to change the mood on her own, but Perfume Genius’ primary entity Mike Hadreas acknowledged the morose sheet that had wrapped the room by introducing the final songs as “party jams.”

I was still able to appreciate the delicate beauty in the songs as well as notice the two lovers silently admiring each other and occasionally staring at the other when the other wasn’t looking. I even had to hold back sympathy tears when Hadreas lost composure on two occasions. When do you see someone perform art about themselves that can move the artist to tears, outside of a creative writing class? By the time they reach a real audience, most artists are taught to bury the personal stuff deep to avoid these kind of situations. I’m sure glad we get to see Hadreas learn this for himself, because certainly he will follow similar raw talents, like Conor Oberst, away from such personal pieces as his craft matures.

Cat Power

So, Cat Power was my dinner break, but I have to note that she seemed in a way better mood than at Outside Lands. I watched her open with her version of “Satisfaction” and second-guessed leaving for dinner as the singer smiled and gave off confidence that simply wasn’t present as she hid in the corner of the stage in San Francisco. I hear mixed things about the rest of her performance once the full band arrived.

Superchunk

Somehow, I misjudged timing at my hotel and missed the opening chunk of Superchunk. Heh, see what I did there? Plus, fellow Los Angeles music guy Andrew Youseff planted doubt in my head, noting that Cat Power hates being photographed and demands personal photo approval, thus causing me to stay for her set to start and get a few shots in. Anyways, I digress.

On Saturday the combination of too much rock and roll, elevation change and not enough sleep due to feverish writing and well, being in Las Vegas finally hit me like a ton of bricks. But the Superchunk that I did catch completely kicked ass.

The group has to be in their forties, but play like kids, jumping and yelping like teenagers trying to impress a pretty girl at a battle of the bands. But I think what really made the Superchunk set so memorable was the new songs, which hold their own against the back catalog. “Digging for Something” and “My Gap Feels Weird” could be on current alternative radio if they were made by twenty-year-olds, but note that Superchunk is not trying make the music of today’s youth. They are simply making the same style of music that they have been creating for a couple decades. It’s not their fault that pop-rock finally caught up with them…or maybe it is?

Setlist: Throwing Things, Skip Steps 1&3, My Gap Feels Weird, Digging For Something, Detroit Has a Skyline, Seed Toss, Mower, Learned To Surf, Cast Iron, Slack Motherfucker, Precision Auto

Spoon

I had just seen Spoon perform their most important Matador release, the Soft Effects E.P.,  in Los Angeles, so I figured I knew what was coming for this set. Well, I guess technically I did, but it wasn’t the part of the L.A. show that I expected. Though they did open with “Mountain To Sound”, the set then went pretty much like the main Palladium set. Maybe time constraints came into play?

But it was a perfectly fine set that would have been more enjoyable if I had not just seen it two days prior. And if I wasn’t about ready to pass out. But they did give one surprise in their lovely tribute to Jay Reatard, a Matador artist who died earlier this year (and opened for the band this past New Year’s in Milwaukee). Their version of “No Time”, the single released in 2008 for the label, was low-key but apt and ultimately affecting, showing an appreciation not for Matador the label, but for the artists who make it a truly special entity. A shame that not everyone was there to celebrate.

Belle & Sebastian

I was dead tired and seriously contemplated bailing on Belle & Sebastian. Yes, I know they are one of my all-time favorite bands, but that should give you an idea how tired I was. But I am glad I stayed, as the opening sounds of “I Didn’t See It Coming” brought me back to life and soon I was circling the theater looking for camera angles once again.

The Scottish group has produced some of the finest work Matador has to offer, and of all the headliners, they are the most well rounded and most professional. They are also the only ones still recording new material, which affected the set strangely. I noted when recently reviewing their new album that Write About Love seemed like a continuation of Dear Catastrophe Waitress, ignoring their last album’s shifts. And the live show reinforces that, which included four tunes from Waitress while offering only one tune from The Life Pursuit and most other old albums. So with more than half the set devoted to some of my least favorite material and the rest featuring the songs you’d expect them to play, the set was not up to par with the performances they were pulling out in 2006.

