The Dreamland EP consists of a 20-minute track labeled “Marimba and Shit-Drums.” The song’s title doesn’t lie. What we’ve got here is an epically long marimba composition accompanied by “shit-drums.” I don’t know what’s come over Krug, but this sitcom-length marimba exercise somehow presents a side of the Wolf Parade/Sunset Rubdown/Swan Lake/every-other-fucking-band frontman we’ve yet to see in his ever-expanding catalogue. Though the marimba composition is pretty intricate, as a whole it’s relatively sparse. Yet, in many ways, it’s consuming.

If I told you Spencer Krug wrote a 20-minute song on Marimba, banged on some trash cans and bass drums, and sang a weaving narrative filled with nightmarish imagery, what sounds would come to mind? What you’ve got in your head probably isn’t so far off from what Moonface’s Dreamland EP actually sounds like. The first question you probably want to ask about “Marimba and Shit-Drums” is, “Why?” But, in all honesty, we don’t really need an answer. The absurdity of the idea is the source of most of its intrigue. Spencer Krug just does what he wants. This time, he’s using some new, albeit peculiar, instrumentation. Simply put, it works. And it’s a hell of a lot better than you’d think.  

Over the course of the track, tantalizing marimba bounces around Krug’s reverberating howl. The tune’s style and structure mostly recall some of the tracks off of last year’s Dragonslayer. “I ventured into a dreamland,” Krug dribbles over his own haunting vocal harmonies. Drums bang like trash cans, and the few layers come together for a surprisingly full sound. As the flourishing, bright marimba notes weave into one another, we can’t help but follow along into the dreamland, where Krug plays “a glass guitar” and sings to the gods. We are voyeurs of an amalgam of Krug’s nightmares, and it’s pretty spectacular. It’s hard to tell what Krug’s getting at, with all of his Fellini-esque imagery melting together, but it’s almost irrelevant. We don’t need an explanation as to why he watches a doctor check a girl for a fever, only to exclaim, “He’s just reading her mind.” It’s just part of the nightmare.

As the song progresses, notes grow skittish and get freaky, and Krug throws more oddities our way. It’s a very well-orchestrated track, especially considering we haven’t heard this instrument in Krug’s work before. Sure, the marimba can feel a little repetitive over the course of the long track, but at least Spence isn’t lying to us. You knew what you were getting yourself into when you read the title.  And if you throw your reservations out the window, Krug makes a good case for the marimba as a lead instrument.  Especially if he’s the one playing it and singing along.  

If you like Krug’s songwriting style and his obscure, metaphorical imagery, then you’d be foolish to pass on Moonface. But, even if you’re not a full-on Kruggie, this lengthy track can give you a good idea of how the man operates. It’s not the best introduction, but it’s not the worst. If this does happen to be that for you, don’t see it as a representation of all of Krug’s music, but merely as an extension of his capabilities. See this as proof of just how far Krug is willing to push his songcraft, how weird he can get, and how good it always ends up sounding. Here, Krug proves he can literally do as he pleases. Luckily, his eccentricities please him and his fans alike. All of this being said, if you don’t like marimba, stay the hell away from this thing.

Buy:
Dreamland EP: Marimba & Shit Drums

The Gaslight Anthem:

What: Tour dates for North American tour

When: October

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EDT

Mariah Carey:

What: Tour dates for North American tour

When: September – October

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 12:00 PM PDT

Roger Daltrey:

What: Tour dates for North American tour

When: October – November

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EDT

Sunset Rubdown:

What: Tour dates for North American tour

When: October

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EDT

Imperative or not, for the second time this year, you’ll have the opportunity to check out the Montreal outfit support its recently released studio album at a venue near you. Following a lengthy European endeavor in the month of September, Sunset Rubdown will return stateside for a 10-date trek beginning October 16th. Tickets for the dates will go on sale beginning Saturday, August 8th via Ticketmaster.com.

Sunset Rubdown 2009 Tour Dates:
09/02 – Groningen, NL @ Vera
09/03 – Malmo, SE @ Debaser
09/04 – Goteborg, SE @ Parken
09/05 – Stockholm, SE @ Strand
09/06 – Copenhagen, DK @ Loppen
09/07 – Hamburd, DE @ Knust
09/08 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
09/10 – Glasgow, UK @ Stereo
09/11 – Belfast, UK @ Spring and Airbrake
09/12 – Dublin, IE @ Crawdaddy
09/13 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
09/14 – Manchester, UK @ The Deaf Institute
09/16 – Cardiff, UK @ The Globe
09/18 – Leffinge, BE @ Leffingeleuren
09/19 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique
09/20 – Berlin, DE @ Magnet Club
09/21 – Leipzig, DE @ Ut Connewitz
09/22 – Munchen, DE @ 59:1
09/23 – Vienna, AT @ B72
09/24 – Zagreb, HR @ KSET
09/25 – Ljublijana, SL @ Menza Pri Koritu
09/26 – Pisa, IT @ Caracol
09/27 – Carpi, IT @ Mattatoio
09/30 – Lille, FR @ L’Aeronef
10/01 – Paris, FR @ Point FMR
10/16 – New York, NY @ Manhattan Center Grand Ballroom
10/17 – Baltimore, MD @ Sonar
10/18 – Columbus, OH @ The Summit
10/19 – Chicago, IL @ Logan Square Auditorium
10/20 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
10/21 – St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway Club
10/22 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
10/24 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
10/26 – San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s
10/27 – W. Hollywood, CA @ Troubadour

