Punchdrunk History

In some respects, I suspect you've got a respectable side

2007-06-22T16:52:00.000-06:00

I admit, I was never a huge White Stripes fan before this year. I didn't know much besides "Seven Nation Army", which I hated, and refused to believe they could be worthy of the hype. Needless to say, I was very wrong.

The reunion of Jack and Meg White on June 19th's Icky Thump might have been the most anticipated album of 2007. And it certainly lived up to its promises. The entire album is incredible, but one of the most exciting is second cut You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do as You're Told).

It's a pretty typical White Stripes song, actually - bluesy organ riff, primitive drumming, and Jack White's usual sneeringly cruel-and-yet-kind lyrics. Still, they remain as fresh as ever. The song features the fantastic guitar crunch we've come to expect from Mr. White, almost Stooges-ish on this track. The vocals are stellar and the lyrics delightful. I'll certainly be posting more from this album eventually, because it's truly amazing.

Been listening too long to one song

2007-06-20T18:24:00.000-06:00

The New Pornographers are a relatively recent discovery of mine, despite the fact that they've been charmingly power-popping their way through hipsters' hearts for seven years. True, I haven't actually bought an album yet, so I'm forced to resign myself to year-old Matador samplers and promo downloads. Still, that's enough for me to realize that the New Pornographers might be the most important force in post-2000 indie pop.

Sing Me Spanish Techno perfectly encapsulates this. Coming in at a radio-ready 3:59, and featuring quite possibly the loveliest hooks in North America, it's genuinely a mystery as to why the continent's entire populace (and I mean that) isn't rushing to scrawl their names at the bottom of the pre-order list for Challengers while simultaneously buying Twin Cinema. The song extols the virtues of making radical changes in your life (oddly enough, the plot of the Scrubs episode I just watched) over a base of brilliantly summery piano and a fantastic repeating riff. The real star of the show is, as always, A.C. Newman and Neko Case's lovely harmonies. And who can't adore that leap to the chorus? This is definitely a song to "listen too long to".

[Buy Twin Cinema]

Seen you looking good the other evening

2007-06-19T18:15:00.000-06:00

I'm notoriously a big fan of bootlegs (although definitely not on a jam-band level) and one that's been getting a lot of airplay around here is Robyn Hitchcock (& Heavy Friends)' tribute to Syd Barrett. The concert, much like their earlier tribute to the White Album, was a one-off gig in London - only this time exhaustively celebrating the works of Mr. Barrett. It's no surprise that this was especially splendid, as Robyn has been vocal about his love for Syd for years. One of my favorites is Love You, originally appearing on Barrett's 1969 debut solo album, The Madcap Laughs.

The song maintains the delightful sweetness of the original, sung as a duet with Isobel Campbell, who also features on cello. It's certainly not a song to take very seriously and indeed Robyn nearly breaks into laughter several times as he and Isobel attempt to navigate the track's tongue-twisting wordplay. Musically, the song is nothing special - a lightly strummed guitar and beautiful cello that lacks the tinkling piano of the original. Still, it's an admirable take on a ditty that often goes overlooked in favor of Barrett's more serious work.

[Robyn Hitchcock & Heavy Friends - Live at Queen Elizabeth Hall 2007-05-26]

Another week of school won't do you any good

2007-06-18T18:26:00.000-06:00

(Someday I'll start posting these things on a regular basis, I promise.)

Today's pick comes from a Sheffield band who, although I've been hearing their name whispered reverently amidst stacks of Rough Trade 45s for seemingly years, only just released their debut in November. I knew I was going to discover The Long Blondes somehow, and there isn't a better way to do so than through this track:

Once and Never Again

Rolling Stone might be proclaiming (as of last week) Amy Winehouse (paraphrased) 'the new queen of rock'n'roll', but after hearing "Once And Never Again" I'd have to raise my hand and give that title to Kate Jackson. This single is incredibly exciting, held down by ramshackle drumming that's just barely managing to keep up with the frenetic pace set by Kate's careening, flirty wail that takes more than a leaf from Morrissey's book. (Which might, actually, be attributed to their common girl-group influence (check the drop-dead gorgeous harmonies on the chorus!), but it's not hard to imagine the Long Blondes all curled attentively around a set of speakers blaring "The Last of the Famous International Playboys".) It does lyrically as well - with an impassioned plea to "come out with me, you only have to do it once..." and more than a taste of kitchen-sink drama. The song is directed at a nineteen-year-old girl who's just too young for love. One can envision the orange-cardiganed star of "How Soon Is Now?" dancing her way (although a bit more cheerfully) through this video as well.