But I won’t whine. The set was fun above all and Stuart Murdoch is one of the most engaging and comforting frontmen in business. He took some lucky fans on stage and made them dancers for two numbers, then gave them all gold medals for their trouble. He also threw footballs into the crowd, hitting the top balcony, and proving his worth as an athlete. The crowd was pleased and I left feeling better, but in no way up for the afterparty. My apologies to Esben and The Wolf, Cold Cave, and Dead Meadow.

Setlist: I Didn’t See It Coming, I’m A Cuckoo, Step Into My Office, Baby, The State I Am In, I’m Not Living In The Real World, Piazza, New York Catcher, Write About Love, Sukie In The Graveyard, There’s Too Much Love, The Boy With The Arab Strap, If You Find Yourself Caught In Love, Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying, Sleep The Clock Around,(break), Me and the Major

If I ended up leaving Matador at 21 no longer on the Guided By Voices fence, firmly planted on the side of support for indie music’s butt-rockers, Sunday would have been the clear-cut standout of the festival. Even with not being into the GBV set, Sunday only narrowly loses to Friday, if only because Friday had higher highs and less-low lows, while Sunday was a more consistent show. That, and the Leo V. Fucked Up was seriously a bizarre, once in a lifetime spectacle that made me not only like the artists involved more, but actually appreciate music more in general, if that were even possible.

And while I was going to reserve this space to talk about all the issues I had with the festival, aside from technical issues that occur at any fest, there were few to no problems. The M.C. on Friday sucked, and actually, next time go with no M.C.s, period. It just makes the fans impatient and costs you money. Dim the lights and have the band walk-on like everywhere else.

But even as I wrap up this article, the lack of controversy and the general reliability of the music veterans involved left little to write about. While so much of the event was good, very few sets left me thinking “I want to tell someone about that.” Not to play spoiler, but Yo La Tengo had a set I wanted to talk about, as did Leo in both his roles. Sonic Youth, Pavement, Harlem, and Chavez had interesting sets, but not quite as shareable. Perfume Genius and Girls had different struggles, but they fascinated me nonetheless. Otherwise, everything was pretty good, but not meaty material, as you will see most writers for this event use lists or gimmicks to avoid duller moments and focus on the 10 or so happenings that left a lasting impression.

That is not to say I didn’t fucking love it. I was thankful for every minute, except maybe the Spoon-sleepys that hit hard. And I’d go again in a second. But maybe last summer’s seemingly-endless parade of weekend outdoor festivals toughened me up and made Matador seem too safe and easy… No that’s not it. I think it was more humbling to be in the presence of so much talent and dedication and inspiring commitment to stay true to both your ideals and your business partners, that to criticize seemed to miss the point and to shower with hyperbole would be disrespectful.

Besides Interpol, who had scheduled overseas dates at the time, the label got most of their core to come out, as well as former members like Spoon and Superchunk. And even if it was just an obligatory appearance, no one made The New Pornographers show up two days early or newbie Ted Leo play every set that would have him. No one made Matt Sweeney stick around to jam with Guided By Voices or Pink Eye check out Kurt Vile on Sunday afternoon. No, these artists seemed like family. Sure, some of the members hate each other, but they still all show up to Thanksgiving. And this Thanksgiving, a couple thousand of us got in on the feast, too.

Sunday, October 3rd

Kurt Vile

After a solid night of rest, I made it to the matinee for Kurt Vile‘s surprisingly sharp set. First of all, I had previously seen Vile as a solo act and thought that was it, so I was prepared for a sleepy acoustic affair. But when the foursome of people, who may or may not actually have faces, performed, they gave credence to all the positive attention artists and critics bestow on Vile. I didn’t know any of the songs, can’t say that I am dying to listen to more of his music, but I wasn’t bored or pissed, which says a lot on day three of a festival.

