Poetic Memory: The Miserable Rich (List)
When I listen to Brighton, England’s The Miserable Rich, I feel like I should be chasing a wheel of cheese down a cobblestone street somewhere in the South of France.
Well, not all of their songs make me feel that way. The song I speak of is called “Somerhill” — off the band’s excellent Of Flight and Fury LP — and it just has that old-timey, European feel to it. Their sound is typically referred to as chamber pop, but after a deeper listen, the plucky folk influence begins to shine through. If you’re a fan of Beirut or Fanfarlo, The Miserable Rich are a must-listen.
The band’s swirling, whimsical orchestral arrangements can feel lighter than air, but it is front man James de Malplaquet’s sincere, quivering croon that keeps the songs from floating away. De Malplaquet decided to create a list of the things that keep him grounded. His Poetic Memory is below. Continue reading…
The New Pornographers Come Together (MP3)
Photo credit: Matador Records
When The New Pornographers put out an album, it’s always an event. Continue reading…
Fanfarlo – ‘Harold T. Wilkins’ (Video)
It’s been a busy year for Fanfarlo. Their debut album Reservoir was released in February and recently got picked up by Atlantic for a rerelease. The band is currently touring the US and enjoying some much-deserved buzz for their impressive showing at this years CMJ Music Marathon. And now they’ve released a video for one of this writer’s favorite songs of the year: “Harold T. Wilkins, or How To Wait For A Very Long Time”. Directed by Alma Har’el—who has also directed videos for Beirut and Jack Penate—the clip finds the group telepathically controlling each other’s movements in the forest before culminating in a choreographed Fanfarlo dance and a magical rowboat ride at dawn. No, seriously.
Fanfarlo to Open ‘Reservoir’ 11/24 at the Casbah
Does anyone remember an album called Funeral, released by a then-unknown band called Arcade Fire? I know you’re racking your brain to remember. Do you remember how you felt when you first heard it? The sheer jubilation you enjoyed when the anthemic chorus erupted and subsided, sending chills down your spine? Some might say this is a stretch, but I experienced that once again listening to the album Reservoir, by yet another unknown band named Fanfarlo. (more…)
Poetic Memory: Erika Davies (List)
If you’ve never heard Erika Davies, then you’ve never heard Shakespeare the way it’s meant to be sung. Her jazzy melodies scoop and flutter above delicately strummed ukulele in irresistible and intoxicating fashion. Serving up a cocktail of jazz standards and charming originals, Davies delivers an enchanting performance, anchored by gorgeous vocals and Amelie-esque charm.
Says Davies:
Before I sat to write this, I tried to recall my first memory of music. I couldn’t. It was as if I had to try and remember what it was like, exiting my mother’s slippery womb. I can, however, remember how tiny I was when singing to my first audience. How natural it felt just opening my soul to them. And how quiet everyone was, listening.
And from then on, music, it seems, has been drawn to me.
Miss Davies is currently hard at work penning her sophomore album, tentatively titled Nothing But A Note Thing, which she plans to record in January. You can catch her in two places this Saturday: she’ll be playing an early evening set at Golden Hill DIY venue The Habitat before scooting over to Air Conditioned for this year’s North Park Music Thing (formerly known as North By North Park). We’ve got Davies’ Poetic Memory list, as well as some additional tour dates, after the jump.
Poetic Memory is a regular Owl and Bear feature in which musicians disclose their influences—whether it’s albums, songs, artists, or something random. If you’re interested in being featured here, send us an email. (more…)
Interviews (Panda Bear, Beirut, Lucinda Williams)
Animal Collective’s Panda Bear (Noah Lennox) at Variety:
Animal Collective has always been critical darlings; with this album, you guys are receiving mega-buzz. Is the attention more pressing for you as a group?
Yeah, absolutely. I kind of feel like it’s over now. There’s an area of music journalism that has gotten more interested in this one. I don’t think ‘mainstream’ is the right word for it, but maybe an older journalistic world? An older group has gotten more excited about and that’s kind of weird.
Beirut’s Zach Condon at the AV Club:
Did you spend any time in Oaxaca City?
Yeah, what’s funny is that it actually reminds me a little bit of Santa Fe, except Oaxaca is actually a functioning, vibrant city, and not a dead tourist stop. It’s laid out the same way, it has the same feel—Oaxaca has the zócalo instead of a plaza—but Santa Fe, you know, is kinda busted. Plus, in Oaxaca, you can munch on crickets as an appetizer.
Lucinda Williams at the Birmingham News:
Many adjectives have been pulled out to describe your voice. How do you feel about it?
When I first started out, I was learning from all the great folk singers of the day, like Joan Baez and Judy Collins and later Joni Mitchell. They all had incredible ranges, and I was real insecure about my singing in the beginning. Most kids, when they first start out, want to sound a certain way, and they get frustrated if they can’t reach all the notes.
I remember Emmylou Harris said, “You learn to work with your limitations instead of against them.” It took a long time, but I learned, over the years, to write songs that fit with my voice.
Free Live Shows (MP3) From NPR & KEXP via iTunes Store
There are a ton of free live shows available through the iTunes store.
Check out these links:
KEXP: Includes shows from Thurston Moore, Twilight Sad, Battles, Beirut, Watson Twins, Stars, Grizzly Bear, Wrens, Magic Numbers, Okkervil River, etc.
Beirut – Gulag Orkestar
2006, Ba Da Bing
The comparison has been made before—but it makes sense, so sue me: Beirut frontman Zach Condon sounds a helluva lot like Neutral Milk Hotel’s Jeff Mangum.
