White Rabbits Drop Video For "Heavy Metal"

Two weeks back we hit you with a mention of White Rabbits' upcoming new record Milk Famous.  Now the band has backed up the first single, "Heavy Metal", with video.  The clip cleverly uses looped video to generate a creepy, static-with-movement feel.  Very cool - check it out above.

Video: Ryan Adams - "Chains Of Love"

On this fine Friday morning, Ryan Adams has brought us a new video for "Chains of Love", and rest assured, this is a video that has it all.  An all-girl backing band, Ryan in a motorcycle jacket looking dreamily into space, pyrotechnics, and even....3D.  Yeah, we broke out our Ashes and Fire deluxe edition 3D glasses, so what?  Stop grumbling, spoilsport, and just watch the damn vid.

REM - Monster

REM is a strange beast, and in the wake of their breakup, one that deserves some examination. They unquestionably have had a lasting effect on the world of rock and roll, and their disciples are many. They also possess a singular character amongst their peers. Their image is neither rough or fashionable, but more fleetingly nerdy and awkward.  Their hits are often angsty balladry or quirky pop melodies, and they often fill the roll of "cool" band for people who don't like "cool". However, here at HAD, our favorite REM moment has always been one that broke rank with their catalog: the 1994 record Monster.

Often, Monster is cited as REM's response to the grunge movement, and that may have some validity.  The return of the "rock" in rock and roll was unquestionably apparent to the band, and they took a step back from the mellowness that they had spent most of the early 90's fostering. But the fact of the matter is that REM was a rock band long before they were producing pop like "Shiny Happy People" or miserable dreck like "Everybody Hurts". Monster's crunch and vitality was in many ways simply a return to the form that had made REM famous during their tenure at IRS records.

That return to form is one piece of the puzzle that makes Monster so great: the songwriting is exceptional, and the arrangements moreso.  It is garage rock at its best and most crafty, built on a simple foundation of drums, piano, bass, and guitar.  Sure, there's a note more crunch in the guitar, and there are moments where electronica threatens to rear its ugly head, but the dam never breaks, and instead we are left with a selection of songs that are utterly fantastic. But fantastic songs are only one piece of the puzzle.

Let it be noted that we don't particularly love Michael Stipe.  He can be whiny, and thrives on the idea of his own oppression.  He is the ultimate "emotional" rock star, to a fault.  It comes across in his writing, his delivery, and his persona.  And yet, on Monster, he absolutely nails it.  His lyrical content manages to escape literalism for most of the record, and instead return to the poignant abstraction that made "Stand" and "It's The End Of The World As We Know It" such amazing songs. Moreover, his vocals are in bulletproof form, yielding killer falsettos ("I Don't Sleep I Dream", "Tongue"), bizarre monotones ("Crush With Eyeliner", "King Of Comedy"),  straight ahead rock ("Star 69", "What's The Frequency, Kenneth?"), and soulful melancholia ("Strange Currencies").

To try and espouse a band like REM is a fools errand: the band is already installed as one of the seminal foundations of modern rock.  Yet it's worth considering that the things they are appreciated for may not be the band's greatest strengths. Monster is what many would call "out of character" for the REM of today, and a shadow of the greatness of their indie years. The fact of the matter is that it embraces both sides of the band's tumultuous public persona, and the result is the best record they ever recorded.

mp3: REM - Tongue

Spoon - "I Could See The Dude (Demo)"

The cover for the Soft Effects vinyl 10"

We're always stoked when Spoon drops a new track in their "Bonus" section, but this month we were particularly thrilled. Culled from the demo sessions for one of our favorite Spoon records, the Soft Effects EP, the demo for "I Could See The Dude" is a real treat.

Much like the final studio track, the demo is built around a looped guitar riff overlaid on a bass line that manages to craft the song's chord changes all by its lonesome. The vocals are a little more raw, and (like most of Britt Daniel's demos) the beats are clearly canned.  At the end of the day, however, this is the clear foundation of one of our favorite Spoon tracks.