Times New Viking

Now, people get down on Times New Viking for being noisy and abrasive on record, but this was the reason I made my way to the matinee. And though they do replicate the lo-fi distortion in the guitar tones and mic levels, the chief problem I have with this band is not the noise, but the volume. I hate how I can’t get their albums loud enough and if I even dared put one of their cuts on a mix, all hell would break loose in my car. This is not a problem with their live set, allowing the listeners to finally notice their songs are pretty great pop songs in the center. Pop songs with hissing and static and occasional feedback and fuzz. You know, the best kind.

Shearwater

If Girls had it rough with their turnout as first-band-on-stage on Saturday, Shearwater might as well have not even shown up, playing to maybe 100 people at the start. But that didn’t stop Jonathan Meiburg and his cohorts from putting their all into their set, which seemed like an abridged version of their show I had previously seen at Spaceland. The big difference was that they focused on their louder and more upbeat tracks, and unlike Girls, they didn’t wait until the battle was nearly lost to win over the crowd. “Black Eyes” is a confident opener, “Castaways” sounded great, and the one-two punch of “Rooks” and “Century Eyes” are enough to win over most skeptics. A solid set that too many people missed.

Setlist: Black Eyes, Landscape at Speed, Castaways, Corridors, Hidden Lakes, Home Life, Rooks, Century Eyes, Seventy-Four, Seventy-Five, Uniforms

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists

Ted Leo was the MVP of the weekend. Though he only joined Matador recently, the man made his presence felt with the classic versus performance, a later jam with Liz Phair, an apparent killer karaoke jam, and one of the weekend’s best sets. I don’t know if it was a standard set for Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, but from the opener of his most-beloved song, “Where Have All The Rudeboys Gone” to another duet with Sally Crewe for the extended ending of ‘Bottled in Cork”, Leo had the crowd feeling his enthusiasm for music. And that is maybe what the weekend was for him, not just a celebration of Matador, but a celebration of the little guy actually lasting, of achieving hard earned success and of doing things the right way rather than the easy way.

For the conclusion of his set, which featured an emphasis on Matador released The Brutalist Bricks, A.C. Newman joined Leo for a rendition of Nick Lowe’s “I Love My Label”, which saw Leo sitting on a monitor to really reach the crowd. He told a story that could have been taped as a commercial for the weekend, as it succinctly provided an explanation for why we were all there. I’d ruin it if I tried to recount it, but it involved Matt Sweeney and his introduction to Matador and how he had been on quite a number of labels and that Matador, like other indies, love music and love artists and provide an atmosphere for them to create. He then bolted into the crowd while Newman kept the song going from the stage, letting the crowd in on the lovefest.

And he has a point. But the point he didn’t make is that if you look at the Matador roster, while its list of up and comers are remarkable, like non-attendees Delorean and Magic Kids, in addition to the list of bands that have stayed with them for decades, like Belle & Sebastian and The New Pornographers, what’s really most impressive, is how the label can sign vets who could be on any label they want (and have seen many different labels throughout their career) but still choose Matador. Sonic Youth and Ted Leo & The Pharmacists prove that Matador does something that musicians respond to. We’d probably have to work for them to really understand it, but magic happens when Matador is involved, that’s for sure.

Setlist: Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?, Even Heroes Have to Die, The Stick, Me and Mia, Bottled in Cork, Woke Up Near Chelsea, The Ballad of the Sin Eater, I Love My Label (Nick Lowe cover)

The New Pornographers

I saw the Canadian power-pop supergroup over the summer in Los Angeles, but was there to interview Meric Long of The Dodos and didn’t get to write about The New Pornographers, one of my long-time favorites. I was disappointed in their enthusiasm and sound at the earlier date, but the Sunday set seemed anything but phoned-in. Like the Shearwater story, A.C. Newman’s story about “Challengers” being about meeting his wife was something that I had heard before, but what I didn’t know was that she was a Matador employee, but not for long as he joked, “No wife of mine will work for Matador Records”. Certain crowd members were shocked to see Dan Bejar join the group, seemingly high as hell, and deliver his barroom renditions of “Myriad Harbor” and “Testament To Youth In Verse” (introduced by Neko Case after a profession of love to Matador as “a song about Dan’s hatred”).

