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Zach Condon of Beirut to release dual EP

Wed, 13 Nov 2008 18:48:44 GMT

posted by puddlegum

Zach Condon has ended his short break from Beirut and has announced a double EP and the formation of a new record label. The first EP is titled March of the Zapotec, aptly named since Condon “recorded in Mexico with the help of Oaxacan march masters The Jimenez Band.” The Zapotec is an indigenous civilization in Mexico that dates back 2,500 years.

March of the Zapotec was partly tracked with a funeral band of 17 members from a tiny town of Oaxaca, Mexico. Zach Condon had begun working on a soundtrack for a film, but Zach decided to continue the project as Beirut when things fell through. In a similar way that Zach fell in love with Baltic Gypsy music, he grew passionate about the native music of Oaxaca and made it his own. After two weeks in Mexico, Zach continued to travel, recording one song with Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear, and finishing the album in various jaunts.

Zach Condon described the sound during an interview with Pitchfork:

“It’s very march-y in some senses. The songs are longer than I’m used to doing, which is interesting to me. I’m pretty accustomed to sticking to, like, three-minute pop songs. These actually have a few movements in them. Nothing huge and epic, this isn’t an opera. [Laughs] It’s very brass-heavy, very squawky, with these constant churning rhythms.”

The second EP, Holland, will be released under Zach’s original electronic project, Realpeople. Holland will be a continuation of his epic synth-pop exploration. One song was featured on Natalie Porman’s AIDS charity compilation and the positive reaction to his song encouraged him to record the EP.

“I wanted to keep it a secret: different band name, different everything, that kind of stuff. Between Perrin and [Ba Da Bing label head] Ben Goldberg and other people, they kind of thought it would be an exciting idea to have the whole thing together, and I thought that’d be interesting, too. Especially with the packaging, the way it is.” (Pitchfork)

The two albums will be packaged together and released on February 16, 2009 through Condon’s new Pompeii Records. The release will be distributed by Revolver (US) and Forte (Europe).

Since 2006, Beirut has released two full-lengths and three EPs:
Beirut - Gulag Orkestar (May 9, 2006)
Beirut - Lon Gisland EP (January 30, 2007)
Beirut - Pompeii EP (February 28, 2007)
Beirut - Elephant Gun EP (June 25, 2007)
Beirut - Flying Club Cup (October 9, 2007)

Beirut - Fountains and Tramways (Pompeii EP)

dear pitchfork media, home of the gratuitously in-depth record review {October 15, 2008}

Sun, 20 Oct 2008 23:08:35 GMT

posted by lizfrithtx

o guys—just for this, I want to nuzzle each one of you in person. Even the receptionist.

(and I've always wanted to visit chicago!)

(postcard by rarrar press. grrr!)

Here are my curiosities of note:

October
Her Space Holiday: XOXO, Panda and The New Kid Revival
Land of Talk: Some Are Lakes
The Decemberists: Always the Bridesmaid: A Singles Series - Volume 1
Ray LaMontagne: Gossip in the Grain
Shearwater: The Snow Leopard EP
Bonnie "Prince" Billy: Is It the Sea?
Beach House: "Used To Be" 7"
The Dears: Missles
Final Fantasy: Play EP
Frightened Rabbit: Liver! Lung! FR!
Of Montreal: Skeletal Lamping
Bloc Party: Intimacy
Fredrik: Na Na Ni
Snow Patrol: A Hundred Million Suns

November
The Decemberists: Always the Bridesmaid: A Singles Series - Voume 2
Au Revoir Simone: Reverse Migration
Deer Tick: War Elephant
Los Campesinos!: We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed
Belle and Sebastian: The BBC Sessions
The Killers: Day & Age

December
The Decemberists: Always the Bridesmaid: A Singles Series - Volume 3
Welcome Wagon: Welcome Wagon.

-----

I had no clue that Frightened Rabbit has a new release this month (a live effort, but still a new release nonetheless). My favorite Scottish artist is still Malcolm Middleton, but FR is a close second. I'll conjecture that their music is more consistent than Malcolm's—but when Malcolm nails it, his work is wryly dark and absolutely masterful. (check out "A Happy Medium," "Solemn Thirsty" and "Fuck It, I Love You" on elbo.ws.)

Why are thick Scottish accents so earnest & sexy? I've included a couple tracks off of Frightened Rabbit's very good sophomore effort, The Midnight Organ Flight. And just to remind everyone of my general ridiculousness, this album was produced by Peter Katis, who also produced The National's Boxer. Damn fine work, my friend.

MP3: "Backwards Walk" / Frightened Rabbit

MP3: "The Twist" / Frightened Rabbit

Les Savy Fav Hits Conan Thursday night

Mon, 29 Jan 2008 03:09:00 GMT

posted by Dfactor

Waved Rumor isn't a huge Les Savy Fav fan (not entirely sure why, though....it rocks, it's crazed live stuff, but maybe just a different neighborhood?), but I AM excited to learn that the band will get a big shot at national TV exposure Thursday night on the Conan O Brien show on NBC.