[Buy Someone to Drive You Home.]

Bright Eyes - If the Brakeman Turns My Way

2007-06-01T18:14:00.000-06:00

Once again, proving myself to be a bit behind the times - although I don't believe I ever posted about Cassadaga in the first place, so I guess this is OK.

I started listening to Bright Eyes in 2003, pressed on by hearing "Drunk Kids & Catholics", "Trees Get Wheeled Away", and "Method Acting" on the local college station - I didn't really have any idea of his reputation at the time, or even that his home was so near mine; merely that, wow, this guy was kinda crazy - but I bought Lifted... nevertheless and, well, hated it. Not quite that strongly, but I listened to it a few times and put it back on the shelf in favor of the Cure or whatever I was listening to most frequently at the time. I kept up with him, however, and, indeed, bought I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning and Digital Ash in a Digital Urn on the day of their release. That's when, without sounding too Natalie Portman, my life changed. More or less. I was captivated by (just about) every track on both, and they rapidly became my favorite albums of 2005. I stood in Memorial Park in the drenching rain for two hours last June, to be rewarded with "Well Whiskey" - that was devotion, I thought.

So when Cassadaga was released earlier this year, I was a little apprehensive. Could anything touch that duo? I'd heard it was another on his alt. country bent, which left me pleased... but still I wasn't sure if I ought to buy it or not. Once I finally got the guts to click "Buy now", I knew I couldn't have made a better decision. From the weird-y optical illusion packaging to the liner notes, this would be another in a list of fantastic 2007 releases. My favorite track?

"If the Brakeman Turns My Way" is simply extraordinary. It's somehow exactly like and completely unlike everything Bright Eyes has ever released; it dances around therapeutics (Better take a little time to level out...) and throws itself headlong into Oberst's obsession with Middle America and trains (one he shares with Michael Stipe). His vocals are clearly influenced more than ever by M. Ward, but he keeps the quavering joy he's always had as the chorus explodes from a shaky pedal-steel opening verse that's less of a lyric than an introductory monologue to some old black-and-white documentary, perhaps recited by Tom Waits. At first, the chorus seems anticlimactic - but what were you expecting? The verses still prance in that old-but-young voice, reiterating all those scenes of desolation in America we first heard on tracks like "Train Under Water". (First a mother bathes her child, then the other way around. The scales always find a way to level out.) The bridge almost takes you by surprise - don't distract me! I'm waiting for the final chorus! - but it's full of Westerbergian lines (A dime store mystery, but I'm a repeat first-time offender who's rewritten history). And then, finally, that last chorus. Here the song reaches its zenith with a typical huge grin - and it's over in shimmering organ.

Right now this track seems to be on par with "Intervention", "Underwater (You and Me)" and "A Comet Appears" for Best Song of 2007 (here, anyway). Maybe it'll be a four-way tie (for first).

[Buy Cassadaga]

Editors

2007-05-31T14:42:00.000-06:00

Summer's back and so am I! Finally. I'm glad to have so much free time, though - not that much of it is being spent on anything other than obsessively organizing my iTunes and watching Scrubs reruns.

Lately I've been listening to almost nothing but Editors. Now I realize that by saying this I've firmly placed myself approximately two years behind the rest of the world, but in my defense, I attempted to be skeptical of them at first. The last band I'd heard such relentless "RIYL The Smiths and The Cure" from attempting-to-be-hip teen weeklies was My Chemical Romance, and I certainly didn't want to repeat that mistake. Then everyone else discussed Interpol, Joy Division, R.E.M., and U2, to which I replied, "That's probably fantastic, but I have other things to think about..." I couldn't have chosen worse. As I lay in a Back Room-induced haze, I can't imagine a life without Editors - and from what I've heard of An End Has a Start, it's going to be similarly incredible. (Actually, "The Weight of the World" was really what I wanted to post, but I'm a little iffy about posting things before they're released. Which is just to say, yes, I'll post it at some point post-AEHAS.)

