Filed under: Genre Columns, Indie Rock, Movie Music | Tags: Bon Iver, Death Cab for Cutie, Grizzly Bear, Harry Patch, Hearing Damage, indie, new moon, Radiohead, These Are My Twisted Words, Thom Yorke, twilight
Thom Yorke and pale teenage heartthrobs… Like peas in a pod
PREVIEW: STREAM Thom Yorke’s “Hearing Damage”
The corporate entertainment method of using depressing and ghoulish themes and imagery to swindle the money out of disaffected preteens and their parents strikes again with the upcoming release of the Twilight sequel “New Moon.” The “New Moon” soundtrack reflects this money grubbing model by having an all-star listing of gloomy Indie bands contributing a song each. Nevertheless, in this showing of instant classic Indie groups — ranging from Death Cab for Cutie to Bon Iver and Grizzly Bear — who first made their mark earlier this decade, their contributions are easily trumped by the godfather of the beautiful doom-and-gloom style of alternative rock: Thom Yorke. (more…)
Filed under: News of Note | Tags: sufjan stevens, Grizzly Bear, Bon Iver, Bob Dylan, Wings, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Volcano Choir, Collections of Colonies of Bees, Chris Taylor, Charlie Sexton, Vish Khanna, Acrylics, Terrible Records, Molly Shea, Jason Klauber, The Cars
Legendary guitarist Charlie Sexton reunites with Bob Dylan's live band
Bob Dylan fans recently got the long-awaited opportunity to celebrate the return of the Texas-native blues-rock guitarist Charlie Sexton to Dylan’s live band, reports RS. The return of Sexton means that the Tambourine Man can now play lead guitar and organ lines, which are an asset to his sets. Dylan celebrated Sexton’s first gig with the band since 2002 with a three-night stand in L.A. at the Hollywood Palladium, where Sexton reportedly held center stage for most of the night with a dominating stage presence. Dylan and Sexton apparently battled all night for stage superiority amidst a set dominated by Dylan’s well-known electric blues. The night was capped off with a forceful rendition of “All Along the Watchtower”, during which Dylan appeared all too pleased with his old friend’s return. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: Music Biopics]
While making it clear that he won’t be retiring, Sufjan Stevens has recently bared his concerns and misgivings regarding the creative process, as reported by Stereogum. Stevens said in a recent interview with Vish Khanna that while he is famous for his epic endevours regarding the production of albums, they never really start out as the odysseys that they eventually turn into. Sufjan also put to bed the rumors that swirled regarding the possibility of his retirement, explaining that, “I would never explicitly say something like that. But I definitely feel like ‘What is the point? What’s the point of making music anymore?’” Excuse our skepticism, but you’re making us a little nervous, Sufjan. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: Sufjan Announces an Intimate Tour]
Folk rock icon Bon Iver has recently come off of tour promoting his critically acclaimed LP For Emma, Forever Ago and sophomore effort, EP Blood Bank. According to leader Justin Vernon’s website, Bon Iver has played it’s “last show for the foreseeable future,” according to Pitchfork. The show went down at Milwaukee’s riverside Theater on October 11 and has been named as the band’s final show “before taking a well-deserved break from public performance. Although it’s a pretty major blow to folk rock fans, Vernon will most likely be taking the time to spend working on his side project, Volcano Choir, a collaboration between Vernon and Collections of Colonies of Bees. The group recently released their debut full length, Unmap, to plenty of critical acclaim. We’d say it’s enough to keep pining Bon Iver fans satisfied. The performance is available for streaming and download here. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: 20 Watts Reviews Volcano Choir's Unmap]
Brooklyn-based AOR pop group Acrylics recently spoke with Pitchfork about some of their recent happenings. They’ve managed to distinguish themselves from the indistinguishable herds of patchy indie groups that have been pouring out of Brooklyn recently with their debut EP All of the Fire, which is scheduled to drop on October 28th on Chris Taylor’s (Grizzly Bear) label, Terrible Records. From their beginnings as a rock group called Standing Nudes to recording an EP in a church, the group’s leaders, Molly Shea and Jason Klauber, shed a bit of light on what it means to be a pop group from Brooklyn. They cite some of their influences as The Cars, Wings, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and plenty of other pristine pop groups from the 60’s and 70’s. Check out the record’s title track here.
– John Luposello
Filed under: Releases of the Week | Tags: Bon Iver, Brand New, Buddy Holly, Cheap Trick, Collections of Colonies of Bees, Conor Oberst, Girls, Islands, Jim James, Love, M. Ward, Mika, Mike Mogis, Monsters of Folk, Sean Kingston, The Twilight Sad, Volcano Choir, Why?
