Sasquatch! 2011: Line-up Released, and It's a Monster!

I have never been, but everything I have read and seen about the Sasquatch! Music Festival makes it sound like the  place to be on Memorial Day weekend.  First, it takes place in the awesomely-named town of George, Wa.  Second, take a look at the backdrop that listeners get during the performances.  Third, the festival crowd is a manageable 50,000 people.  And, most importatntly, they get a killer line-up.  All of this led Consequence of Sound to name Sasquatch! the Festival of the Year in 2010.

Today, Sasquatch! released its 2011 festival line-up.  Sounds like it should be in the running for Festival of the Year once again. Check out the video announcement...


Sasquatch 2011 Lineup from World Famous on Vimeo.

All Good Things...

This week we received two major "farewell" announcements in the music world.

Confirming what he had intimated at the release of This Is Happening, James Murphy announced this week that the final live performance of LCD Soundsystem will occur on April 2 in New York at Madison Square Gardens. Tickets will go on sale Friday, February 11.

Perhaps less expected was the announcement from Jack and Meg White that we have heard the last from White Stripes.  In a statement released February 2, the duo stated, "The White Stripes do not belong to Meg and Jack anymore.  The White Stripes belong to you now, and you can do with it whatever you want.  The beauty of art and music is that it can last forever if people want it to.  Thank you for sharing this experience.  Your involvement will never be lost on us and we are truly grateful."

Classy.


Well, I think I'd like to play some of their music on this blog. So long, to both!

Friday Afternoon Six-pack

Preview the New James Blake LP

A few days ago, I posted a piece about James Blake and why we should all be interested in his upcoming self-titled debut LP (to be released in North America February 8).

Well, here is an opportunity to listen to the entire album before its release next week.

These eleven songs clock in at a total of 35 minutes.  So it won't take a huge time investment to preview the album.  Besides the already-previewed "Wilhelm Scream" and "Limit to Your Love", the opening track "Unlock" is a highlight, as is the haunting "To Care (Like You)".  And I was surprised to pick up a few hints of Bon Iver (on "Lindisfarne I" and "Lindisfarne II") and Antony and the Johnsons (on "Why Don't You Call Me") in this particular Blake variety.  See if you can hear similar influences.

Enjoy!

New Music from The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

On March 29, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart will release their 2nd LP Belong.  How nice of them to give us so many early releases from the follow up to their excellent 2009 self-titled album.








"Belong":
The Pains of Being Pure At Heart "Belong" by Slumberland Records

"Heart in Your Heartbreak" and "The One":
The Pains of Being Pure At Heart "Heart In Your Heartbreak" Single by Slumberland Records

Review: "Kaputt" by Destroyer

Dan Bejar is an acquired taste. Any fan of the New Pornographers will be able to easily pick out a song penned by Bejar versus one written by the other main songwriter A. C. Newman. On Challengers for example, "Myriad Harbor" and "Entering White Cecelia" are both Bejar additions to the album, and they both are good examples of the quirky voice and lyrics that separate Bejar's work from Newman's more infectious, hooky power pop. In fact, his inclusion in the Canadian indie collective that is New Pornographers has always seemed to me to be a forced fit simply because his sound is so very unique and individualized. Indeed, both times that I have seen them perform live, Bejar has not been included in the lineup. So, maybe it is better and more fair to judge Bejar by the work he does on his own project, Destroyer.

Perhaps you can tell that I entered into the world of Kaputt with some trepidation. As it turns out, there was nothing to fear. This is a great album. Yes, his voice is quirky, but when it is not heard in juxtaposition with Neko Case and Newman, it doesn't seem quite so jarring. And the quirky songwriting is subdued by the rich orchestration throughout the album. And that's what you will notice when you first sit down with this record -- the jazz orchestration. It is really quite delicious. There's certainly a late-70's feel to the songs, which is fine with me. If it recalls Steely Dan in their Aja period, or later Fleetwood Mac, that's great. There's not a lot out there evoking that time period, and though some might find the sound corny or cheesy, it seems fresh and real in Bejar's hands.

Kaputt is a cohesive album. From the radio-ready opener "Chinatown" to the beautifully rich closer "Bay of Pigs (detail)", the songs fit together and flow easily. This is not a collection of songs -- this is an album. What makes me continue to queue this up on the iPod are the horns, the jazz, and the feel of this record.

Why You Will Like It: Accessible, easy to listen to, tuneful songs. Well-written and thought provoking lyrics. Jazzy sound reminiscent of late-70's pop sound. It works as music in the background, but also has much to reveal in a more concentrated listening session.

Why You May Not Like It: If you think the jazz sound tends to lean too close to "soft jazz", or if you think the sound is corny and just a little cheesy. If you have a negative reaction to Bejar's previous work with New Pornographers.

Bottom Line: Highly Recommended

Listen to: "Chinatown"

The Hype: James Blake and His Eagerly Anticipated First LP

I have to admit that I get caught up in the hype.  Or the buzz.  Or the amped-up commercialization of an unreleased album.  And when the person/band being hyped is an underground, as-yet-underappreciated dubstep producer-cum-soul singer from England with three fantastic EPs and a Feist cover viral video to his credit, count me as one of the eagerly-waiting disciples. This is why I find it necessary to write about James Blake and his soon-to-be-released self-titled debut LP.

James Blake entered my consciousness when I first heard his EP CMYK -- one of a trilogy of EPs that, had they been combined into one album, would certainly have been on many top ten lists for 2010.  His 2011 album will be released with much fanfare on February 7.  If you read music blogs in England, it is hard to escape the conclusion that Blake is "The Next Big Thing".  Time will tell, but I, for one, have bought the hype.

Blake celebrates the space between notes.  The silence is as important to his music as the vocals, the beats, and the loops.  Patience is therefore essential, and rewarded, when approaching his minimalistic style.

For the unititiated, I offer three samples of his previously released work as a prelude to the new material:

"CMYK" from the EP CMYK:


"I Only Know (What I Know Now)" from the EP Klavierwerke:


"The Bells Sketch" from the EP The Bells Sketch:


After having listened to those, it will probably surprise you to hear "Limit To Your Love", a cover of the Feist tune in which Blake forgoes the looping vocals and dubstep style and lets his incredible R&B voice fill the empty spaces. 

"Limit To Your Love" from the LP James Blake:


And just in case all of this weren't enough to get you excited about the album drop next week, here is another teaser:

"The Wilhelm Scream" from the LP James Blake:


Much will be written about James Blake in the next few weeks.  Is he an artist on the verge of a breakout?  I think so, but I look forward to hearing what you think.