So for something completely different - "Bullets".

This is the first many had heard of Editors (as far as I can tell) and it's a gorgeous introduction. It touches all the common points of reference, providing a base for any listener to stand on (that is, to be completely stereotypical, the college students can discuss the vaguely Paul Banks vocals, while the middle-aged former hipsters can rave about the Edge-ish guitar work...) and yet has a sound completely its own. The entire song is infused with a relentlessly exciting intensity best exemplified by the ending, when the track is carried almost solely by drummer Ed Lay. What a great song.

[Buy The Back Room]

HIATUS

2007-05-05T19:56:00.001-06:00

PUNCHDRUNK HISTORY IS ON HIATUS FOR THE TIME BEING.

New releases and, what, the JAMC?

2007-04-30T19:14:00.000-06:00

Just a few links today.

*Sixeyes lists new releases for May - I'm looking forward to this week's Dinosaur Jr and Frog Eyes and, later, of course Sky Blue Sky and Voxtrot.

Can you see the sunset from the southside? gets featured in the Chicago Tribune. It's actually a very lovely article on the MP3-blog phenomenon - one of only a thousand, anyway.

Stylus gives us A Guided Tour of Sarah Records' First 50 Singles. As a self-professed obsessive of record labels and vinyl collecting, I love these types of articles. I can't wait for the rest!

Berkeley Place is looking for yr input on the top 25 indie albums ever.

Finally - what you've all been waiting for - the Mary Chain at Pomona. [Login needed.]

Plenty o' news

2007-04-26T16:55:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the long delay - I've been writing a paper. Anyway, links:

EachNoteSecure reviews Pela's new LP, Anytown Graffiti. I've been a fan of theirs since I heard "Episodes (Diphenhydramine)" from their debut EP, All in Time, so I'm very excited about what they sound like on a full-length. Doubtless it's fantastic - I'll definitely be picking it up once I have a bit more money.

I was completely unaware that Greg Norton of Hüsker Dü had formed a new band, but it appears to be true - here he is with Gang Font on Minneapolis' 89.3 The Current.

Pitchfork dishes up some interesting news:

The Pipettes are set to release their debut EP and LP in the States in June and August, respectively. Also a North American tour. I'm also super excited about this - "It's Not Love (But It's Still a Feeling)" and "Pull Shapes" have been in heavy rotation on iTunes for awhile, but I've never been willing to pay enough for the import.
Interpol... has a new album! July 10 - Our Love to Admire. Includes a tracklist. Such great summer releases! Now I just need a source of income.
The JAMC are everywhere. Tour dates in NYC ... a rarities boxed set ... now they just need more dates and I'll die of happiness. I mean, hearing "Cherry Came Too" or "Between Planets" live might be a dream come true.
The world's favorite sweet Swede, Jens Lekman, is discussing a new album as well. Hooray!

Aversion mentions the Shins' new digital live EP. I had no idea this was even happening, but it certainly seems a worthy addition to my iTunes library.

The Ottawa Citizen reviews Les Breastfeeders, Malajube, and other Francophone bands of Quebec.

CMJ reports the Comas' opening for the Broken West. That's definitely a show I would catch! Can't wait for the rest of the dates.

I guess I should have known.

2007-04-19T21:05:00.000-06:00

At the tender age of approximately twelve, I received a battered VHS tape of MTV's 120 Minutes from my brother. All videos were taped sometime in 1989, and watching it for the first time sincerely changed my life. I was a little college rock fan, crushing on Tommy Stinson and enamored of anything left-of-the-dial; here, then, was a goldmine. I tend to revisit that tape every summer or so, and a few of those videos have stuck with me ever since.

Cartoon from Soul Asylum (Hang Time, 1988)
See a Little Light from Bob Mould (Workbook, 1989)

The most influential, however, would have to be Miracle Legion's "You're the One Lee". I'm not sure quite what it was about that song or that video, but it cast a new light over my high school years and I haven't looked back since. (I've been exceptionally unsuccessful at finding any of their albums in stores, however. I believe they're all out of print. I did find the 12" single of that very song once, to my delight [featuring the Sugarcubes on one b-side, "Ladies From Town"] and 1988's Glad, but nothing else.)