Give a listen to the mp3 below, and try not to get too excited about the fact that the end of the track clearly has the guitar lead in for a demo of "Waiting For The Kid To Come Out". Fingers crossed we'll be hearing it soon!

mp3: Spoon - I Could See The Dude (Demo)

White Rabbits Drop New Record, Milk Famous, In March

It's been a while since White Rabbits dropped their second full length It's Frightening, so when news came over the wire this morning that they had a new one on the way, we were psyched for the news.  The new record, which drops March 6th on TBD Records, is titled Milk Famous.

While it's not produced by Britt Daniel, the band still kept their Spoon association close, and roped in long time band producer Mike McCarthy to produce the record in Austin, Texas. If the lead track ("Heavy Metal", below) is any indication, McCarthy managed to help the band stay true to the sound of It's Frightening, and deliver a record that is a windy maze of synth laden guitar lines and driving, compact beats.

In addition to the new record, the band will be heading out on tour this spring.  This is, as anyone who has seen the band on stage knows, fantastic news.  Their live show surpasses the greatness of the records to be its own beast, and is an absolutely revelatory experience.  The tour includes stops at awesomely intimate venues across the US, including the Independent in San Francisco, The Paradise in Boston, and (alright, not so intimate) Webster Hall in New York. Suffice it to say, White Rabbits deserve a great deal of your attention this spring.

White Rabbits Spring Tour 2012
March 6: Philadelphia, PA / Union Transfer
March 7: Washington D.C. / Black Cat
March 8: Charlottesville, VA / Jefferson Theater
March 9: Raleigh, NC / Lincoln Theatre
March 11: Atlanta, GA / Variety Playhouse
March 12: Birmingham, AL / The Bottletree
March 13: New Orleans, LA / One Eyed Jacks
March 14: Houston, TX / Fitzgeralds
March 19: Denver, CO / Bluebird Theater
March 20: Salt Lake City, UT / Urban Lounge
March 22: Portland, OR / Doug Fir Lounge
March 23: Vancouver, BC / Biltmore Cabaret
March 24: Seattle, WA / Crocodile Cafe
March 26: San Francisco, CA / The Independent
March 28: Los Angeles, CA / El Rey Theatre
March 29: San Diego, CA / The Casbah
March 30: Phoenix, AZ / Crescent Ballroom
March 31: Tucson, AZ / Club Congress
April 3: Lawrence, KS / Jackpot Music Hall
April 4: Columbia, MO / The Blue Note
April 5: St. Louis, MO / Plush
April 6: Madison, WI / High Noon Saloon
April 7: Minneapolis, MN / Triple Rock Social Club
April 8: Chicago, IL / Metro
April 12: New York, NY / Webster Hall
April 13: Northampton, MA / Pearl Street Downtown
April 14: Boston, MA / Paradise Rock Club


mp3: White Rabbits - Heavy Metal

Damon Albarn Returns To Africa For Mali Music Follow-Up

We've long been seriously in love with Damon Albarn's Mali Music, so when a friend at New Year's asked if we had heard about the Blur and Gorillaz frontman's African project, we knowingly smiled and knowingly informed them that they were about eight year's late to a seriously awesome musical experience. Well, allow us to stand corrected. It turns out, in fact, that we were about two months late. Albarn returned to Africa and released a new record in October, this time from the Democratic Republic of Congo's capital city of Kinshasa.  The result is a record entitled Kinshasa One Two, and it's a doozy.

With a process similar to Mali Music, Albarn headed to the DRC to allow Western producers to collaborate with native DRC musicians.  While we haven't gotten our hands on full record quite yet, but from everything we've heard it appears to be just as, if not more, enticing than it's predecessor. Albarn apparently brought along Dan The Automator for the adventure, along with XL Records head Richard Russell, and the trio recorded the collaborations with locals in a week's time.  Not half bad, if we do say so ourselves.

Just like Mali Music, the record is an Oxfam benefit, and as such, it would behoove you to purchase an actual copy as opposed to bending the internet to your will.  After all, it is the new year, shouldn't you start it off right?

mp3: Kashasa One Two - Lourds

Suuns Drop New EP

Given our ecstatic love for SUUNS first full length Zeroes QC, we have to say expectations for their next effort were running painfully high.  Luckily for us, the band must have anticipated the potential for backlash, as their new 12" EP Bambi/Red Song (cover above) is nothing but totally killer new material.

