Almost ten years ago Pete Yorn stormed out of the gates with his brilliant debut album Music For The Morning After, which is still one of my favorite albums of the last decade. That album had hints of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska with its melancholic tone and spare song structures. However, his output since then has been a little spotty, culminating in last year's collaboration with Scarlett Johansson. But hey, I'll forgive him since he recorded an album with Scarlett freakin' Johansson.
Well, now Yorn is back with his self-titled fifth album. And he's back in a big way. This time Yorn has brought in Frank Black (aka Black Francis) from the legendary Pixies to produce. This collaboration has definitely jolted some new life into Yorn. The end result is a great batch of tunes with more of a raw edge compared to Yorn's earlier work. Yorn hasn't sounded this loose and lively since his cover of the Ramones' "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" a few years ago.
The album opens with the garage rocker "Precious Stone," which begins with some haunting background vocals vaguely reminiscent of "Where Is My Mind." With Black on hand behind the booth, there are definitely more than a few nods to the Pixies. For instance, Yorn attempts a few Frank Black yelps on occasion and alternates between spoken word verses and quasi-screaming choruses on the furious "Badman." Black's production has the feel of a band playing live off the floor.
While Black's influence is evident (and more than welcome), this is still definitely a Pete Yorn album. Lyrically, he doesn't sing about slicing up eyeballs or monkeys going to heaven. Instead, with his everyman voice, Yorn focuses on love, lust and... um... velcro shoes. I think it's safe to say that Yorn is the first artist in history to record a song called "Velcro Shoes."
The standout track of the album is "The Chase," which features the lines "I can see you anytime/ That's why I don't care/ I want what isn't there." It's a little harsh but I'm sure a lot of people can relate to this sentiment. Another highlight is "Rock Crowd," which is essentially an ode to his fans, dealing with the "shared experience" of a performer and audience at a show. A song like this has the potential of verging on Nickelback territory. However, this sounds like it could've been a lost Springsteen track.
This album is being hailed as Yorn's "return to form" album and rightfully so. It's definitely worth checking out. You can check out his performance of "Velcro Shoes" on Jimmy Fallon below...
Very few people in the world of rock 'n' roll get cooler with age. Nick Cave, along with the likes of Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen and Leonard Cohen, is definitely one of these rare people. Over the course of thirty plus years (through his work with The Birthday Party, The Bad Seeds, and now Grinderman), Cave has defied the odds and has arguably become as relevant as ever with his recent string of releases.
Grinderman is basically The Bad Seeds pared down to a core of four members. The end result is a a raw, stripped down band that specialize in a "seedy" and explosive brand of blues-based rock. Grinderman 2, the band's unoriginally titled second album, is a natural progression from their debut. The guitars screech and rip, the bass and drums shake the earth's foundation, while Cave howls and hollers at times like a man possessed.
Some albums come straight from the heart. Well, this is not one of those albums. This one comes straight from the crotch. Case in point: "Well my baby calls me the Loch Ness Monster/ Two great big humps and then I'm gone." It's safe to say that Cave isn't as concerned with subtlety here as he has been with The Bad Seeds. Grinderman provide an outlet for Cave and his cohorts to get their ya-ya's out and have some good old fashioned fun. Well... that is if your idea of fun includes stories of heathen children, the Big Bad Wolf and children who cry like demons.
Standout songs include "Mickey Mouse and the Goodbye Man," "Heathen Child," and "Worm Tamer." However, the album's highlight is the one song that strays from the central feel of the album. The gospel tinged "Palaces of Montezuma" sounds like The Bad Seeds covering a U2 outtake from The Joshua Tree. On paper it doesn't sound like it should work. However, Cave and company have instead given the album a semblance of heart... instead of just a hard on.
You can check out the band's NSFW video for "Heathen Child" below. I can't lie, it's pretty bizarre but really entertaining.
Scatterheart, a Theatrical Love Rock band from Vancouver are playing an all ages show in Regina at the Exchange tonight September 9th.
With a new western Canadian tour under way in support their Love Rock Revolution, I recently had a chance to ask the boys of Canadian glam/punk-rock outfit Scatterheart a few questions. They are on their way to your town to dazzle you with their Love Rock Spectacle.
"The flavour is reminiscent of the '70's and '80's. Think Platinum Blonde meets Freddie Mercury with a little Bowie tossed in for good measure." - Camrose Canadian writer Kelly Barrett had this to say about Vancouver based band Scatterheart.
Handstands, guitar solos, sing-alongs, dance contests, catchy songs - and above all... an amazing live experience!
Here is what the fantastic Scatterheart had to say:
SPUN: How would you describe the sound of your music and what makes you feel that your album is different from other artists in your genre?