Why? attempts indie rock in earnest on their latest release
PREVIEW: DOWNLOAD Why?’s “Against Me” MP3
Every week, 20 Watts rounds up the new releases on our radar; click the link for our full review.
Have suggestions? Leave a comment or e-mail them to 20wattsblog@gmail.com.
Why? — Eskimo Snow [14/20 Watts]
The genre-jumping alternative artists try their hand at indie rock on their latest release, Eskimo Snow. Fluctuating between rambling, pop bravado and somber, desperate rock ballads, the album hits a great balance in moods that only elevates its status. It’s a welcoming effort for fans both new and old.
Islands — Vapours [15/20 Watts]
Picking up the pieces from 2008’s Arm’s Way, Islands has regrouped for their third effort, and the results are much more favorable. Abandoning complicated melodies for a back-to-basics approach, the band returns to their usual, goofy pop sensibilities, this time set to a combination of indie rock and ’80s new wave. Predictably, the results are, at the least, interesting, if not a great return to form.
Monsters of Folk — Monsters of Folk [16/20 Watts]
The folk super group of Jim James, Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis and M. Ward comes to fruition with an effort worthy of their collective skills. Easily managing each member’s respective talents, the effort achieves a surprising balance in contribution, giving fans of each member a few feature tunes, along with enough secondary contributions to keep them listening throughout.
The Twilight Sad — Forget the Night Ahead [15/20 Watts]
The Twilight Sad’s second studio album, Forget the Night Ahead, shows a band infinitely more mature, both musically and psychologically, than they were just two years ago. Now distortion-heavy and moody, the band has darkened their demeanor, and committed itself to an emphasis of the music behind the lyrics. The results are as positive as you’d expect, as the band avoids a sophomore slump in a big way.
Volcano Choir — Unmap [15/20 Watts]
Another collaboration of artists, Volcano Choir is a joint effort between Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon and Collections of Colonies of Bees. The result is a minimalist manifesto, one which constructs a meaningful, albeit chaotic-at-times offering of tracks sure to please fans of both artists respectively.
Girls turn in some snappy, shameless pop on their debut effort, Album, which easily succeeds as the most annoying record name of the year. From allusions to Love, Cheap Trick, Buddy Holly and more, to their inherent sense of humor, Girls complete a fair showing on their first trip out of the gate, hopefully with more ambitious releases to come.
Brand New — Daisy [12/20 Watts]
Gone is the band of pop hits such as “Sic Transit Gloria… Glory Fades.” In its place is a dark, dingy guitar band, squealing and screeching their way through downtrodden, yet explosive tracks on Daisy. The new noise aspects are sometimes too daring for their own good, but when completed successfully, it’s worth the listen.
Mika — The Boy Who Knew Too Much [16/20 Watts]
Loud, exuberant and brimming with an energy most artists would seemingly kill for, Mika returns for another fun, falsetto-filled effort. It truly is radio pop at its finest, as Mika and his background chorus soar to stunning heights, and even throw in some slower, more intimate moments too. For pop enthusiasts, this is a must.
Sean Kingston — Tomorrow [12/20 Watts]
Kingston turns in another reggae/hip-hop collection laced with radio hits and enough listenability for just about any iPod. Most of the tracks play like a single, which can either be to its benefit, or demise, depending on your point of view. Still, even in its mixtape-type format, those who have previously counted themselves fans will find what they’re looking for.
– John Cassillo, Reviews Editor
Filed under: Releases of the Week | Tags: Bon Iver, Kaki King, Volcano Choir, Collections of Colonies of Bees, DeYardmond Edison, Steve Reich
Volcano Choir's debut full-length album, a minimalist milestone, hits shelves on September 22nd.
PREVIEW: DOWNLOAD Volcano Choir’s “Island, IS” MP3
WE GIVE IT: 15/20 Watts
Building off the momentum of Bon Iver’s critically-acclaimed 2008 release, For Emma, Forever Ago , Justin Vernon is now releasing the product of his collaboration with fellow Wisconsinites, Collections of Colonies of Bees. The indie supergroup, dubbed Volcano Choir, stemmed from an informal collaboration between the two sides, but was eventually realized to be something much greater than they originally anticipated.
