Sound Salvation Army

Chad Van Gaalen (CvG) is clearly a pretty prolific artist. Many people are familiar with the native Calgarian’s credentials as an animator, graphic artist, producer, and — obviously — a musician that perennially appears on the Polaris Prize list. To those familiar with the records released under his own name this latest release, under the moniker Black Mold, shouldn’t come as too much of a shock.

The Black Mold record, Snow Blindness is Crystal Antz, is born of his obsession with multi-track recording and experiments in layering different sounds; not just instrumental music but an incredibly wide range of sound effects and synthesizer noises. On previous albums released under his own name CvG showed a proclivity for noise (the end of Soft Airplane, for example) and the layering of sounds and different noises here is similar to what he brings into his other albums. With those records CvG blends these types of sounds into the mix with varying degrees of subtlety, but generally they’re used to accentuate the excellent live instrumentation. Its a great effect when they come together well and those records deserve the praise they’ve received.

Snow Blindness runs 19 tracks and nearly 70 minutes in total. On some level it makes sense that CvG would have accumulated this glut of material, considering that a lot of experimentation would be needed to take such a wide range of sounds and combine them so successfully on those three LPs and three EPs. Clearly that is the case here and then some.

It’s been kind of tough to review the record as a whole because the tracks swing across all kinds of different spectrums. Some are short and odd, others are more fleshed-out with a subtle interplay between the elements. On the whole it seems like totally random experimentation, like he has been trying to find the perfect combination of instrument and electronic but winds up losing focus at varying stages.

Snow Blindness begins with “Metal Spider Webs,” which opens with an intriguing string duo that is in short order ruined by electronic beeps and static. This really sets the tone for the album, which features some very nice musical elements (oboe, guitar, strings, etc) that are most often overpowered by layered noise and sound effects. There are some very melodic moments and some that sound like the Super Mario Bros. soundtrack being reproduced by an 808 machine.

There is much to like here, but unfortunately it comes in short bursts and is all too often intertwined with many additional layers of sound that muddle and obscure what was originally intriguing and enjoyable. Nearly every track has something beautiful to offer amongst the complexities, so it’s easy to see how the more subtle elements of his other LPs are developed. While the overall effect is a little overwhelming, there are some great interlude tracks for mix tapes, some tracks you can groove to very nicely, and some that are wholly repulsive. This is very much a grab bag.

To me there are two ways to look at this record. You could view it as a representation of a vital aspect of CvG’s method of producing masterful rock records. I always find it interesting to get a view into how artists do what they do and on that level this could be seen as an important record and, as I said, there are a lot of elements to like. On the other hand if viewed on it’s own it is a somewhat unnecessary album that may not appeal to anyone but the most hardcore of CvGs fans.

Chad VanGaalen quite literally has the most austere website of all time, but you can find his physical albums and projects he’s tangentially connected with via his very own label’s webstore. They also wisely run their own digital store.

Jeremy entries Canadian content, Chad VanGaalen, dubious notions, electronic, Flemish Eye Records, indie rock

I too have been negligent in my contributions to this wonderful site; it turns out I’ve been going through a transitionary period in my life.  I married my longtime live-in lady-love back in September and have recently hit the one year anniversary of the start of my career.  Big time recognition goes out to Pat for keeping this wonderful site fully loaded with content for all you inquisitive souls.  He’s consistently hitting it out of the park with his posts and the attention we’ve been getting is all due to his efforts.

Anyway, those of you who have experienced anything at all resembling a Saskatchewan winter can relate to what I’m about discuss.  We had our first real honest to goodness snowfall of the winter a couple weeks back, which inevitably leads to people forgetting how to properly drive in the wet snow and icy conditions.

Plenty of people are more cautious and drive a bit slower which I totally support, but of course there are plenty of people who don’t adjust for the conditions whatsoever and end up causing headaches for the rest of us.  The main stretch of road that I travel on to get to work and back is Lewvan Drive, a three lane road that should get you most of the way across town in no more then ten to fifteen minutes.  It’s just under 7 kilometers, so even that’s being a bit generous.  I left the office at 4:45pm and arrived at my house over an hour later.  The entire trip is about 13 km all together and for at least that 7 km on the Lewvan I didn’t even get the car into second gear.  I spent at least 45 minutes in first with my foot on the clutch.  I think I was limping when I took the dog for a walk because my left leg muscles were shot.  Of course, someone was going too fast and caused a three-car pileup.  This somehow caused 7 km’s of one of the busiest roads in the city to be bumper to bumper for god knows how long.  Pretty sure that shouldn’t happen.

