zombies + folk + precipitation = hoquiam

St. Ives is an off-shoot of the Secret Canadian label that puts out select, limited edition runs of albums only on vinyl, with the added bonus of handmade covers. Their latest is Hoquiam, the moniker for songsmith Damien Jurado and his previously non-musical brother, Drake. Their self-titled album is full of spartan folk ditties recounting macabre tales influenced by horror movie fare, set in the actual Hoquiam, WA, Drake’s hometown. Have a listen to one of the album’s cuts, “Zombies of the Sea”, and allow Damien himself to expand on the band’s genesis and influences.

Hoquiam - “Zombies of the Sea”

Hoquiam by Hoquiam is out now.

1 week ago; Comments | Tags: hoquiam damien jurado st. ives secretly canadian jp

what is up

An interesting variety of music this week, from St. Vincent to Turbo Fruits, from George Clinton and P-Funk to Rodrigo y Gabriela, from Flogging Molly to T-Model Ford, an 89-year-old Mississippi blues hound. Spring is in the air, too, as good gigs are beginning to come thick and heavy in the coming weeks and months. Those of us at Some American are already getting the vapors over the arrival of couple of swell little bands from Georgia, a certain Mastodon and one Baroness. Get your metal pants ready, music-lovers.

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2 weeks ago; Comments | Tags: what is up jp

song of the day

Song of the Day  |  White Hinterland - “No Logic”

Back in January, we shared the ethereal “Icarus” with you on Some American Radio, the first single from the upcoming album, Kairos, by White Hinterland, essentially the creation of Casey Dienel, assisted by musical partner Shawn Creeden. Dienel’s first album, Philactery Factory, was a collection of strange, lyrical pop songs, but the group has shifted gears on Kairos, delving into dreamy indie-R&B songs drenched in reverb and cozy synths.

On the heels of the fantastic “Icarus” comes a second single, “No Logic”, which we happily share with you now. It does not have the immediate accessibility of the first single - though both prominently feature Dienel’s voice as an important melodic component - sounding more like a song deconstructed, then rebuilt with a miscellany of guitar and ukulele snippets and electronic pulses and clicks. Consider it a warped love-child of Dave Longstreth and Merrill Garbus. So a departure of sorts from the more straightforward “Icarus”, but nonetheless sharing the same musical genes.

White Hinterland - “No Logic”

Kairos is out on March 9th on Dead Oceans

White Hinterland will be in Washington, DC on April 25th at DC 9.

2 weeks ago; Comments | Tags: song of the day white hinterland dead oceans casey dienel dave longstreth merrill garbus jp

a considered opinion | phantogram - eyelid movies

Saratoga Springs, NY must have something going on by night that the rest of us cannot even begin to suspect. Though it is an extremely unfair assumption to make, one hears “Saratoga Springs” or any similarly out-of-the-way locale out there in America, and it is hard to imagine cryptic, compelling electronic music emerging from such a place. But here is Phantogram to prove such assumptions drastically wrong. Though it seems rather incongruous in this global age of Internet and instant availability of everything, the larger metropolises still monopolize the lion’s share of musical talent, but this upstate New York duo demonstrate that, yes, town and country have broadband access, speakers, and ears attuned to what makes for some fantastic music.

The band - keyboardist/vocalist Sarah Barthel and guitarist/vocalist Josh Carter - released a couple of EPs in 2009, generating growing interest with some strong live performances and in particularly on the strength of a pair of excellent songs that kick their new full-length, Eyelid Movies (Barsuk Records) off, “Mouthful of Diamonds” and “When I’m Small”. The former is a slow-burning treat, a dulcet guitar hook snaking its way through squeaky electronics and an unhurried beat, tempered by Barthel’s opaque yet resigned lyrics. A song deserving of a much wider audience. “When I’m Small” points to the band’s gloomier influences, though they never let it unravel too far into despondency. When Barthel sings, “I’d rather die, than to be with you,” the mood is leavened by thumping beat and a thuggish bass line which keep hips moving. That dynamic is the band’s strong suit and runs strongly through most of the songs on this record.