Others that similarly affected me were Soul Asylum [again!] with "P-9" and Camper Van Beethoven's "Good Guys & Bad Guys", but I'm unable to find either online.

Elsewhere:
*Sixeyes lets us in on the new Beirut album.

The Globe and Mail watches Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Another charmingly-written article, though I'm not entirely sure what makes them "conjunction-hating".

Dependent, undisciplined, sleeping late

2007-04-18T21:54:00.000-06:00

mp3: Teenage Fanclub - Star Sign

[Buy: Bandwagonesque]

This came on a mix CD I'd made a few summers ago and dug out again today and I'm still impressed at how much I continue to love it almost five years after originally hearing it. (Sixteen years after its original release, no less!) This is a great great summer song (to follow the trend, I guess) and it's basically brilliant. This is the cut-down version with a shorter intro. Perfect harmonies with enough noisy guitar and charming bass to remind me instantly of "Green Eyes" by Hüsker Dü when I first heard it. Why? I dunno, but it's still seems to sound strangely Grant-Hart-esque.

Not much tonight. I'm tired and a little lazy.

*Sixeyes interviews Finn Andrews of the Veils. Me, I'm still shocked that Nux Vomica has been released in other parts of the world for months and months and is only next week getting a proper release in the States. What a shame. I'm definitely buying it, though! (She says, as she finally buys Cassadaga...)

Everyone gets excited about Dinosaur Jr. Well... Chromewaves and Can you see the sunset from the southside? do. I know I am. I've heard mixed reviews of Beyond, though, but I think I like what I've heard. Anyway, Frank links to the video for "Been There All the Time" which I am mainly linking to due to its featuring Thurston Moore and his lovely daughter, who is basically the cutest rock chick since, well, her mother. Coco's got a good future. (But she's already cooler than me.)

Weird shit: Amazon has started a "Go Indie" campaign. I'm not sure what exactly it's for, other than a new way to show off their use of the phrase "indie cred". I like that they sent me an email about it though... Anyway, their "150 for $9.99" isn't that sweet of a deal, although I did manage to score the deluxe version of Slanted & Enchanted for half-price.

We come in doing cartwheels

2007-04-16T21:04:00.000-06:00

Awww, spring. Today reached a high of 75 degrees, which was very much welcomed. Around this house warm weather is generally acknowledged by Doctor Who reruns and ice cream, but I also tend to stick something cheerful on the old turntable and open the window. Today (doubtless prompted by the single release and their appearance on the Tonight Show) it's been

mp3: The Shins - Australia

[Buy: Wincing the Night Away]

This song is becoming the new definition of summer (last year it turned out to be Yo La Tengo's "Tom Courtenay", to be raved about in another post - and the year before that Sugar's "If I Can't Change Your Mind" - the year before that The Replacements' "Alex Chilton" - and the year before that, actually, the Shins again with "New Slang") - anyway, just the right amount of jangly guitar, sweet harmonies, "la la la la la" and vocals that seem to simultaneously recall Morrissey and Alex Chilton himself. But the real star here is, of course, James Mercer's characteristically verbose lyrics, bringing back some of his favorite words... How many times has he mentioned 'ordinary', 'potions', 'night skies'... etc? Either way, you can't help but fall in love with lines like "faced with the android's conundrum". Finally, Mercer announces his last challenge - "Oh, dare to be one of us, girl"... "So give me your hand and let's jump out the window."

(The line lending itself to my subject line has always reminded me, somewhat, of that line in "Teen Age Riot" about "You come running in on platform shoes...")

Elsewhere: Chromewaves discusses new stuff involving Son Volt and Wilco. Including those creepy little dolls.

Links and new purchases

2007-04-09T20:24:00.000-06:00

No mp3 tonight, since I'm ridiculously tired, but here are some quick links:

The Independent gives Bright Eyes' Cassadaga 5 stars. Still haven't picked that up - I'll get it tomorrow, I guess. Looking forward to it, anyway; I love the Four Winds EP (I think I mentioned that earlier) so I'm hoping for similar quality on the full record.
Rolling Stone (really) gets excited about the Springsteen tribute show. It sounds amazing - particularly:
Immediately afterwards, Brooklyn indie rockers the Hold Steady took the stage and played the most joyous version of “Atlantic City” I’ve ever seen. Dancing around like Talking Heads-era David Byrne on speed, frontman Craig Finn delivered the sorrowful tale of a desperate man like it was “Joy to the World.” If not for the show’s finale, it would have been the greatest performance of the night.