So what kept me from flipping out and losing my cool?  A mix tape I recently put together for a friend I haven’t seen in a while.  I put it together in a hurry but it had a great dynamic, a few short and loud songs so I could embrace the frustration but quickly move on into something mellow and upbeat to keep my spirits high while my speedometer was stationary.  Below is a sample of these tunes with the hopes that one day they’ll regulate your mood so you can keep your head level too.  And always remember, take it slow and let a couple cars change lanes in front of you.  They have to get there eventually, and it’ll make you feel good. 

Be back soon!

Joshua Radin: itunes or webstore
Devendra Banhart: itunes, but he doesn’t have a webstore linked through his website
Vampire Weekend: itunes or webstore
Great Lake Swimmers: zunior or amazon

Jeremy entries acoustic, Devendra Banhart, Great Lake Swimmers, Joshua Radin, mix, Vampire Weekend

I usually feel some mixed emotions when songs I love are on TV shows. I have a strong desire to see the bands I love succeed, mostly because I like the feeling of sharing something I enjoy with other people and the more successful they are the more people who will be able to enjoy it. I know that the context really shouldn’t matter as long as the band is getting some exposure but it always does. For example let us look at the season finales of Grey’s Anatomy and House.

Both episodes featured a song by a band I am totally gay for lately, Bon Iver. For those unfamiliar, this band and record have a great deal of similarities to my all time favorite artist’s debut, Iron & Wine’s The Creek Drank the Cradle. Both were home recorded, quiet affairs, featuring a dude with a gorgeous falsetto-focused voice and the type of songs that elicit strong emotional connections. This last point is what makes both great for use on the tv.

But context does matter, and I think it kind of sucks when music is used for exposition in place of character and dialogue. In Grey’s Anatomy a very short clip from “The Wolves (Act I and II)” was used to express the emotional pain of the characters by matching up the lyric “Some day my pain/ will mark you” with two second close ups of their pained faces. This might seems like an effective method, but it didn’t really allow enough time for the song to really connect with the viewer, it was over before you even got a feel for it. Clearly the lyrics were the focus, but it could have been even more effective if the songs deeper themes of pain, loss and sadness were fully realized.

Conversely, in the episode of House the music enforced that the emotions the characters felt were powerful and the situation devastating. The team was dealing with the death of a close colleague and the use of the song “Re: stacks” matched the overwhelming sense of sadness and frailty they were experiencing. The use of I&W’s “Passing Afternoon” copied the style of the Grey’s clip almost exactly, but they allowed the song to play through almost entirely, to let the song grab hold of the viewer and help them identify with those emotions, and that took it right over the top for me. I damn near started crying my eyes out. I’ve only felt REAL emotions like that a handful of times in my life and a tv show brought that on. It was just really incredibly well done, and a great example of how music can touch you in a very real way when you don’t think you have much invested emotionally.

Take a listen to those two songs, and if you can watch that episode (called Wilson’s Heart) and you’ll see what I mean.

 

 Iron & Wine - Passing Afternoon: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Bon Iver - The Wolves (Act I and II): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Jagjaguwar: Pick up hard copies of Bon Iver’s excellent For Emma, For Ever Ago here, also check him out live if you can, he’s touring the universe as we speak.

SubPop: Even though I’m mad at them right now because they didn’t send me extra goodies with my last pre-order, they have tons of Iron & Wine stuff and a link the the bands site

You can get House on DVD pretty much anywhere, and you should. It’s pretty good.

Jeremy entries Bon Iver, Iron and Wine, music tie-ins, television

 

The virtues of live music have been extolled in these pages before a number of times, and if there’s one thing music fans of any genre can agree on, it’s that live music totally kicks ass. If you love the band you’re watching you can forgive anything, from a shitty sound system to douchebags who won’t shut up behind you to having beer spilled all over you.

Unfortunately thanks to locale and not being rich, seeing our all time favorite bands simply isn’t a possibility for a lot of us. Maybe you’ll get lucky and they’ll come around when they’re way past their prime, or if an opportunity does arise it’s stressful and expensive to make it work. There are other ways to get your live music fix, particularly on the internet, but the sound and video quality aren’t always stellar.

