If there’s one band I have to give credit to for overcoming San Diego’s insatiable desire for musical mediocrity it is Astra. Formed in 2001 under the name Silver Sunshine, it wasn’t until 2006 with the addition of new drummer/multi-instrumentalist David Hurley and guitarist Brian Ellis that Astra forged their new sound and band name. Tapping into the best parts of early prog and combining them with Syd Barrett era Floyd, Astra have really hit their stride on their most recent demo. “The Weirding” is a 10 minute epic of psychedelic rock of the finest degree, equal parts Pretty Things, King Crimson and Pink Floyd yet wholly original… this is a band about to break. Contemporary comparisons could be drawn to friends Dungen, but I think that they’ve created something with much greater continuity here.
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Astra – The Weirding pt. II
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(Devendra seen wearing bow tie, of which he goes into lengths about his collection in the new issue of Fader)*
Sorry for the lack of updates around Naturalismo this past week, I’ve been extremely busy. Naturalismo has a little over a week to find a place to live in San Francisco and get a job, which is difficult but exciting. So if you’re working somewhere fun that’s hiring let me know, I’m looking for a job in music PR or advertising, but would be open to other areas. Regular and more frequent updates should start again in a little over a week when I am in SF, but I will try my hardest to update as often as possible until then. In the meantime, Devendra Banhart has released a new video titled ‘Devendra gets superstitious‘ showcasing his process of writing a new song. Also, here’s a roundup of links allowing you to download tracks from the upcoming Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon… perfect for those end of summer mix-tapes.
Mountain Home (Band Members include Marissa Nadler, Joshua Blatchley, Greg Weeks Kristin Sherer, and Ilya Monosov) started by accident one evening when Ilya Monosov called future band member Joshua Blactchley to sit in for him at a show. At the time Ilya was performing mostly with the burgeoning Monosov/Swirnoff duo, this night however they were forced to cancel because a band member had come down with the flu. Josh had arrived that evening not knowing what he was going to perform and with only some heavily Bailey influenced compositions, had no idea what territory he was about to venture into. That night Joshua Blatchley decided to take more of an avant-guard approach to the material he had originally intended to play. Little did Blatchley know, but that night the more fluid structure and arrangement of the songs he played, would lay the groundwork for what would eventually become Mountain Home’s unique style and sound. Heavily influenced by the macabre and sincere sounds of the Appalachia, Mountain Home’s record taps into the timeless sound of forgotten folk, their roots more firmly placed in the dark soil of the past than bathed in the quixotic light of sixties folk revival. Marissa Nadler’s hauntingly beautiful vocals and Kristin Sherer’s dulcimer playing breathe new life into the songs on Mountain Home, some of which have been around for generations. Joshua Blatchley’s brooding guitar playing reflect the themes of death, regret and love that reappear throughout the album. With the uncertain future of Mountain Home, their upcoming tour with Marissa Nadler is quite a special affair so I cannot recommend going to check out one of the tour dates below enough. Mountain Home’s record is due out on Greg Weeks (of Espers) new label Language of Stone soon. For now you can download an exclusive track from the album below:
[stream]
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Marissa Nadler Tour with Mountain Home August 2007
Saturday, August 25th
The Explosion (very last west coast show)
The Fuse (reunion show and only show!)
Lavender Diamond
Busdriver
Boom Bip Entrance
American Steel (Oakland)
The Mae Shi
Fleshies (San Francisco) Mr Free and the satellite Freakout
Bobby Birdman
Residual Echoes
Imaad Wasif
Times New Viking (Ohio)
Hit Me Back
Thee More Shallows (San Francisco) Greg Ashley (Highly recommended)
Toys that Kill
Upsilon Acrux
Brother Reade
Wooden Shjips (San Francisco- First LA show)
Love or Perish (New York City)
Devon Williams
Fifty on Their Heels (San Diego)
Japanese Motors
Sabertooth Tiger
+many more
Sunday, August 26th Deerhunter (Atlanta) Indian Jewelry (Houston/ Chicago/ LA)
No Age
Midnight Movies
The Blood Arm
Jay Reatard (Nashville)
Foreign Born
Pissed Jeans (Philly)
The Blood Arm
xBxRx (Oakland)
Darker My Love
The Nice Boys (Portland)
Langhorne Slim (Brooklyn)
Great Northern
Triclops! (San Francisco)
Whispertown 2000
Red Fang (Portland)
Best Fwends (Austin)
Vultures (San Diego)
Luke Top
Moonrats
Rumspringa
The Strange Boys (Austin)
60 Watt Kid (Oakland)
Abe Vigoda
The Muslims (San Diego)
The Prayers (San Diego)
Bad Dudes
Jail Wedding
+ more.