Along with aforementioned finale, of course.

Hot news of the week: Indie rock compilations. Why hasn't this happened before? I'm vaguely excited, though I'm not sure if I see myself buying a lot of these.
The Louisville Courier-Journal reviews the Decemberists. I'm a bit baffled - where are all these guys who apparently chat up girls in Sufjan Stevens t-shirts? Granted, I don't live in Kentucky, but I've certainly worn my Sufjan shirt plenty of times and never run into any Decemberists-listening, huge-bearded men. (Also, where are all the cute girls in Sufjan shirts? I guess they're in Kentucky.)
Pitchfork hangs out with Ted Leo. Great interview. Another record I haven't managed to pick up yet...

But here's what I did find this weekend! Mostly cleaning up stuff I didn't manage to buy last year, with some other strange picks in-between:

CD:

The Dears: Gang of Losers (Arts & Crafts, 2006)
The Decemberists: The Crane Wife (Capitol, 2006)
Frog Eyes: The Golden River (Absolutely Kosher, 2002)
Of Montreal: Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? (Polyvinyl, 2007)

Cassette:

The Chameleons: John Peel Sessions (Strange Fruit, 1990) [I can't tell if this is a bootleg or not. It might be, but it was only $3.]

Vinyl:

Band of Horses: Everything All the Time (Sub Pop, 2006)
Devendra Banhart: "Heard Somebody Say" b/w "La Pastorcita Perdida" (XL, 2005)
Camera Obscura: "If Looks Could Kill" b/w "I Love How You Love Me" (Elefant [Spanish import], 2007)

Pretty excited about all of these!! OH, and I also ended up getting a burned copy of Sunset Rubdown's Shut Up, I Am Dreaming from one of the clerks. Haven't listened to it yet though.

Weekends aren't my strong suit.

2007-04-05T21:29:00.000-06:00

First and foremost, I have to apologize for not posting in several days - illness and papers tend to do that to you. Whatever, I'm sorry, and I won't be around during Easter weekend either!

mp3: Old 97's - Designs on You

Buy: Old 97's - Satellite Rides

I just recently rediscovered this track and I'm as in love with it now as I was three years ago when I first heard it. The Old 97's are masters of sweet power pop and 'charming' could be the best description of this track. Filled with hooks, "Designs on You" almost sounds as if it were ghostwritten by Paul Westerberg (street corners, girls getting married, "I won't tell a soul", nightclubs...) and manages to smile all the way through a sad song.

Stereogum reviews the Hold Steady's cover of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame". I hate to say it, but I have to agree with half of the comments - it is pretty painful to listen to, as excited as I was upon reading the initial article.
Pitchfork chats it up with Carl Newman of the New Pornographers. I'm a big fan of theirs, so I'm duly intrigued at the prospect of a new album. It sounds as if it will be great - I loved the power-pop punch of Twin Cinema, but I'd happily listen to anything they release.
Just announced: Joy Division sneakers. My only possible response to this is What? I wasn't impressed with J Mascis' Nikes, but these might be even worse, if that's possible. I'm actually kind of sad that this wasn't an April Fool's joke, because that would be brilliant, but seeing as it was a day later I suppose it wasn't. (I am amused by "FACT 10" and "Step inside...", and I guess the sole design is cute, but... I wouldn't buy any.)
Omaha's TheReader talks to Conor Oberst. This is a pretty nice interview, if you excuse the fact that it's all in one skinny column. I'm not sure what happened to their layout designer.
Band to watch: Leeds' The Rosie Taylor Project. Fine, they're friends of a friend, but I'm sure I'd still find them as incredible if I had no idea who they were. Brilliant country-tinged indie rock that's like nothing else coming out of Britain at the moment.
TV: The Office is doubtless my favorite show on television right now, so I was pretty pleased to read this Onion A.V. Club interview with writer/actress Mindy Kaling. Speaking of which, tonight may have been my favorite night for NBC ever, what with new episodes of both the Office and Scrubs - both being surprisingly phenomenal.
Final TV note - and following on the Office theme; last night's episode of Conan O'Brien featured fellow Office writer/actor B.J. Novak along with none other than Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! It was rather exceptional.
The Tampa Bay Online talks to Colin Meloy about his "English Lit Major lyrics". I'm particularly fond of his quote on growing up with "a steady diet of Morrissey, Robyn Hitchcock, Hüsker Dü and The Replacements". Sometimes I wonder if we weren't actually separated at birth.