That’s why I continue to be so appreciative of PBS. Not only do they have Sesame Street, Religion and Ethics NewsWeekly and endlessly entertaining telethons, they also have a sublime program called Austin City Limits. This hour long weekly program brings you standout performers from the annual music festival of the same name and the acts that perform both in the festival and on the show range from mainstream pop to country to indie legends.

As I sit in my comfy chair and write this I’m watching Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley perform. Not normally my cup of tea mind you; I usually prefer more classic country or bluegrass. After watching the show however I now have an appreciation for Paisley’s wry sense of humor and ripping country-fied guitar solos. That Dierks guy doesn’t really have much going for him though.

The roster of bands has something for nearly everyone, and I’ve PVR’d performances by Arcade Fire, Sufjan Stevens, the Decemberists, Bloc Party, Dixie Chicks, John Mayer, Spoon, Kings of Leon, a tribute to Jimmy Reed and plenty of others. The greatest one far and away was the Flaming Lips, who I’m sure I’ll never have a chance to see in person. Thanks to the show though, I can now say I’ve seen them perform “War Pigs” flanked by 20 people in plushie animal costumes batting huge balloons around, shooting confetti and waving spotlights. Oh yeah, Cat Power assisted with the vocals and Wayne Coyne wore an American flag cape and was covered in fake blood. Pretty standard stuff really. It’s almost enough to make me want to send PBS a cheque. I’m sure they’ll take Canadian dollars, they’re begging for it after all.

If you really do want to support PBS and Austin City Limits (instead of PVR’ing it like a sucker), you can check out the PBS store here.

Jeremy entries Austin City Limits, Flaming Lips, live music

 

Hey there! You may not remember me, but I used to write some articles. Then I got a new job and got super busy and even though I tried and tried I couldn’t seem to finish anything for this awesome site. But then finally I did! And here it is, all the better because since we’re two and a half months into the new year, you’ve probably completely forgotten about last year’s music. So if you have, check out these albums and songs, because they were my favorites from 2007, and you might like them too! 
Albums

10. Wintersleep – Welcome to the Night Sky
Great Canadian rock band whose songs feature fuzzy guitar mixing with solid drumming and interesting-sounding lead vocals to create both heavy rock arrangements and catchy pop sing-alongs. Despite the presence of one instrumental track that severely interrupts the flow of the album this record is solid from start to finish.

9. Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
After a couple of albums worth of experimentation they’re back to doing what they do best. Jeff Tweedy maximizes his gift for harmony and pop-rock arrangements and delivers surprisingly straightforward and direct lyrics that create a very strong emotional connection. Tweedy and guitarist Nels Cline’s dueling guitar fuzz freak outs on “Hate it Here” are a highlight. Those looking for further experimentation and musical expansion may have written this record off because of its simplicity, but they’re missing out on a great album.

8. Joe Henry - Civilians
Joe writes old-fashioned folk/blues songs, kind of like Tom Waits, but with a voice most people could actually enjoy over the length of a full album. His songs are mostly downers, with the odd one showing some reluctant hope. Relationships, God and the devil, turmoil and war; all classic themes and he addresses them wonderfully. Very moving.

7. Okkervil River – The Stage Names
The Stage Names reinforces the fact that Will Scheff is one hell of a songwriter. The album is only nine songs long, but each is a masterful example of his trademark desolation and depression, and as always he wears his emotions on his vocal chords, as his piercing howl shreds right through your soul. On this record the band seems to be trying to rock the misery out of the songs and their rock is far more forceful and dynamic than it has ever been. The Stage Names is every bit as powerful as it is sad, creating some of the most affecting songs of the year.

6. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
Possibly the next band to achieve the title ‘Best Band in the World,’ Arcade Fire followed up one of the great indie rock records ever (2005’s Funeral) with another fierce effort. Neon Bible contains themes, instrumentation and sounds far bigger than anything most bands could conceive of, let alone put to tape.

5. Iron & Wine – The Shepherds Dog
Iron & Wine’s discography is one that has shown growth with each new record, and on The Shepherds Dog their sound has finally fully blossomed. Sam Beam’s acoustic guitar and hushed singing has been layered with all sorts of instrumentation, a lot of which is inspired by world music. It works wonderfully. And for the record, I love the vocal effects on “Carousel;” they’re hauntingly beautiful.

4. Feist - the Reminder
Sometimes the ridiculous overexposure musicians get is deserved. In the case of Leslie Feist, it isn’t half as ridiculous as it should be. The Reminder is a pop revelation that shifts in and out of styles effortlessly and keeps you on your toes. Several songs were recorded as live takes and it makes the songs sound organic and natural, like they’re piped through the musicians straight from a higher power.

3. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
2007 saw Of Montreal going in a new direction thematically and lyrically as Kevin Barnes focused his songwriting on autobiographical tales of heartbreak, isolation, desolation and despair as his relationship and mental stability broke down. Fortunately they retained their sunny, synth-y dance-pop musicianship which creates an odd yet appealing combination of positive and negative elements. The 12-minute centerpiece “The Past is a Grotesque Animal,” with its driving, repetitive disco beat and intense lyrics is a definite highlight, and the rest of the tracks are more than catchy enough to keep you coming back.

2. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank
The addition of Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr seemed to reinvigorate Modest Mouse, as they released their best album in years in 2007. It comes in long at fourteen tracks and close to an hour run time but it never gets boring and none of the songs are throwaways. It captures the essence of the band, that ability to play loud or soft, angry or melancholy or just plain beautiful music. It has danceable rock songs a la 2004’s “Float On”, long-form burners like they used to make, and a psycho freak out now and then just to keep you on your toes.

1. the National - Boxer
Flat out the best record of the year, by a long shot. Every second is filled with crisp, clean instrumentation and gorgeous baritone vocals that drive deep into your soul and you can’t help but connect to the sad, paranoid loneliness and isolation that pours out of the speakers. The fact that all of these dark themes ultimately combine in a record that restores your faith in music and makes you press repeat again and again is really the best argument for how brilliant it really is.

Songs

“Killing the Blues” – Robert Plant & Allison Krauss: Killer bluegrass from out of left field.

“The Sons of Cain” – Ted Leo: Another great frenetic rock song from a brilliant sweaty bastard

“A Sentence of Sorts in Kongsvinger” – Of Montreal: So much fun, musically, so depressing lyrically. It’s crazy!

“I Feel It All” – Feist: My favourite off the new album, it’s dance-able without being too poppy or sounding too insincere

“Innocent Bones” – Iron & Wine: I love it when Sam swears. Then goes “oooooooooo” in a falsetto

“Dead Letter & the Infinite Yes” – Wintersleep: Such a fucking good song! Best song about disassociation and depression that didn’t make you want to kill yourself ever! Does that make sense? Just listen to it.

“Turn On Me” – The Shins: The amped-up instrumentation and cleaner production made this record a top ten contender, and this is the highlight track.

“Slow Show” – The National: Mid-tempo burner about building up an experience until the pressure caves in your head. Not exactly.

“Spitting Venom” – Modest Mouse: Old school MM, nine minutes long and it’s slow, fast, angry and sad.

“Unless It’s Kicks” – Okkervil River: Great rock song about how much awesomer life is with rock songs

“Hate It Here” – Wilco: Song about how much it sucks when they leave, lots of great soloing.

“Adventures In Solitude” – New Pornographers: Most beautiful song they’ve done.

“I Am John – Loney, Dear: A little bit twee, but a lot of fun too. It’s got a xylophone!

“(Antichrist Television Blues)” – Arcade Fire: I love songs without a chorus, and sound like Bruce Springsteen only cooler.

“the Underdog” – Spoon: Great song from a band really hitting its stride this year.

“the Heinrich Maneuver” – Interpol: A kick-ass evolution of their sound; it’s as though they’re channeling Queen.

It’s all good, find it!

Jeremy entries Canadian content, year in review

 

I know common, conventional wisdom states that the summer festival season is supposed to be the prime concert-going time, but when you live in a place like Saskatchewan this is probably the best time of the year for local shows. The bands that you actually want to see are through playing the big summer festivals all over the globe, and start to expand their tours to smaller cities such as ours. As evidence, in October and November I will have had the opportunity to see a bunch of great bands including: Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, the Weakerthans, Modest Mouse, Stars, Tool, Cuff the Duke, TheSadies and more.

Anybody who has seen a great show knows the thrill of live music, and the incredibly satisfying payoff you get when a band you love lives up to your expectations and puts on a show that you wish would never end. I’ve seen a few of these already this fall, including the recent Modest Mouse show. This show delivered on everything I hoped it would, from Johnny Marr’s guitar wizardry to the pounding two-man percussion section, the upright bass to the bugle horn. Even Isaac Brock’s vocals were outstanding, which is the cherry on top because the few live performances and clips that I’ve seen have shown that his lyrics can be an incomprehensible mess sometimes. Sadly it was in my least favorite venue in town, so it could have sounded a lot better. But overall I can complain about very little, other than the pot smoking hippie chick who was constantly doing that eyes closed dancing thing they do, not realizing that she kept backing her ass up into my junk. Uncomfortable.