Their people shout out...."With the release of Let’s Stay Friends (out now on Frenchkiss Records), indie art rock mainstays Les Savy Fav start 2008 with their debut national television performance on Conan O’Brien this coming Thursday January 31st, performing their hot single “Patty Lee”. Most recently they have been honored with a nomination for Best Indie Rock Album in the 2008 Plug Awards and named #6 in the Top 100 Albums Of The Year in prestigious Metacritic.com year-end list. "

Good for them, I say - I hope all of the nation et caritas watches it on Thursday night.

Darker My Love

Sat, 14 Sep 2008 16:16:00 GMT

posted by mjunti
Darker My Love released "2" on Dangerbird Record August 5th. They are at number 17 on the CMJ radio chart, up from 21 last week. Pitchfork gave them a 4.4 rating. That's out 10 so they are way down on the record. The review states "Sadly though, most of 2 relies on slow burners and underwhelming soundscapes intended to overwhelm." I've enjoyed the songs I've heard off the record a lot more than Pitchfork. It's getting a thumbs up from the pants. The song to download is "Two Ways Out."

SeeqPod - Playable Search

Wikipedia:

Darker My Love is an indie psychedelic rock band based in Los Angeles, California. The band consists of 5 members. Tim Presley, a former member of the band The Nerve Agents and also a visual artist responsible for much of the band's imagery, contributes vocals and guitar. Andy Granelli, formerly a member of both The Nerve Agents and The Distillers, plays drums. They are accompanied by Rob Barbato, who plays bass and shares lead vocal duties with Presley, and Jared "The Sandwich" Everett on rhythm guitar. Will Canzoneri joined the band on organ and clavinet in the latter half of 2006. The group's style is often compared to bands such as Can and My Bloody Valentine.
The band has released two EP's and one LP. Recorded in 2005, their debut LP was released on 22 August 2006 on Dangerbird Records. On 28 August 2007, the band released a 12" 45 rpm split record with Denver-based rock group Moccasin. Darker My Love's contribution is a song called "Hair Decisions," which was recorded at San Francisco's Hyde Street Studios in October 2006. The record was the first release on L.A.-based label IHATEROCKNROLL. In Spring 2006, Presley and Barbato became members of the prolific British post-punk group The Fall, and are both featured prominently on The Fall's 2007 album Reformation Post TLC. Their sophomore album, entitled 2, was released on 5 August 2008 on Dangerbird Records.
The band name was derived from a TSOL song of the same name.

Members
Tim Presley - Guitar/Vocals
Rob Barbato - Bass/Vocals
Jared Everett - Guitar
Will Canzoneri - Organ/Clavinet
Andy Granelli - Drums

Discography
(2004) - Darker My Love (EP, Tarantulas Records)
(2005) - Summer Is Here (EP, Tarantulas Records)
(2006) - Darker My Love (Dangerbird Records)
(2007) - Darker My Love/Moccassin (12" Split) (IHATEROCKNROLL)
(2008) - 2 (Dangerbird Records)

See also
The Distillers
The Nerve Agents
The Fall (band)

External Links
August 2008 Interview with L.A. Record

Darker My Love

Red Collar: The Hands Up EP (2007)

Thu, 7 Sep 2007 22:39:00 GMT

posted by rollzroyce6

New Wax

In today's vast expanse of indie music, getting proper exposure can be an impossibly daunting task, and unfortunately, many talented and deserving bands slip through the cracks. While North Carolina's Red Collar seems to be keenly aware of this harsh reality, there is a depth apparent in their music that easily distinguishes them from the rest of the flock. The band's first release The Hands Up EP, is a post-punk triumph, drawing from influential bands like Fugazi and Jawbox, while maintaining a unique and intriguing voice. Lead singer Jason Kutchma is captivating, with a weathered yet melodic every-man quality that is never more apparent than on the album's gem "Used Guitars." The song is a bittersweet requiem for the unfulfilled dreams of youth, with Kutchma disclosing, "There's a boy looking for a great buy/ Just another boy with a dream, he'll be quick to realize/ That we were made, to fail every day/ Maybe what we want is just too much to ask/ I once reached for stars but now I sell these used guitars." The song is about accepting life's failures, a statement that seems ironic coming from a band that seems destined for surefire success. The Durham quintet is set to record their full-length debut this winter with producer Brian Paulson (Wilco, Archers Of Loaf, Superchunk), and if this EP is any sort of indicator, Red Collar will be on the indie-radar for a long time to come. -- Capt. Obvious

Listen:
MP3: Red Collar - Used Guitars
MP3: Red Collar - Stay
Tags: Red Collar, The Hands Up EP