There were technical problems, with Case being too low in volume early on and Calder having the same issue when her moment to shine arrived during “Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk”, but the setlist was more than satisfying, including “Letter To An Occupant” and surprising opener, “The Slow Descent Into Alcoholism”. But most importantly, the band looked like they were having fun (they were also one of the groups that could be seen taking part in the entire weekend). If the New Pornos are anything, they are jovial jokesters onstage and it was nice to see that playfullness and joy still visible, and that the L.A. show was hopefully a fluke.

Setlist: The Slow Descent Into Alcoholism, Myriad Harbour, Crash Years, Sing Me Spanish Techno, Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk, Silver Jenny Dollar, Use It, Challengers, Testament to Youth in Verse, Moves, Letter From an Occupant, The Bleeding Heart Show

Yo La Tengo

I hadn’t really seen Yo La Tengo before. Well I had, but it was the last part of an opening slot for Bright Eyes and though I thought I’d catch most of their set, it turned out to be just one really long song (“The Story of Yo La Tengo”). So after opening with my favorite YLT jam, “Here To Fall”, guess what song began? Yep, “The Story of Yo La Tengo”. But, I can’t complain, because Ira Kaplan went ballistic during this jam and absolutely killed it. Kaplan is an under the radar guitar hero that will hopefully receive his due from the next generation of musicians who need not look farther for an inspiration and influence.

The rest of their set was a little more light-hearted, as they performed a cover of “Nuclear War” with changed lyrics, so as to include the employees of the record label. “You Can Have It All” was fully choreographed and fully ridiculous, but “Nothing To Hide” saw perhaps the strongest side of the trio: genuine rock band. The recent tune, with its mantra of “harder not faster” could some up the work ethic of the label; not looking for a quick check but hoping the hard work pays off. While it may not get you into arenas, it gets a couple thousand enthusiasts to fork over their savings for a recapturing of the last 21 years.

Setlist: Our Way to Fall, The Story of Yo La Tango, Nuclear War (Sung As Matador Tribute), Autumn Sweater, Mr. Tough, You Can Have It All, Shaker, Nothing to Hide, Sugarcube, Blue Line Swinger

Guided By Voices

Lots of people loved this set, and I’ll give it that it was enthusiastic, but it also felt a little over-bloated, a little dinosaurish, and mildly self-absorbed. Maybe it was the crowd, with the arena rock atmosphere and “G-B-V” chants that got me to question, or the fact that I still have no desire to revisit some of these classic albums after watching the set (unlike Superchunk or Yo La Tengo), but I didn’t really get the whole event. Guided By Voices seemed like old men trying to relive the past, where Chavez or even the less-than-sharp Pavement were able to find their youth on the same stage.

But I can’t really hold Guided By Voices responsible for me being unable to relate to them. The band is a year younger than I am, and many of the touchstones (Robert Pollards leg kicks, Mitch Mitchell’s non-stop theatrics) are long out of date, but I don’t think I am the target audience. Point being: the matadorks ate it up. The sign above the band read the “club is open” and the band turned the still-polished Pearl into any bar in America. Fans seem to think the setlist was amazing, for me the weekend was already over and I patiently waited for the men to fatigue and end early, which they didn’t, going well-over curfew once again (every night did!) and leaving the die-hards feeling that the year’s vacation was worth it. Now, how was it not possible to sellout The Wiltern on the next night? Though their fans are rabid, they are still few.