SUUNS at Shea Stadium from the HAD Archive

Comprised of only two tracks and clocking in at just under 13 minutes, the EP is significantly more minimalist than the band's debut. While still embracing an texturally exploratory aesthetic, the record is also extremely careful in it's arrangement.  It leaves each tracked instrument the space to be explored on its own in the context of the greater whole.  The guitars are singled out and less layered, the beats are given space to grow, and in many cases take on the role of lead instrument.

Without question, the record plays on the band's strengths, and perhaps could do a little more to push in new directions.  That being said, an EP is a great context in which to explore, and this record does exactly that.  Taking the foundations of the first record and exploring their most stark nooks and crannies is a worthwhile effort, and leaves us eagerly anticipating where the band will go next.

Plants And Animals Played The Rock Shop - Pictures, Review, Setlist

Last night we braved the late-fall rain to stop in at Brooklyn's Rock Shop for a set from Montreal's Plants and Animals.  The band, who recently announced their third full length's arrival in February, decided to play a couple of one-offs before they go on tour next spring.  The show saw the arrival of a new bassist to the band's lineup, and a handful of songs off the new record.  And, as per usual, these HAD faves delivered an absolutely killer live set.

Over the course of an hour and twenty minutes, the band traversed both of their previous full length records, as well as delivering three tunes from The End Of That, which drops on February 28th.  The new material (which included the already released "Lightshow") was surprisingly straight-ahead in it's delivery, and was at times reminiscent of Jonathan Richman, or Dylan at his most melodic. It's unquestionably a new sound for the band, but one that worked extremely well, and left us hankering to hear the rest of the record.

The older material also took on a new life.  The addition of a full time basis allowed the band to explore more nooks and crannies of the tunes, and also gave way to some more fleshed out lead guitar. The closest thing the band has had to a hit, "Bye Bye Bye", was radically reworked in a manner that removed a fair degree of its grandiosity, and replaced it with a garage-y feel that placed the emphasis on the melody, rather than the arrangement.

Despite clocking in at over an hour, the set still felt incredibly quick.  This is a band who is positively riveting on stage, and gives it their all every time we see them. Moreover, their intricate, syncopated arrangements never seem to get old, and breathe new life into the tunes time and time again.  The End Of That is unquestionably one of our most anticipated records of 2012, and last night's show served to remind us of why. If you decided to stay in last night because of the weather, well, we're sorry to say you missed out.

More photos at the HAD Archive


Setlist:
Faerie Dance
Lightshow
Game Shows
Mama Papa
Good Friend
The End Of That
Undone Melody
Bye Bye Bye
Mercy
New Song (Holy Matrimony)
--
New Kind Of Love

Lissy Trullie - "Madeline"

Lissy Trullie at the DeYoung, from the HAD Archive

It's been a while since we'd heard from Lissy Trullie, so we were delighted when we discovered that she has a new record on tap for 2012.  The self titled album, which drops on March 6th, has yet to grace our ears or our inboxes. However, If the lead single "Madeline" (mp3 below) is any indication, it's gonna be a damned good one.

The track manages to channel the spirit of Nico, and set it adrift in layers upon layers of synth textures and  loping beats.  Combine that with the fact that Trullie's vocals are actually a fair bit better than the Velvet's chanteuse, and the fact that the tune has a nice unconventional composition, and well, we're sold.

The sound is a fair bit more mature than Trullie's debut: Gone are the jangly, garagey guitars, and in their place is a far more crafted and well produced record.  The effort is just as polished, but it has more individualism and clarity, and manages to shed a fair degree of the derivative moments of its predecessor. In short, exactly what you'd hope for from a second record.

mp3: Lissy Trullie - Madeline

Talking Heads Set To Drop Live Video Compilation

When we first saw the Talking Heads' video compilation announcement appear from David Byrne in our inbox, we were interested, but not riveted.  After all, most of the band's fantastic videos are available on YouTube, and we've got a good feel for what's out there.  Well, in retrospect, we stand corrected:  a closer read reveals something much more interesting.

In short Talking Heads Chronology is a high quality compilation of the band's live performances, from their very earliest days up until their Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame induction in 2002.  In Byrne's estimation, they were "very much a live band", and as such, this review is a good estimation of their prowess. We never saw them live in concert, but needless to say, we would have loved to, and if this is the closest we get, well, so be it.


Talking Heads Chronology is available now.