Their influences can be heard quite clearly in many places. “Futuristic Casket” opens like a Danger Mouse creation, before Carter begins wailing through a wall of distortion, à la Chino Moreno. The most obvious point of reference across the album would be Portishead - with a generous helping of J Dilla -  as Phantogram often sound like they rose from the same dirty but chic city streets, punctuating their songs with similarly thumping 90s trip-hop beats.

The duo do not delve into the same murky depths, though, as they tend toward the more accessible. Carter’s and particularly Barthel’s sweetly hushed vocals temper such melancholy, despite the subject matter of scorned lovers and the more pitiless realities of the world. Their pop sensibilities and ear for a hook are never buried too deeply: “As Far As I Can See” exemplifies the poppier, more shoe-gazing side of their songwriting - it is a burst of sunshine pop dead center in the album, dreamy guitar and staccato samples of horns laid over a treacly beat, yet Barthel blithely claims, “As far as I can see, nobody loves me… as far as I can tell, nobody loves you with her.”

The album is uneven - some songs (“All Dried Up”, “You Are The Ocean…”) rather melt away without ever really going anywhere or finding that sweet spot of hook, beat, and mood. But when Barthel and Carter do find it, the results - such as “Running From The Cops” - are excellent: brooding, nocturnal songs blending buoyant guitar parts with washes of synths and samples, both fuzzy and vibrant, all of it eminently danceable, ideally by oneself in the dark.

Some American RECOMMENDS Phantogram - Eyelid Movies

3 weeks ago; Comments | Tags: phantogram barsuk records jp

what is up

If the mountainous drifts of snow have receded from your doorways, Metro tracks, and parking spaces, you can venture back out into the world having survived two weeks of nival madness to see some very good gigs this week. If you can, be sure to stop by DC 9 on Monday night, Ottobar on Tuesday, and the Black Cat on Saturday to see Phantogram, Fucked Up, and Mission of Burma, respectively.

MON 02.15.TEN

Black Cat - Cigarbox Planetarium + guests  |  8:30 - $8
DC 9 - Phantogram + Junk Culture  |  9:00 - $8
Ottobar - Mercy Mercedes + guests  |  7:30 - $8
TUE 02.16.TEN

930 Club - Eric Church + guests  |  7:00 - $25

Black Cat - Tortoise + Disappears  |  8:00 - $15
Rock N Roll Hotel - Polysics + Geist  |  8:30 - $15
The Red and The Black - Sideways Reign + The Very Small  |  9:00 - $6
DC 9 - Miracle Conditions + Vertical Dogs  |  9:00 - $8
Velvet Lounge - The Beets + guests  |  9:00 - $8
Ottobar - Fucked Up + Kurt Vile + more   |  8:00 - $10/12

WED 02.17.TEN

930 Club - The Used + guests  |  6:00 - $25

Black Cat - The Growlers + guests  |  9:00 - $10
The Red and The Black - Worlds Fair + guests  |  9:00 - $6
DC 9 - The Press + Hollertown  |  9:00 - $8
Velvet Lounge - Little Bigheart & The Wilderbeast + Red Sammy  |  9:00 - $8
Sidebar Tavern - My Useless Self + guests  |  9:00 - $?
THU 02.18.TEN

Black Cat - The Soundtrack of Our Lives + Nico Vega  |  8:00 - $15

The Red and The Black - The Honeyguns + The New Retro  |  9:00 - $6
ROck N Roll Hotel - The Moderate + guests  |  8:30 - $10
DC 9 - !Outernational! + guests  |  9:00 - $10/12
Velvet Lounge - Gangland Buries Its Own + The Lolitas  |  9:00 - $8
Sonar - This Time Next Year + guests  |  5:00 - $10/12
Sidebar Tavern - Deep Sleep + guests  |  9:00 - $?
Ottobar - Sean K. Preston + guests  |  9:00 - $8
Ram’s Head Live - The Disco Biscuits |  8:00 - $30