Setlist: A Salty Salute, Shocker in Gloomtown, Tractor Rape Chain, Pimple Zoo, Closer You Are, Buzzards and Dreadful Crows, My Valuable Hunting Knife, Cut-Out Witch, Hot Freaks, Lethargy, Weedking, A Good Flying Bird, Motor Away, Striped White Jets, Matter Eater Lad, The Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory, Gold Star for Robot Boy, Awful Bliss,14 Cheerleader Coldfront, My Impression Now, I Am a Scientist, My Son Cool, Echos Myron, Game of Pricks, Exit Flagger, Unleashed! The Large-Hearted Boy, (break), Johnny Appleseed, Smothered in Hugs, Don’t Stop Now (break), Quality of Armor, Some Drilling Implied

Gallery by Philip Cosores

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Tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster.com.

Shearwater and Damien Jurado 2010 Tour Dates:
10/02 – Las Vegas, NV @ Matador at 21
10/10 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Festival
11/02 – Birmingham, AL @ The Bottletree
11/03 – Tallahassee, FL @ The Engine Room
11/04 – Orlando, FL @ The Social
11/05 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
11/06 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
11/07 – Charlottesville, VA @ The Southern
11/09 – Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel
11/10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
11/11 – Boston, MA @ The Middle East Downstairs
11/12 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
11/13 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Thunderbird Cafe
11/14 – Detroit, MI @ The Magic Stick
11/16 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
11/18 – St. Louis, MO @ Duck Room
11/19 – Lawrence, KS @ The Jackpot
11/20 – Norman, OK @ The Opolis

If you read these recaps regularly, then you know by now that I could say that about every week. So much goes on in the world of music that come Friday it’s nearly impossible to make sense of it all. However, these past few days were exceptional. It all began with an unfathomable tragedy overseas. A series of rumors (notice the multiple “may or may nots”) ranging from legit to just plain silly followed. A string of exciting details concerning major forthcoming releases and related events kept music fans on their toes. And then there was everything else in between.

See what I mean? It can only get even more interesting from here, right? At least I like to think so.

Here’s a quick look at what went down last weekend:

– A stampede at Germany’s Love Parade killed 19 people and injured 342 others.

– Excessive amounts of pigeon feces forced Kings of Leon to cancel their performance at St. Louis’  Verizon Wireless Ampitheater.

– Xiu Xiu and Shearwater‘s leading men announced plans to collaborate this fall.

And now for this week:

– Just days after The Suburbs is officially unveiled, Arcade Fire will perform at Madison Square Garden on August 5th. Terry Gilliam will direct a live YouTub webcast of the concert.

– The Rolling Stones will celebrate their (gasp!) 50th anniversary with an extensive tour. Rumors of retiremount abound. We’ll keep you posted on developments.

– Gorillaz detailed their forthcoming North American trek.

– U2 may or may not be  in the studio with an R&B legend you’ve probably never heard of.

– The Cars may or may not be reuniting.

– Battles may or may not preview new material during their upcoming NYC and London shows.

– Ten minutes of Daft Punk‘s score for the Tron remake may or may not be available for listening.

– The acclaimed Sonar Festival will take place in cities all across the globe. Organizers unveiled the Chicago lineup this week.

– Elton John will lend his talents to a musical adaptation of Animal Farm.

– Nick Cave is slated to revive The Crow franchise.

– Among the other long-awaited, non-Arcade Fire releases this summer is Interpol’s fourth LP. As the album’s drop date approaches, the group dished out tour dates and debuted “Barricade” on Letterman.

– Speaking of late night television, of Montreal and Solange Knowles teamed up to perform “Sex Karma” on Jimmy Fallon.

– Neil Young is also readying a new album, along with another Archives volume.

– Don’t expect that Kid Cudi record anytime soon. It’s been delayed again.

– Many actors have made stabs at musical careers. We can officially add Hugh Laurie to this list.

– The latest addition to the Guitar Hero franchise will feature a Rush story mode. Seriously.

– Watch these Kanye West videos. He sings acapella in not one but BOTH of them.