When Vernon met Collections of Colonies of Bees, it was on tour during his stint as the leader of the Eau-Claire-based instrumental group DeYardmond Edison in 2005. Since then, the two sides had been sending each other ideas over the internet and taking turns fleshing out each others’ concepts. CoCoB’s Jim Schoenecker explains in his interview with the Milkwaukee Decider, “It wasn’t this conscious, ‘Hey, we’re going to start this band together, and here’s the material we’re going to work on.’ It was all very loose.” (more…)
Filed under: Editor Picks | Tags: Grizzly Bear, Bon Iver, Devendra Banhart, beck, Islands, the mountain goats, Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon, songs of leonard cohen, welcome to the dollhouse, happiness, Todd Solondz, Life during wartime
Devendra to release a new collaboratin with Beck
PREVIEW: DOWNLOAD Devendra Banhart’s “Shabop Shalom” MP3
Like we needed yet another reason to love Devendra Banhart! This ridiculously versatile polyglot can do no wrong whether he is confessing his true love in “Lover” or engaging in infidelity in “Carmensita.” A part of the New Weird American movement with the likes of Bon Iver, Islands, The Mountain Goats and Grizzly Bear, Devendra’s sound can only de bescribed as original and intriguingly strange.
Even though it has been about two years since his last full — and so far best — album, Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon, Devendra has been dropping countless collaborations and side-projects with some of the coolest individuals in the business. One name appears increasingly often – Beck. Beck and Banhart collaborated on Beck’s second Record Club covers album, Songs of Leonard Cohen, specks of which have been gradually appearing on Beck’s web-page. Apparently these two hit it off pretty well since barely two weeks after the announcement of their co-artistic shenanigans, Pitchfork reported their next collaboration with Welcome to the Dollhouse and Happiness director, Todd Solondz. Looks like Solondz’s next film Life During Wartime will have an acoustic accompaniment to envy. Who knows? If we are lucky this one song project may even evolve into a full soundtrack.
– Irina Dvalidze, Multimedia Editor
Filed under: News of Note | Tags: Bon Iver, Death Cab for Cutie, Glastonbury Festival, Grizzly Bear, Morrissey, pavement, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, The Killers
PREVIEW: Watch the “Shady Lane” video from Pavement
Now it’s official, the Pavement reunion is happening. So far the band has one confirmed show at Central Park SummerStage on September 21, 2010. In an exclusive interview with Rolling Stone Scott Kannberg confirmed the rumors and said, “It’s been a long time coming.” Kannberg also talked about the possibility of doing more Central Park shows and festivals like Coachella in 2010. Overall he was pretty vague about the future of Pavement, but one show is booked and the band seems pretty committed this time.
Pitchfork reports that Morrissey will release an eighteen-song compilation of b-sides entitled Swords. The b-sides come from his past three albums; You are the Quarry, Ringleader of the Tormentors, and Years of Refusal. Following the album’s October 26 release, Morrissey will embark on a European tour. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: The 20: An Essential Guide to New Wave]
Not only will Grizzly Bear, Thom Yorke, Death Cab for Cutie, The Killers, and Bon Iver be featured on the New Moon soundtrack, but a Hot Topic tour including the soundtrack’s acts is also in the works, Pitchfork reports. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: Editor's Pick #146: Thom Yorke and Bon Iver Soundtrack New Moon]
NME.COM reports that Glastonbury Festival organizer Michael Eavis has set the date that 2010 fesitval tickets will go on sale. The tickets will be 10 pounds more expensive than last years and will be available for purchase starting at 9 a.m. (BST) on October 4. Those wishing to purchase the tickets must register on Glastonburyregistration.co.uk before applying for tickets. The legendary British music festival held annually in the south of England usually takes place in the last week of June, perfect for those studying abroad this summer.
– 20 Watts Staff
Filed under: Editor Picks | Tags: Fleet Foxes, Grizzly Bear, Bon Iver, The Antlers, The Black Atlantic, Shai Hulud, Spanish Prisoners
The Black Atlantic play chilly, Bon Iver-tinged baroque pop
PREVIEW: DOWNLOAD The Black Atlantic’s Reverence for the Fallen Trees
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 20 Watts Reviews The Antlers’ Hospice, Emerging Artist: The Antlers
With their sad, shadowy crooning and sweet acoustic overtures, Holland’s The Black Atlantic are pretty much perfect for gusty fall weather. Frontman Geert van der Velde, late of the metal act Shai Hulud, wails and mourns like a Nordic Bon Iver, while the rest of the band — piano, flute and ukulele in hand — channel baroque pop through a chilly, North Sea lens.