FRI 02.19.TEN

930 Club - Hotspur + guests  |  5:00 - $25

Black Cat - Los Amigos Invisibles + guests  |  9:00 - $23/25
Rock N Roll Hotel - Sweet Interference + guests  |  9:30 - $10
The Red and The Black - Yell County + guests  |  9:00 - $8
DC 9 - V.V. Brown |  11:00 - $8
Velvet Lounge - Reboot: The DC Hip-Hop Takeover |  9:00 - $5
Ottobar - Dan Deacon + guests  |  9:00 - SOLD OUT

SAT 02.20.TEN

930 Club - Nouvelle Vague + Clare and the Reasons  |  8:00 - $25

Black Cat - Mission of Burma + Office of Future Plans  |  9:00 - $15
The Red and The Black - Ravenous + guests  |  9:00 - $8
DC 9 - Franz Nicolay + Romania  |  9:00 - $8
Velvet Lounge - La Snacks + guests  |  10:00 - $8
Sidebar Tavern - Angry & Broke + Hatecrime  |  9:00 - $?
Ottobar - Emmure + guests  |  5:15 - $13
SUN 02.21.TEN

930 Club - Editors + The Antlers & The Dig  |  7:00 - $20

Black Cat - Lookbook + Frau Eva  |  9:00 - $8
Rock N Roll Hotel - Elementary + guests  |  6:00 - $10
The Red and The Black - Skeletonwitch + guests  |  9:00 - $12
DC 9 - Leslie and the Ly’s + guests  |  9:00 - $10
Velvet Lounge - Animal Genital + Free Pop  |  9:00
They’re coming…

*WED 02.24.TEN*  St. Vincent - 930 Club

*WED 02.24.TEN*  Surfer Blood - DC 9

*FRI 02.26.TEN*  George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic - Ram’s Head Live

*THU 03.11.TEN* The Low Anthem - 930 Club

*FRI 03.12.TEN*  Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - Black Cat

*FRI 03.19.TEN*  Black Lips - Black Cat

*WED 04.07.TEN*  The Bronx - Sonar

*WED 04.14.TEN* Xiu Xiu + Tuneyards - DC 9

930 Club |  Black Cat |  Rock N Roll Hotel |  The Red and The Black |  DC 9 |  Velvet Lounge |  Sonar |  Sidebar Tavern |  Ottobar |  Ram’s Head Live

3 weeks ago; Comments | Tags: what is up jp

Die Antwoord…I…they… *shrug*…

Okay…. So as near as I can tell, Die Antwoord (‘The Answer’) found fame in one of two ways: 1)Through a die hard belief that they were actually put on this earth with the unique and specified task of spreading ZEF kulture to all of us puritanical americans who quake in light of their oh-so-very-far-from-politically correct lyrics or 2) They watched 8-mile with AQUA’s ‘barbie girl’ playing on repeat for the entire film, until….LIGHTBULB!

Though I’ll admit I’m becoming more and more convinced that these three are just far smarter than the bloggers that have been spreading their $3 beatz around the internet like ringworm at a tickling convention (myself included), I guess one has to come to their own conclusions about Die Antwoord, but here’s a little food for thought…

Taxijam presents Die Antwoord from taxijam on Vimeo.

Welp… their album $0$ is out… well, sometime in february (I think this week has been so good to these three, they havent even set a release date beyond ASAP!)

czech it out?

1 month ago; Comments | Tags: die antwoord zef $0$ Afrikaans Sean New Music

a considered opinion: george stathakes - drawings in dust

Folksier strains of music escape me in the same way that hip hop often does. Raised as I was in an upper middle class (and mostly white) suburb of a major city, my only contact with wild mountainsides, untamed stretches of country road, and big sky occurred through car windows as my family drove from a to b. Essentially, I am Donny. I am out of my element and I have no frame of reference. In spite of this, George Stathakes debut Drawings In Dust has managed to grab my somewhat philistine attention and retain it throughout multiple listens.

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1 month ago; Comments | Tags: George Stathakes Drawings In Dust INK Records