– With all this talk of the new Arcade Fire album someone had to actually review it. Editor-in-chief Michael Roffman did the honors.

– Suffice to say that Die Antwoord have raised eyebrows since bursting onto the scene late last year. Winston Robbins offered his thoughts on their 5 EP.

– Dave Buchanan examined our role models in a feature titled “Overdosing and Underachieving: Who Made Who?”

– Matt Wallin covered the inaugural HullabaLOU Music Festival.

– Headed to Lollapalooza next weekend? We’re throwing a little get-together before the festivities officially begin. Find out more here.

– One final plug  before signing off (I promise): we announced another official CoS Giveaway this week. Enter for a chance to win a Polaroid 300.

Yes, Jamie Stewart has a captivating voice, enough so to warrant a paragraph on one note he sang in one song, but he has his work cut out for him as he teams with one of contemporary music’s other top vocal talents, Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater and formerly of Okkervil River (Meisberg might make my top ten duets of all time for the perfectly timed departure song “Lost Coastlines”). Calling the project Blue Water White Death (wtf?), the duo will release a self-titled album of original material on October 12th on Graveface Records. Just how original? Apparently the two singers arrived to the studio completely empty-handed, with just a mutual admiration to guide them through the recording process that can take bands months or even decades (GNR). Well, these pros wrote and cut the album in a week. Yeah, we’re impressed, too.

Fun fact name explanation: Blue Water White Death is a 1971 shark-seeking documentary in which the explorers increase their recklessness throughout. But, the two artists chose the title because their music is “ominous and serene,” like the ocean, and they delve ”boldly into new sonic territories,” Like sharks. Or the explorers? Yeah, I don’t get the correlation either. I get really distracted by mentions of sharks. Is there a band called Shark Attack yet?

Blue Water White Death will be a must-listen for fan of either singer, and if you are not a fan you have all Sunday to get better acquainted. Start with Rook. Track listing is below and I have to admit, “The End Of Sex”, “Nerd Future” and personal favorite “Death For Christmas” deliver the ominous vibe with their titles, big time.

Blue Water White Death Tracklist:
01. This is the Scrunchyface of My Dreams
02. Song for the Greater Jihad
03. Grunt Tube
04. Nerd Future
05. The End of Sex
06. Death for Christmas
07. Gall
08. Rendering the Juggalos

So, before the encore at the Saturday-night show at Spaceland in Silver Lake, the spare but vocal crowd laughed when the Shearwater singer noted that the last time he had played in L.A. was at the Forum (the former home of the Lakers) but that he liked this place better. Sure, Shearwater has lost some of the buzz that Rook had earned it (through no real fault of its own, mostly just because the band plays a theatrical and moody brand of rock that has niche appeal), but imagining the five-piece at the arena where I first saw Pearl Jam in 1998 was a little bit of a stretch until Meiburg revealed that it was as an opener for Coldplay. Still, if anyone has the voice to hit the upper levels and concession stands in sports venues, it is Johnathan Meiburg. A typical compliment when someone is really good at something is to say it seemed effortless, but Meiburg sings like he should be classically trained and looks like he literally isn’t trying at all. He just opens his mouth and out comes opera.

But if Meiburg wanted to be playing in front of more people than what Spaceland houses (about 260), he wouldn’t have left Okkervil River, or he wouldn’t have followed up Rook with The Golden Archipelago (if the record has a word that the listener either can’t understand or can’t pronounce, he/she is likely not to buy it … I think I read that in Time). Even though The Golden Archipelago has earned solid reviews and contains some of the band’s most accessible music to date, it still is the kind of music that demands very specific listening conditions (I had only found these conditions two times prior to this assignment). No, Meiburg seems more than content playing to a half-full bar, as long as he is backed by capable musicians and surrounded by happy fans. And one seems to beget the other.