As great as that part of the show was, it was almost overshadowed by the sheer insanity of one of the nights opening acts, Man Man. Personally, I tend to be the type of guy who would rather grab a beer and some wings and skip the opening act (which we did, but thankfully there was two openers playing), but in this case I’m very happy we made it in time to serve witness. At the conclusion of their set, I was in a stunned state of disbelief, perhaps even shock at what I had seen, continually mumbling the phrases “That was awesome,” and “That was crazy,” as well as “That was crazy awesome.”

It wasn’t that the music was all that fantastic; I’m still on the fence about that. It was not for everyone to be certain, but I think it was in my wheel-house. It’s kind of hard to recall, since I was a little bit floored by the presentation of the tunes, but what it did have was a lot of noise. All five members took turns singing, shouting, grunting and growling into the microphones. All five took turns with the drum sticks, though not on the drums necessarily. They wailed on tambourines, some kind of steel cylinder, a chunk of metal, and I think even the pole the lighting truss was attached to. One played a saxophone, one played trumpet, one played a flute, though never at the same time, and rarely on the same songs. In unison they blew into what sounded like kazoos but were hard to see from my vantage point, and all played small finger chimes (or something like that, I’m not a musician). The songs themselves were odd, busy, and loud, an unholy concoction of sounds and noises that against all odds got many heads bobbing and shoulders and hips swaying.

The men themselves were as central to the experience as the songs, however. They were all dressed in white, most had facial hair, and all had that air of crazy about them. I’ve never seen such an active group before, they were all moving around the stage, jumping as high as they possibly could before striking a drum or piano keys. The majority of it looked to me like only semi-voluntary convulsions and spasms, and their reckless flailing showed how deeply into the performance they were. It was the most dynamic, most captivating, strangest thing I’ve seen in a while. I was so intrigued that I went straight out after the show and dropped $25 on their cool as hell-picture-disc. Let’s hope they capture some of that frenetic energy on the record, and I wasn’t completely duped by their liveshow. Hell, even if I was it was totally worth it.

Man Man music is weird. And available from:
iTunes: digital doesn’t really do it justice
Ace Fu: carries their cds
Free News Projects: Six Demon Bag is available on 2×10″ picture disc here

Jeremy entries bizarre, indie rock, left field, live music, Man Man, Modest Mouse

Think about your favorite band. Why are they your favorite? What is it about that band? Do they have five or six great albums? Is it that they made one timeless, perfect album that is as good the hundredth time as it was the first? Is their music tied to an emotionally tumultuous time in your life and has great sentimental significance?

If it’s for any of these reasons, then you’re not alone. That is what makes music so special to people everywhere, and these are the reasons why we do this, and why you’re reading it. When music is good, it can be the best thing in the world, even change your life. It’s happened to us all, whether it is a band, album, song or lyric that represents the day our world fell apart, the moment we knew we would never be the same, the second we came to a harsh realization, the instant we fell in love, and it’s a connection we will never shake.

For me, that band is Iron & Wine, a group whose only constant member is Sam Beam, a good ol’ Southern boy (who is also starting to look a lot like Rob Zombie - Pat). Personally, I love Iron & Wine so much I want to take it out behind the middle school and get it pregnant. Why do I love them so much? I couldn’t tell you exactly, but from the instant that I heard “Naked As We Came” for the first time I was hooked. The songs are so well written, the lyrics so different, and when Beam sings it just sounds right. His tunes sound like epic southern fables, stirring and heartfelt tributes to long lost love, to inner contemplations of God and the meaning of life. I haven’t heard a song I didn’t like, and I’ve downloaded an assload of demos, singles, tribute songs, live songs, etc. The music just has that thing, you know? I told you I couldn’t explain it.

Beam is a former cinematography teacher who got his start in music the old fashioned way. He recorded a bunch of songs at home, and sent a demo to a label. Sub Pop picked him up and after five years, three LP’s, nine EP’s, three singles and two soundtrack appearances the return on their investment has been big. The first few records were gorgeous, minimal southern folk highlighted by Sam’s hushed, almost whispered vocals, finger picked guitar and banjo. Over the years their sound has become more and more complex as the band has grown, adding deep, lush levels of instrumentation. One of my favorite new developments in their sound is the rare use of drum kits, frequently preferring instead to make use of random objects, hand claps, and other sources of “inventive” percussion.