“Confetti floats away like dead leaves in the wagon’s wake/there were parties here in my honor/till you sent me away,” Krug croaks from the onset of “Silver Moons”, the album’s opener. Thus begins an album in the wake of the party, looking back on it all with nostalgic remorse. “Maybe these days are over, over now,” he postulates. It’s not easy to make confetti sound dismal, yet Spencer and his band have accomplished the feat. Wayne Coyne would tear up. Atop minor piano keys and eerie atmospherics, Krug sings his cryptic poetry, passionately begging for someone to decode it.

It’s a task, but not such a daunting one. There’s enough here to draw conclusions as to the subject matter.  Take “Idiot Heart”, the album’s second track, which seems to view a failed relationship through the backwards actions of a horror film victim. Palm muted, distorted strums enter, before Krug moans, “Stay away from open windows/put the telephone down/Can you run as fast as this house will fall/when the alarm bell sounds?/ Now I was never much of a dancer/but I know enough to know you gotta move/your idiot body around.” Glockenspiel and pulsing drums join forces with squealing guitar licks to accompany Krug’s distinct howl. “You ignore your heart!,” yells Krug in a sort of paradoxical half-assed passion, that perfectly expresses his mood; difficult to describe but easy to understand. Krug believes that whoever he is addressing ignored their love for him. “I hope that you die/in a decent pair of shoes/you’ve got a lot of long walking to do,” he cries spitefully, accompanied by the ghostly vocals of Camilla Wynne Ingr. It’s easy to see that Krug is longing for something and someone, and by listening in, we witness him in the process of getting over it.

From there on out, elegant synth, mathy guitar licks, precise drumming, and heavy grooves carry an album seeping with recurring metaphors of nostalgia, loss, and unrequited love. But you won’t find yourself rolling your eyes at the seemingly cliché themes, because unless you listen close enough, you may not even realize they are there. Krug manages to craft his own versions of lovesick sing-alongs by securely wrapping his lackadaisically discouraged lyrics in danceable beats, coarse noises, and maximum shreddage.

But, this is certainly not without help from the rest of the ever-so-technical band that constitutes the Sunset Rubdown moniker. Krug had previously mentioned that this album aims to be a more band inclined effort, and it is certainly evident here. These are focused songs, with notably more direction than previous Sunset Rubdown efforts. Perhaps much of this can be attributed to the addition of drummer, Mark Nicol, who pins down some pretty vibrant beats. Breakdowns and movements are aplenty, as hyper speed fret noodling plays against constantly changing rhythms (the album makes use of both bongos and reggaeton beats to name a few) and bouncy keys. Furthermore, interactions between Krug’s crackly warble and Camilla Wynne Ingr’s whispers create more of a vocal dynamic. These songs grow and explode before they conclude, and they rarely wonder about.

As Krug accurately states in the climactic “Nightingale/December Song”, the album’s true highlight, “We all burn in different ways.” There is nothing but truth here. As far as burning goes, some cry alone in the dark, some brush off failed relationships and get on with their lives, and Spencer Krug turns whatever it is that’s “burning” him into songwriting gold. “I see us all as lonely fires/that have burned alive as long as we remember/But like all fires and all sunsets/we all burn in different ways/you are a fast explosion/and I am the embers/And though your flames are quick and mean/they will not last the year.” He’s been hurt, but the pain will pass. Whoever burnt Krug this badly did a number, but they also inspired some killer tunes. Thank you?

Krug wraps up the set up by tying everything back together on the 10 minute epic “Dragon’s Layer”, with “confetti in his eyes.” As drums crash and burn, he mockingly applauds himself repeatedly, “You are the champion!” As listeners to Dragonslayer, we are spectators in Krug’s battle with himself and his own reservations. But as the album concludes, Krug appears to overcome them all, in search of “a bigger kind of kill.” The dragon has burnt him, but he is the Dragonslayer, and he will prevail. After all the orchestrated chaos within the album’s depths, an upbeat groove leads us out, and caps off one of the finer Krug penned efforts to date. Keep ‘em coming, sir.