To say that Shearwater is full of capable musicians is a gross understatement. The drummer looks like the Ultimate Warrior towards the end of a match, when his paint had all been sweated off. But he’s not just a drummer, oh no. Dude can also play the clarinet (though it was poorly miked and I’m not sure I can pick a clarinet sound out of a lineup) and the glockenspiel.* And this is the same story for nearly every member of the band, which began as five but could ultimately number eight people, including multiple percussion instruments at once. This allowed the band to seem more lively than the tone of the music or the recorded versions would suggest and also kept the band involved, keeping the crowd from pouring all its focus to Meiburg.

The band’s set lasted nearly 90 minutes, covering material from their last three full lengths, and mostly sticking to a reverse chronological order of sorts. Opening with the clear fan favorite off the new album, “Black Eyes”, they moved into “Landscape at Speed”, or as I have it written, percussion party. Whether by elevated cymbal/mini-gong or maraca or tambourine or by auxiliary drummer, there was always extra timekeeping in Shearwater’s set, but this number took the prize for best in drums. But the early set choices made me think “Shearwater would be perfect if they just played some upbeat tracks,” a concern that was momentarily extinguished with “Corridors” and later with the one-two punch of “Rooks” and “Century Eyes”. And yes, it would be a valid criticism to call a Shearwater show one-note, but a.) you knew what to expect before you came, and b.) that one-note is pretty damn impressive.

The big blues riff of Palo Santo‘s “White Waves” and appearance of a trumpet on “Seventy-four, Seventy-five” both served as reminders that just because music is slower in tempo doesn’t mean the music is boring. In fact, I’ve listened to The Golden Archipelago three times today and enjoyed it more each time. Perhaps the moody-music disclaimer isn’t quite so accurate after all. Sure, Shearwater songs may not translate into one of the mansions that loomed in the hills over Silver Lake Boulevard, but they can get you a couple hundred people’s time, all you can drink while you are playing, and a front-row seat for a trailer fire that reminds you how great it is to be alive. Stop by the next area Shearwater show and ask Meiburg to tell you that story. It’s a good one.

Photography by Jesse Bloch.

Shearwater setlist:
Black Eyes
Landscape at Speed
Castaways
Meridian
White Waves
God Made Me
Corridors
Hidden Lakes
Rooks
Century Eyes
I was a cloud
Seventy-Four, Seventy-Five
Uniforms

Nobody**

*If my Internet research is correct, the warrior’s real name is Thor Harris, which explains so much. His Wikipedia page lists the following instruments in his repertoire: drums, hammer dulcimer, xylophone, glockenspiel, vibraphone, clarinet, water bowls, found instruments, and homemade instruments.

**Two other songs were played, but I didn’t know them. Neither of them were “The Snow Leopard”, which was a minor bummer.
——

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Shearwater has announced an American tour that will see them hit both coasts in March and April, with a noticeable open block of dates during Coachella (they are booked in L.A. the week after, and this usually would rule them out, but we can hope). And hopefully their live show will match the effort shown in their limited edition dossier, which they will release in conjunction with The Golden Archipelago. BrooklynVegan reports that “singer Jonathan Meiburg and designer Mark Ohe have created a beautiful, full-color, 75-page, 8 x 10.5″ dossier” and it can be yours for merely the cost of printing (about 30 bucks).

What can we expect in this dossier? (Admit it, you like reading the word “dossier” as much as I enjoy typing it.)

“It’s a visual guide to the world of the album, primarily composed of photographs and documents collected by JM from islands and other singular places around the world. Among its pages are the national anthem of Bikini Atoll, the story of a charming and fatally obsessed German aviator and explorer, notes from the daily life of a remote Aboriginal village occupied by missionaries, and photographs from an island Jules Verne considered “The End of the World,” where endangered animals remain unafraid of humans. It also features production credits and full lyrics for The Golden Archipelago and its B-sides.”

That sounds educational! Dossier, Dossier, Dossier.

Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.com.