Scatterheart: Our overall goal is to create music that is uplifting AND powerful. There’s a lot of softer music that is uplifting and a lot of heavier music that is dark and intense. Both are cool, but we’re trying to take elements from each and create a two headed super music. Like if Zeus and Cupid had an illegitimate child.
SPUN: Have you written or created a song that didn’t make the album cut that you wished would have?
Scatterheart: Yes and no. There are times where you write what seems like a great song and you want the whole world to hear it but at the same time when we are working on a full album, it’s the full album that we’re creating, if that particular song doesn’t fit then it’ll have it’s place elsewhere. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
SPUN: Do you have any musical pet peeves?
Scatterheart: We tried to keep a few pet peeves, but we found it cost too much to feed them. Also, they wouldn’t let us take our peeves on the airplane with us. Oh - and they weren’t very musical. We tried to teach one to play keyboards and sing background vocals for us but he just hit all the keys at once and yelled. We gave them away to a nice family in Delaware who takes care of them for us, but there isn’t a day we don’t think about them... Oh peeves...
SPUN: Besides music, what are your favorite things to do? What keeps you grounded?
Scatterheart: Wes likes Hockey, Jesse likes Yoga and Mike and Doug like long walks on the beach. Together. Yes, you heard us.
SPUN: What would you say is your favorite song on the album and why?
Scatterheart: Those are our babies you can’t make us pick one over the other, but if we had to it would easily be Beautiful, it’s such a feel good song, or maybe The Free, love the energy of it, or no, wait, Take A Look Around.... uhm, ya, we can’t pick.
SPUN: What do you miss most, besides family and friends, while you are out traveling and touring?
Scatterheart: Sleeping in our own beds, making food on a stove and doing laundry (all at the same time). Jesse misses his hyperbaric chamber and pet monkeys.
SPUN: When not on stage you and your bandmates can often be found around the merch table? How important is it to be available to your fans?
Scatterheart: It’s the most important thing we do, without the fans we wouldn’t have anywhere to tour. And we have such awesome loving fans that it’s a pleasure to get to meet them all. We’ve had the pleasure of meeting a lot of great people because of it. “Hi everyone!”
SPUN: What kinds of comments do you get?
Scatterheart: I love the wings, can I wear them? I love the hat can I have it? I love your jacket, where’d you get it? I love your drummer, can I kiss keep him?
SPUN: What’s the secret to living on the road?
Scatterheart: A 12” color TV with a collection of Steve Martin movies.
SPUN: What phrase do you never want to hear again?
Scatterheart: Hit me baby one more time!
SPUN: This is where it gets random!!
Scatterheart: Yes. Yes it is. Good question, by the way.
SPUN: If you could pick which character from the wizard of Oz you are like, who would it be? The Lion, The Tinman, The Scarecrow, Dorothy or the Wizard?
Scatterheart: The Lion, because he had the most heart - plus I think he’d look good in feathered shoulder pads.
SPUN: Have you ever shaved any part of your body other than your face?
Scatterheart: Do eyebrows count?
SPUN: How come rappers never smile in photo's?
Scatterheart: Because they are afraid of letting people know that they are beautiful inside. (And maybe they can’t afford to go to the dentist.)
SPUN: Amanda wants to know who does your hair?
Scatterheart: All hair is done within the band, colorings, cuts, the whole she-bang! You need to when you’re on the road, we can’t bring a stylist with us yet so we’ve learn to be crafty with the scissors.
SPUN: Rick Wants to know if you could live out one movie what would it be?
Scatterheart: 1984, it was such a great year for music, oh wait....
SPUN: Kim wants to know if the moon is in the 7th house and Jupiter aligns with Mars... do you really believe that peace will guide the planets and love will steer the stars? If you don't know just smile and nod like I do to her.
Scatterheart: *Smiling and nodding :) Jesse agrees though.
I first saw Scatterheart well over a year ago at The Distrikt when they opened for Bif Naked. Right from the start, this was a band that commanded your attention. Even before the opening notes, the band just looked like they had IT. The band dressed sharp and their charismatic singer, Jesse Enright, was wearing his now trademark football shoulder pads adorned with feathers. Right away it was obvious that this wasn't going to be shoe-gazing music. That night they definitely won over the Bif crowd, who no doubt recognized guitarist Doug Fury from his decade-long tenure with Ms. Naked.
Since then, I've had the pleasure of seeing them two or three more times while they've toured the hell out of their debut album, The Masterplan. These guys are definitely road warriors! Since they are an independent band, they are building their audience one show at a time. And what a show they put on... feathers, yoga headstands, bubble machines, dance contests and covers of Rush, Queen and U2 thrown in for good measure. Simply put, Scatterheart are just tons of fun. They combine the dumb fun of hair metal, the energy of punk rock and the artsiness of 7o's glam rock. With his stage get-up and piercing voice, Jesse Enright reminds me of what would happen if Perry Farrell, Dee Snider and David Bowie had an orgy. These guys are the most fun Canadian rock band since Robin Black decided to focus on MMA.