Appropriately, the majority of their recent debut, Reverence for the Fallen Trees, was recorded in a log cabin in the Adirondacks. Its ten tracks, all earnest meditations on life, death and remembrance, can be downloaded for free on the Black Atlantic’s site. The Antlers and Spanish Prisoners also make appearances.
If you like either of those bands — or Bon Iver, Grizzly Bear, Fleet Foxes, and others of their folk-pop ilk — you’ll have Reverence on heavy rotation.
– Caitlin Dewey, Editor in Chief
Filed under: Releases of the Week | Tags: Bon Iver, Explosions in the Sky, folk, Frenchkiss, Hospice, post-rock, The Antlers
Hospice hits all of the emotions hard and leaves its listener feeling just a bit better about life afterwards
PREVIEW: Download The Antlers’ “Sylvia” MP3
WE GIVE IT: 18/20 Watts
Do we love Bon Iver? Yes. Explosions in the Sky? Yes. Would we love a marriage of the two styles of music? This week The Antlers officially release Hospice, the tender and heartbreaking story of a man watching the love of his life dying from bone cancer in Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
Written by lead singer Peter Silberman after two years of isolation, it’s both a eulogy and a lament to love lost, and life cut short. It transcends its influences by offering up post-rock crescendoes, folky guitar lines and whispered lyrics so ephemerally vivid that it seems the entire spectrum of human emotion is showcased; from love, to despair and, eventually, to moving on.
(more…)
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple Inc., Arcade Fire, Bon Iver, Bradford Cox, Comic-Con, Dave Eggers, Deerhunter, Karen O, Maurice Sendak, new moon, Spike Jonze, Squeak-E Clean, The Playlist, Wake Up, Where the Wild Things Are, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Karen O scores Where the Wild Things Are
PREVIEW: Download Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Maps” on Mediafire
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: EDITORS PICK 146: Thom Yorke And Bon Iver Soundtrack New Moon, (500) Days of Summer OST, Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack, Top 10 Movie Soundtracks, Editors Pick Soundtracks 1 and 2
It’s been a pretty intense week for indie music fans. News of today’s most respected artists lending their talents to the big screen has been popping up all over the place. The bombshell that Bon Iver may be contributing to the New Moon soundtrack sent shockwaves through the crowds, and left most of his fans surprised, to say the least.
More importantly, though, reports emerged this weekend from the most unexpected venue. During Comic-Con in San Diego, the crowd was given a taste of what’s speculated to be the soundtrack to the much-awaited Spike Jonze masterpiece Where The Wild Things Are. (more…)
Filed under: Editor Picks | Tags: Radiohead, Kings of Leon, Bon Iver, Paramore, Thom Yorke, justin vernon, band of skulls, muse, soundtrack, twilight, alexandre desplat, new moon
Bon Iver may make an appearance on Twilight sequel New Moon
PREVIEW: Download Radiohead’s “15 Step” on Mediafire
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: (500) Days of Summer OST, Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack, Top 10 Movie Soundtracks, Editors Pick Soundtracks 1 and 2
Is that the heart-baring croon of Bon Iver? Or just the sound of hell freezing over?
According to an article posted on Hitfix Thursday, Twilight director Chris Weitz has confirmed that Thom Yorke AND Bon Iver have contributed tracks to New Moon, the Twilight sequel, set to hit theaters in late November. Previously, Weitz told the Los Angeles Times that Band of Skulls and Muse were also on the soundtrack.
The last film was resplendent in gooey pre-teen romanticism, awkwardly over-long shots of Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, and forgettable numbers from Paramore and others of their ilk. Radiohead did, notably, soundtrack part of Twilight’s credits with the Grammy-nominated “15 Step.” And the franchise’s new composer, Alexandre Desplat, is practically legendary for his work on films like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Still, the announcement comes as a surprise — as does the fact that these artists apparently approached Weitz, and not the other way around.
“Fortunately, I’m not at the stage where I have to turn anybody down yet, because everything is still kind of up in the air,” he said in an interview with Hollywood.com’s Katie Bain. ”But I am surprised and pleased at some of the bands that have said that they’re interested. It’s really kind of great. The criterion will still be what’s right for the movie at that given moment. Thom Yorke is interested. We might, if we’re very lucky, be able to get Kings of Leon to do something. So it’s exciting to be able to have access to this kind of talent.”
Twilight mania is apparently universal! Now if only Thom Yorke would write a song for Harry Potter…
– Caitlin Dewey, Editor-in-Chief