Check Out:
“Castaways”

Shearwater – 2010 Tour Dates
02/17 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg
02/18 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique
02/19 – Paris, FR @ Le Nouveau Casino
02/20 – St. Malo, FR @ L’Omnibus
02/21 – Brighton, UK @ The Freebutt
02/22 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
02/23 – Glasgow, UK @ Captains Rest
02/24 – Manchester, UK @ Ruby Lounge
02/25 – London, UK @ Scala
02/26 – Diksmuide, BE @ 4AD
02/27 – Hamburg, DE @ Knust
02/28 – Berlin, DE @ Magnet Club
03/02 – Munich, DE @ 59 to 1
03/03 – Geneva, SZ @ L’Usine
03/04 – Fribourg, SZ @ Nouveau Monde
03/05 – Milan, IT @ La Casa 139
03/07 – Barcelona, ES @ La (2) de Apolo
03/08 – Madrid, ES @ Moby Dick
03/13 – Austin, TX @ Red 7 #
03/24 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl *
03/25 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
03/26 – Washington @ Rock And Roll Hotel *
03/27 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom *
03/30 – Cambridge, MA @ T. T. The Bear’s *
03/31 - Montreal QUE, UE La Sala Rossa +
04/01 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace *
04/02 – Ithica, NY @ Castaways *
04/04 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall *
04/06 – Minneapolis, MN @ 400 Bar
04/07 – Grinnell, IA @ Garnder Lounge at Grinnell College *
04/09 – Norman, OK @ The Opolis *
04/22 – Cleveland, OH @ Rhythm Room +
04/23 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress +
04/24 – Silver Lake, CA @ Spaceland +
04/25 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill +
04/27 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge +

# = w/ Xiu Xiu & Shearwater solo
* = w/ Wye Oak, Hospital Ships
+ = w/ Hospital Ships

The Jesus Lizard, Of Montreal, Mission of Burma, Ratatat, The Pharcyde, and Destroyer head the recently unveiled 2009 bill. Other acts of note include Danzig, Yeasayer, Fucked Up, The Cool Kids, Wu Tang’s GZA performing Liquid Swords, The King Khan & BBQ Show, Lucero, Why?, and No Age.

As it stands, the Fun Fun Fun Fest 2009 currently looks something like this:

7 Seconds, Alaska in Winter, All Leather, Astronautalis, Atlas Sound, Bankrupt and the Borrowers, Betaplayer, The Black and White Years, Brendon Walsh, Brian Posehn, Broadcast, Buraka Son Sistema, Car Stereo (Wars), Cedric Burnside & Lightnin’ Malcolm, Chelsea Peretti, MC Chris, Coalesce, Coliseum, The Cool Kids, Crystal Antlers, Crystal Castles, D.R.I., Danzig, Dead Confederate, Death, Destroyer, The DJ Melee, Face to Face, Flipper, Foot Patrol, Fuck Buttons, Fucked Up, Gorilla Biscuits, Growing, GZA performing Liquid Swords, Hannibal Burress, Harlem, HEALTH, James Husband (Of Montreal), The Jesus Lizard,  Josh Fadem, Kid Sister, King Khan & BBQ Show, The Laughing, LAX, Les Savy Fav, Low Line Caller, Lucero, Melt Banana, Metallagher, Mika Miko, Mission of Burma, Moonlight Towers, Neon Indian, The New Movement, Nick Thune, No Age, DJ Numark, Of Montreal, Off With Their Heads, Pack of Wolves, Peligrosa DJs, The Pharcyde, Rat King, Ratatat, Red Sparowes, Reign Supreme, Riverboat Gamblers, The Roller, Royal Bangs, Russian Circles, Shearwater, Shonen Knife, Ssion, The Strange Boys, Street Dogs, Sugar & Gold, This Will Destroy You, Times New Viking, Todd Barry, The Underground Railroad to Candyland, VEGA, White Kids You Know, Why?, Yeasayer, Young Widows, Youth Brigade

Early bird weekend ($67.50) and VIP ($135) are now available via funfunfunfest.com.