Check Out:
“Idiot Heart”

Buy:
Dragonslayer

Lucky for us, the effort’s new single is available for all the world to hear in the form of the 6 minute “Idiot Heart”. You’re probably thinking, “Dammit, Spencer, only six minutes?” Just give the guy a break alright? OK? You should be happy with these six minutes of bouncy synth and hoarse singing. In fact, you are getting spoiled by this particularly awesome track, which sports some sick female backing vocals, and enough bumping beats to get you dancing or doing whatever it is you do. Let’s be honest, with this news you’re not thinking anything but, “Yes!” But I’ll stop putting words in your mouth:

Check Out:
“Idiot Heart”

You’ll have to hold your horses, or Dragons (LOLz), until June 23rd for more, but Krug is taking his jams out on the town this summer. Take a look at a fresh batch of dates below:

Sunset Rubdown 2009 Tour Dates:
04/18 – Paris, FR @ La Maronquinerie
04/19 – Flushing, NL @ De Piek
04/20 – Haarlem, NL @ Patronaat
04/21 – Wetzlar, DE @ KuZ
04/22 – Stuttgart, DE @ Manufaktur
04/23 – Prague, CZ @ 007
04/24 – Krems, AT @ Danube Festival
04/25 – Moscow, RU @ Avant Festival
04/27 – Zagreb, HR @ Teatar & TD
04/29 – Krakow, PL @ Manggha
04/30 – Warsaw, PL @ Hydrozagadka
05/02 – Aarhus, DK @ Pop Revo Festival
06/11 – Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Downstairs
06/12 – Brooklyn, NY @ Studio B
06/13 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
06/14 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat
06/15 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
06/16 – Atlanta, GA @ The Drunken Unicorn
06/20 – Austin, TX  @ Mohawk
06/22 – Tucson, AZ @ Plush
06/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex
06/24 – San Francisco, CA @ The Rickshaw Stop
06/26 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
06/27 – Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey
06/28 – Victoria, BC @ Sugar Nightclub
07/02 – Calgary, AB @ The Marquee Room
07/06 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St. Entry
07/07 – Chicago, IL @ Epiphany
07/08 – Bloomington, IN @ Jake’s Nightclub
07/10 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
07/11 – Montreal, QC @ Il Motore

Anyways, all this ranting comes along with news from Sunset Rubdown pilot, Wolf Parade co-pilot, and Swan Lake collaborator, Spencer Krug about his new(est) digs. The next album (or endeavor, if you will) is Dragonslayer, Sunset Rubdown’s third full-band effort, which will see the light of day on June 23rd via Jagjaguwar.

Krug would like to stress the fact that the new record is more of a full-band effort. In keeping with Random Spirit Lover, along for the ride will be Jordan Robson-Cramer (drums, guitar and keys), Michael Doerksen (guitar and bass), and Camilla Wynne Ingr (keys, percussion and vocals). What’s more, the new album will see the addition of bassist and drummer Mark Nicol as well. Phew, any more collaborators and we might have yet another side project on our hands, and really, at this point we can’t handle any more music from these dudes.

For vinyl enthusiasts, there will also be a bonus pictureface 7″ called Introducing Moonface, out in April via Aagoo. It’ll look like this:

Keep your eyes peeled for that new Frog Eyes/Destroyer album that will probably be out tomorrow or something. (joke)

Check Out:

Dragonslayer Tracklist:
01. Silver Moons
02. Idiot Heart
03. Apollo and the Buffalo and Anna Anna Anna Oh!
04. Black Swan
05. Paper Lace
06. You Go On Ahead (Trumpet Trumpet II)
07. Nightingale / December Song
08. Dragon’s Lair

We caught the end of Grand Ole Party and were very pleased with what few songs we heard. Singer-drummer Kristin Gundred pleased the crowd with wild but very soothing 60′s style vocals and toe tapping drum beats all at once. The San Diego group’s 2007 debut album Humanimals was well represented, as well as a few new songs which we hope to hear on an upcoming record sometime soon. All around, Grand Ole Party definitely pleased the crowd anxiously awaiting their headliner.

From note one of Sunset Rubdown’s set I was addicted, and there was no turning back. Singer Spencer Krug’s voice, with the help of some haunting reverb, carried through the windy Austin night and was incredible on every note. The set was half and half as far as new and current material went, but the new tracks were warmly greeted by Austinites and tired ACL goers alike. It was nothing short of jaw dropping to watch guitarist Michael Doerskin, drummer Jordan Robson-Cramer and bassist Mark Niccol continually trade instruments, and hold their own on each. Multi-intstrumentist Camilla Wynn Ingr (Pony Up!) was definitely a Jane of all trades, impressing the crowd with who knows how many instrument.

This show was definitely worth leaving the ACL festivities a bit early, and worth much more than the eight bucks it cost to get in the doors. I most certainly recommend checking out the Montreal natives, whether it be through one of its four studio releases or by catching a show near by. They are certain to please all, especially fans of Wolf Parade, Swan Lake, and Pony Up!