Oh no, is it really Monday?

2007-04-02T17:02:00.000-06:00

mp3: Thrushes - Heartbeats

Let me tell you a little story about about Thrushes. I came home one day to find a MySpace friend request from them in my inbox (doubtless due to our mutual friends A Sunny Day in Glasgow and the Sky Drops) and, curious, listened to a few tracks - including this one. So, I ordered the album and was first surprised to receive a personal email from guitarist Casey Harvey thanking me for my order. I waited a few days, and then the CD arrived in a handwritten envelope, stuffed with not only a beautiful record, but two badges, a sticker, and a greeting card thanking me (again) for my support. Thus did Thrushes win my heart.

(That is, if they hadn't already with this song.) "Heartbeats" is a gorgeous single, opening with a spot-on "Just Like Honey" pastiche. Anna Conner's vocals enter, then, dancing round waves of sound and kindling an excitement not seen since, well, the Mary Chain. And it's that excitement which makes Thrushes and "Heartbeats" so incredible. Listening to it - particularly the opening and the resurgence at 3:30 - renews any faith in music I ever had; faith that there are still kids who spent high school with Psychocandy superglued into their Walkmans; faith that there's still room for black-and-white photographs of corners and suitcases worthy of Lou Reed; and, really, faith that these sort of musical references can still be made with the knowledge that it can be appreciated.

[Buy: Thrushes: Sun Come Undone, out on Birdnote Records (Morphius)]

Now for some (mostly) old news:

-Wired Listening Post speaks to Maggie Fost, album designer at Merge Records.
It's a fascinating insight into what exactly goes into a medium I've always been interested in - and how that's being affected by digital music.

-The Guardian discusses The Shins.

-Meanwhile, the Manchester Evening News actually attends a gig.
This is a cute review! Particulary banteratgigs.com/Manchester.

-EachNoteSecure gives us Calexico covering Arcade Fire!, courtesy of Merge Records.

Tidbits (for Thursday)

2007-03-29T17:12:00.000-06:00

Nothing much today, but here are some lovely links:

ABC News speaks to the Shins. Not a lot of new info, but it's a good article. (I'm particularly fond of now being known as a member of a "quirky, dedicated legion.")
Meanwhile, the Patriot-News discusses the Decemberists. This isn't the greatest, though I'm pleased to see them getting coverage nevertheless.
My favorite link of the day: Mike Watt as summarized by Exclaim!. What a fun article. I'm a huge fan of Watt's, and it's always a pleasure to see him still jamming (despite ill-advised Good Charlotte video appearances...).
Arcade Fire are releasing their second single from Neon Bible - "Keep the Car Running". I'm terribly excited about this; it makes a nice follow-up to "Intervention". (Note the other item on that page: SUPERCHUNK!)
Tom Ewing of Pitchfork's "Poptimist" ponders "spoilers" in pop music. It's a good article; I can't help but sort of agree - though the truth is, I do still find myself waiting eagerly for the new issue of The Big Takeover (not to mention my own halfhearted attempts at rock criticism). I think the best example of beautiful rock writing has to be Said the Gramophone - I can't think of another blog which has as consistently forced me to download, buy, etc. - often based not just on prior knowledge of the artist or song but mostly just on the gorgeous prose accompanying each. They might fail Tom's criteria for attempting to 'sway opinions' but I rarely see a post of Dan's, Sean's, or Jordan's that resorts to name-dropping vomit. It's more like an experience, and I commend them for that.
I keep becoming intrigued by Songbird. It's an interesting idea for a music application that I think isn't quite being used to its full potential - but seeing as it's still way in development, I'm willing to give them a chance. It's certainly a beautiful application, and I'm impressed by what I see - it's still no replacement for iTunes, however.
Finally, Bloc Party are guests on David Letterman tonight - I'm excited! I'm a big fan of A Weekend in the City, particularly "I Still Remember"; sure, it's the new single, but it's lovely as hell. I'm hoping they'll play it tonight - in the meantime, here's the equally lovely b-side to the first single, "The Prayer".