I’ve spent a few weeks with Animal Collective’s upcoming album Strawberry Jam and it has taken me some time to even attempt to describe it. At first my opinion of it was mixed, I passively enjoyed it but only certain tracks on it really grabbed me. That is, or was rather, until I was in the right mind state to fully grasp what Animal Collective had achieved. Unfortunately, in order to fully understand the chaotic beauty contained within Strawberry Jam, I think it’s necessary for one to be in more of a squalored consciousness than you’re used to. On no sleep, not having eaten for a few days, mind scattered about the room I turned on Strawberry Jam again and heard it for the first time. Playing out as though Nino Rota was given LSD and asked to re-score La Dolce Vita, the driving melody similarly underscoring and resonating through the entire album, only this time through its mainstay, the contemplative piano, is replaced with a twisted array of soaring vocals. The controversial album cover, a bruised and beaten strawberry, obviously serves as a symbolic representation for the broken heart Avey Tare attempts to grapple with in songs such as “For Reverend Green.” With lyrics like, “From one moment to the next…the ins and outs of someones chest who will only be a friend if he touches your breast…I think it’s alright I think we’re together, I think it’s the best we’ve ever played it now” it’s clear that the cover accurately portrays what’s contained within. “For Reverend Green” is immediately followed by the beautiful “Fireworks,” the music now sounds optimistic but the lyrics still show intense sadness and reverie. It’s not until the albums final track, “Derek” that we hear resolution and happiness. Panda Bear (Noah Lennox) rides into town yodeling the lyrics “Should have taken better care of you my dear, sorry when I get unruly when you go on so much I get a little tired” over the clip clop percussion of chalk horse hooves marching through the puddled battleground of love, the song then explodes into an epic declaration and defeat over the enemy. “With you, with you, with you, look inside of the eye of the eye,” Panda Bear sings, an optimistic resolution to an album that continuously struggles with the thoughts of ever finding stable ground again.
(Disclaimer: To be honest a lot of Animal Collective’s lyrics are fairly indecipherable, their stories jumbled and themes often equivocal. I wrote this review a few days ago and listening to Derek again it could just be about a dog, but that’s what I love about lyrics and buried vocals…open to interpretation.)
ANIMAL COLLECTIVE
WED 9/5 – Avalon – Boston, MA
THUR 9/6 – Le National – Montreal, QC
FRI 9/7 – Bronson Centre Theatre – Ottawa, ON
SAT 9/8 – Phoenix – Toronto, ON
SUN 9/9 – Dionysus Club, Oberlin College – Oberlin, OH (tkts sold to students first)
MON 9/10 – Vic Theatre – Chicago, IL
TUE 9/11 – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN
FRI 9/14 – Neumos – Seattle, WA
SAT 9/15 – Commodore Ballroom – Vancouver, BC
SUN 9/16 – Roseland Theater – Portland, OR
MON 9/17 – The Fillmore Auditorium – San Francisco, CA
TUE 9/18 – Henry Fonda Theater – Los Angeles, CA
THUR 9/20 – Rialto Theater – Tucson, AZ
FRI -- 9/21 -- Club 101 -- El Paso, TX
SAT 9/22 – Emos – Austin, TX
SUN -- 9/23 -- Bricktown Ballroom -- Norman, OK
MON 9/24 – Gargoyle Club – St. Louis, MO
TUE 9/25 – Cannery Ballroom – Nashville, TN
WED 9/26 – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA
THUR 9/27 – Cats Cradle – Carrboro, NC
FRI 9/28 – 9:30 Club – Washington, D.C.
SAT 9/29 – Starlight Ballroom – Philadelphia, PA
SUN 9/30 – Webster Hall – New York, NY
MON 10/1 – Webster Hall – New York, NY
I’ve been struggling lately with the conceit that has arrived with the title of Akron/Family’s upcoming Love is Simple LP. With the month I’ve had it seems laughable that love could ever be referred to as anything but intensely complicated. The more I thought about it though, the more it began to make sense. Maybe it was the few listens to the albums “Love, love, Love” (everyone) and “Love, love, Love” (reprise) that did me in, but when you break it down to its most basic elements maybe love is simple. That could just be Alaska talking though. You may be expecting some quixotic sunshiney blase song when you hear that the lyrics for “Don’t be Afraid,” the second song released from Love is Simple, are comprised mostly of “Love is Simple,”but don’t write them off before you give it a listen. It’s all about sincerity, of which Akron/Family are nowhere close to short on, so when they sing not to be afraid of loves simplicity, it’s entirely believable and thoroughly convincing. This is Naturalismo’s new anthem.
Castanets has released the first single from his forthcoming full length album titled In the Vines. “This Is the Early Game” features Ray Raposas signature creeky vocals which combine with his sleepy slide guitar and Jana Hunter’s vocals to form a song that feels very nostalgic. It’s been a long and hard year for Ray, so I anticipate hearing about it through his music. Striving always makes the best albums. In the Vines is out on October 23, on Asthmatic Kitty records.
Head over to DevendraBanhart.com right now to hear two new streaming songs, “Bad Girl” and “Carmensita.” “Bad Girl” features some of the most passionate singing I think I’ve ever heard from him. “Carmensita” has a great end of summer bossa nova/tropicalia groove feeling to it. Also added to the website today are 2 new videos. The first video shows Devendra practicing a duet he sings with Gael Garcia on the new album. The second video shows him rehearsing a new song with a very attentive Noah Georgeson at the controls.
As I make the transition and move up to San Francisco in the next few weeks I am going to be up and down California’s coast, so if you find yourself in a similar position or happen to live in San Francisco, Los Angeles or San Diego I can’t recommend coming out to some of these upcoming shows enough. (It’s also nice to show off some of these tour posters which never seem to get enough exposure or appreciation for the work the artists put into them)