Beam has recently claimed inspiration courtesy of another personal favorite of mine, Mr. Tom Waits, who used his album Swordfishtrombones to reinvent his sound. Iron & Wine’s isn’t exactly a sea change, nor are they performing carnival soundtrack dittys, but the new album does show Beam’s commitment to change and the creation of a deeper, richer sound. The style of the music this time around varies greatly, with some songs very similar to their older stuff and others that sound like Talking Heads mixed with Three Dog Night. Not only is the sound bigger, but it’s an extremely well-structured album. Where most music these days feels like a collection of songs and filler, The Shepherds Dog has old-school flow. Instrumentation bridges many songs, linking them to each other in a way that just feels natural, and it’s evident that a great deal of time was spent determining the order of the tracks. They could not have been arranged any more perfectly.

The old music industry cliché is that bands experience a sophomore slump with their second record and try to achieve artistic growth with their “experimental” third album. What Iron & Wine have achieved with this new record is precisely what all bands strive for: songs which captivate a new audience, keep fans of the old records interested, and are different enough that the artist themselves still enjoy making them. I would never have thought it possible, but on The Shepherds Dog Sam Beam has taken everything I loved about Iron & Wine and improved upon it tenfold. These songs are complex musically and just as well written as his quieter numbers, and the composition of the songs is masterful.

The only real significant downsides to this album is the artwork, which looks like a child’s painting of some evil hell hound, and the fact that despite pre-ordering the vinyl and cd versions directly from the bands website, it took two weeks to arrive. But as it turns out the wait was well worth it, as this album has earned a place near the top of the list of my all-time favourites. It’s another masterpiece from one of the great songwriters of his generation, and an awfully high watermark for Iron & Wine to strive for with their next release.

Iron & Wine’s latest, the Shepherd’s Dog (and others) can be found:
iTunes: right here
Sub Pop: their label’s store has all the cd’s, records, posters, and shirts you could ever want. Remember, we support bands and independent labels directly wherever possible!

Jeremy entries acoustic, folk, Iron and Wine, Southern Gothic

Okkervil River does dance-rock.

This may come as a surprise to some who have been fans of their previous work, which primarily consisted of lo-fi, desolate, melodramatic tunes. When they did punch it up a little bit, they primarily relied on pounding percussion and vocalist William Scheff’s piercing howl to provide some emphasis and urgency. Those elements are certainly still present on the band’s latest release, The Stage Names, but the band also incorporates more rocking electric guitar than anyone could have seen coming.

That isn’t to say this record comes off like an AC/DC album, however. The band’s signature “sad” songs are still there, including the terribly depressing (but awesome) “John Allyn Smith Sails” and the mandolin-, string- and slide guitar-infused “A Girl in Port.” But ou see the real progression of the band’s sound in the six up-tempo numbers. Some are angry, but for the most part they’re just more fun than many Okkervil River songs to date.

To wit: in the middle of “You Can’t Hold the Hand of a Rock and Roll Man” Scheff actually cracks up laughing, and if he’s having that much fun singing it, you have to enjoy listening. “A Hand to Take Hold of the Scene” even features hand claps, and nothing is more fun or more danceable than hand claps, outside of a cow bell. The most interesting song on the record, a straight up pop song called “Plus Ones,” uses several song titles with numbers in them (such as R.E.M.’s “Seven Chinese Brothers”), adds a digit to them and peppers them throughout the lyrics of the song. There is even a Tom Jones reference thrown in for good measure. While a song like this could easily have turned out gimmicky or lame, the fact that Scheff could spin a very effective, fun, enjoyable song out of it says a whole lot about his songwriting abilities.

It is this skill which allows for all of this catchiness and danceability without any sacrifice to Okkervil River’s tradition of dramatic, intricate, super-literary story lines. What’s more, the band continues its run of gorgeous album art, featuring images by artist Will Schaff. All of these elements combine to make this one kick-ass total package, totally worth a buy. All told, it’s a great step forward for a band that has always been lyrically and emotionally complex, but now has the instrumentation and rocking, rollicking tunes to keep fans on their toes.

Okkervil River tunes/albums available from:
iTunes: here
Jagjaguwar (their label): has an extensive discography
We recommend the “Definitive Edition” of Black Sheep Boy, which is both a flawless (double) album and a great value for the consumer.

Jeremy entries alt country, indie rock, Okkervil River, Will Scheff