As good as their live show is, it would all mean nothing if their songs were shite. Luckily, The Masterplan is a stellar batch of tunes. Aside from one or two forgettable songs, their debut is loaded with instantly memorable melodies, crunching guitars and a tight rhythm section. These are unabashed pop songs brimming with positive energy. It's so easy to be cynical and negative in today's world. In particular, it's easier to write songs filled with angst and negative energy. So it's refreshing every now and then for a rock band to have the balls to promote potentially hokey and cheesy themes as love and positivity. Thankfully, they pull it off just fine. Standout songs include "Beautiful," "More Man Than A Man," "The Free" and "We Are Stars."
Make sure to check them out when they spread their "love rock revolution" at The Exchange September 9! You can check out a great live clip of their performance of "The Free" at the Busan International Rock Festival. (I don't think The Exchange can fit this many people...)
To say that ‘Fight the Frequency’ is a lot different from American Hi-Fi’s previous efforts would be a lie. However after taking a break to be Miley Cyrus’ back up band (yeah I know… *scoff*) and label issues the band is able to put their latest effort’ Fight the Frequency’ was supposed to be out in ’07 to follow up ‘05’s ‘Hearts On Parade’.
The record is strong and to me has a ‘Lit’ meets ‘Something Corporate’ feel. They don’t follow regular mainstream formula's where ballads are ballads and rock songs are rock songs. Instead they kind of meld the two ideas’ on most. That being said they still generally lean on way or another. There are some balls out rock tunes on the record such as ‘Fight the Frequency, ‘Frat Clump’ and ‘Bullet. The only ballady one is “Where Love is a Lie” but even that is a stretch and ‘Tiny Spark’ has elements of a ballad, however I would hardly consider it a ballad. The other eight are a meld of the two, straight up great song pop’n’roll songs like ‘Acetate’ and ‘Lost’.
I believe they have taken some tips from their friend Butch Walker in making sure this record was polished and produced well. Lead singer Stacy Jones is no slouch as a producer as well. Where this record beats the previous ones is that I would have taken some tracks of previous records. This one I wouldn’t. A couple tracks may get played less but they stay. The sound quality is here. If you like well written pop songs and their previous efforts, give it a spin. I love it but always have liked this band. I would say it’s their best record to date, just edging out ‘03’s ‘Art of Losing’…just barely. American Hi-Fi is definitely a consistent band.
As much as I love their first single ‘Lost’, I probably would have picked something with a little more punch. It’s a great record with a lot of swagger and riffing energy. ‘Fight the Frequency’ is great… not superb or excellent and far from classic… just great. I am looking forward to the bands next record that will be a lot similar to this one and the one before and the one before.
My favourite on the record is ‘Keep It Like a Secret’
“I don't know how you love With that smile on your face It's all take and no give You're an amazing disgrace
Hide the lies between the bloodshot eyes Keep it close to me I'll never let it show
You got your army but they're my spies Keep it like a secret man I just cant let it go Let it go”
With The Five Ghosts, Stars return with their fifth full length album of sublime dream pop. After going for a more mellow chamber pop sound on the classic Set Yourself On Fire and In Our Bedroom After The War, the band has gone for a more electronic sound this time around. As the title suggests, the majority of the songs here deal with ghosts. Appropriately, the electronic soundscapes that dominate this album are perfect for this subject. Sonically and thematically, the songs have a light, airy, ethereal feel.
This is by far the most concise album Stars have released to date, clocking in at approximately 37 minutes and consisting of just 11 songs. The emphasis here is uptempo songs in the vein of "The Night Starts Here," "Ageless Beauty," and "Elevator Love Letter." Fans of slower earlier songs like "Personal" and "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead" may be slightly disappointed, but The Five Ghosts has lots for a Stars fan to love.
The trademark male-female vocal interplay between Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan is still evident, particularly in the stunning album opener "Dead Hearts." However, Millan simply DOMINATES this album. "Wasted Daylight" and first single "Fixed" are hands down two of my favourite songs of the year. That being said, Campbell doesn't exactly punch it in for this record. He shines on the atmospheric, pulsating album focal point "He Dreams He's Awake."
Despite dealing with grave subject matter like death and ghosts, Stars manage to make the songs light and fun. This album is not as strong as their masterpiece Set Yourself On Fire (what albums are?), but it's definitely worthy of a spot in their stellar catalogue. This is definitely one of my favourite albums of the year so far.