Listen: We Were Lovers
Buy: The Prayer / A Weekend in the City

We All Have Hooks for Hands - The Pretender

2007-03-28T20:15:00.000-06:00

I'm sick of 29-piece family bands. Sure, the Arcade Fire might be cute when they mutter "Pass the bread, s'il vous plait" around the table, but all this "gang membership" mentality (I'm From Barcelona, I'm looking at you!) tends to leave me with a toothache and sugarplum visions of the Polyphonic Spree. That is, until I met We All Have Hooks for Hands.

For this South Dakota collective making their long-player debut ("The Pretender" - not Jackson Browne) on Afternoon Records next week, the Arcade Fire comparisons would seem to be pretty accurate. They're a nine-piece group featuring a pair of brothers but no married couples, on a record where every track (nearly) could be an indie hit, full of Big Moments and horn sections and joyfully shouted choruses, balanced by the occasional wistful ballad. So what's the big deal? This could be anybody. And that, precisely, is the appeal of Hooks for Hands - their ramshackle singalong cheerfulness leaves you with the feeling that you've just made nine new best friends.

The album starts inauspiciously with an awkwardly-titled instrumental ditty (comprised of mostly keyboard) followed by a series of even-more-awkward handclaps - leading into the record's real beginning, the poppy "Jumpin Jean-Luc". Here they display for the first time the fantastic harmonies which characterize the rest of the album, backed by pounding drums and typewriteresque percussion. Their star truly begins to shine with the next track, "Oh I'd Expect". The opening guitar line is beautifully college radio (almost Peter Buck), and it's soon joined by a vocal celebrating - or depreciating? - god knows what... but who really cares? It's fun, and nihilistic, and goddamn gorgeous.

Then, of course, out pops star single "Hold On, C'mon", lead track on their first EP and a longtime favorite. It's still the thundering brilliant show it was a year ago, with a chorus echoed by every journalist ("all the little children and the babies singing...") and all too suited for their music. Finally it reaches the title line, still backed by the same tentatively-plucked guitar, raw voices yelling "hold on! BABADABABADABADA" and, after a short bridge, ends at breakneck speed. Track 5, "The Man Trying to Outfox Us All" has been namechecked on various blogs already, but it's a shame it's not being played all over the nation. Characterized by brilliant jangly guitar and sweet harmonies and a catchy line - "life's a joke with no punchline, but you're alright..." it seems the most obvious candidate for commercial appeal, but that by no means is an insult.

On "The Secret Life (Of Dolls and Doldrums)", sounding almost like an outtake from Neon Bible (except for its lack of a pipe organ) and descending slowly into an exuberant chorus, the song extolls (ironically?) the virtues of the previously-denigrated 29-piece bands (or whatever) -- "we love everyone and the party's at our place!" it's a "Here Comes a Regular"-worthy wistful look at what could be a fabulous life, drinking every night and sleeping under the sun... right? "Elvis 'Mother Fucking' Christ" first appears as a possibly-misguided Bright Eyes pastiche, but then erupts into a typical Hooks for Hands track, finishing with the line, "You don't even know what you believe in now!"

If it weren't for the sparkling guitar and the catchy chorus, "On & On" would seem like filler. Maybe it is, but it's still a great segue on a mixtape... speaking of Wilco, Jeff Tweedy might well have sung the next track, the tender ballad "Ghosts & Strangers" - lasting just under a minute, this lullaby is instantly endearing. The closer, "The Teeth of the Lion", also appeared on the first EP, and here We All Have Hooks for Hands pull out all stops -- yelling about living forever and paying the rent falling into a gloriously messy trumpet solo and "and now... the end." in a burst of feedback.

Upon first glance, We All Have Hooks for Hands might seem a novelty act, nothing more than Broken-Social-Scene-ripoffs. Fuck that, just have fun. And it has been fun. So forget the Spree and just go buy "The Pretender."

Listen: Oh I'd Expect

Buy: We All Have Hooks for Hands - The Pretender

(OK, I admit - Hooks for Hands are sort of friends, but I swear I didn't get paid to write this.)