Dancing About Architecture 7.28.09

Posted by Ian Wright on 07.28.2009

Listen to new songs by Yo La Tengo and Atlas Sound/Panda Bear, the Mercury Prize nominees, a new album by F*ck Buttons, Final Fantasy videos, Kasabian are dreadful, listen to Handsome Furs-Plague Park and more!

The bit at the start

Hello again, I wasn't here last week due to some work related problems that at the last minute on Monday I had to drive 5 hours there and back for 45 minutes work and I got home too late to do a column.

No such problems this week though so lets get started.

Beg, borrow, buy, steal or download this album.

Handsome Furs – Plague Park



Face Control could be album of 2009, this was comparable.

Sometimes keeping the blurb to 10 words is really tough.

You news, you lose

Bradford Cox and Noah Lennox together, I think Pitchfork devotees might just shit themselves.

As mentioned recently the upcoming Atlas Sound album Logos (out October 20th on Kranky records) features a contribution from Noah Lennox a.k.a. Panda Bear of Animal Collective/his own solo work.

In a recent interview with Pitchfork Atlas Sounds' Bradford Cox had this to say about the pair working together, "I toured for a period in Europe with Animal Collective, whose band dynamic was very inspirational to be around. On the bus, we often played improvised iPod games. We would take turns formulating a theme or unifying concept and then play three songs. The goal would be for everyone to try and figure out the theme. During one of these games, someone played 'What Am I Going to Do' by the Dovers. I was amazed at the hook-- a weird organ thing with drums and electric bass. I mentioned to Noah [Lennox] that someone should really sample that riff. He agreed and he taught me a little about sampling and matching up beats. This ended up as the collaborative effort 'Walkabout'."

As a preview of the album Kranky released "Walkabout" for preview online last week and you can listen to it here.

Reference to Roman Mythology goes here.

Last week the nominees for the 2009 Mercury Prize award were announced. Now in its 17th year The Mercury is awarded to the best album released in the UK and Ireland in a given year (whose label/maker can stump up the £195 entry fee and 25 copies of the album). This year's nominees are:

Bat for Lashes: Two Suns
Florence and the Machine: Lungs
Friendly Fires: Friendly Fires
Glasvegas: Glasvegas
Lisa Hannigan: Sea Sew
The Horrors: Primary Colours
The Invisible: The Invisible
Kasabian: West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
La Roux: La Roux
Led Bib: Sensible Shoes
Speech Debelle: Speech Therapy
Sweet Billy Pilgrim: Twice Born Men

The winner of the album will be announced on September 8th. Of the list of nominees I probably like The Horrors album the most but based on the UK press figure that the two most likely winners are Florence and the Machine or Bat For Lashes as an outsider. On a personal level Lisa Hannigan went to my school and I'd be delighted to see her very much a DIY effort rewarded.

Also, Kasabian are fucking dreadful.

More new music from Yo La Tengo.

One song from the forthcoming Popular Songs has already been released to the internet but you can now listen to another song, album opening song "Here To Fall"here.

The album itself is out on September 8th and the band have announced a string of live dates which are listed below.

Yay.

One of my favourite albums of last year was Street Horrsing by electro noise duo Fuck Buttons. So it makes me very very happy to know that the pair are almost ready to go with the follow up. The 7 track album is out on September 12th in the UK on ATP recordings and was produced by Andrew Wetherall.

Oh and it's called Tarot Sport, I should have mentioned that earlier.

Lead single "Surf Solar" will be out the same week as the album.

The YouTube video of the week

RT @owenpallett Hillside 2009! "Lewis Takes Off His Shirt", torrential rain, I almost get electrocuted.



If you can you should go to these gigs.

Why?

09-24 Cincinnati, OH - Northside Tavern
09-26 New York, NY - Le Poisson Rouge
10-01 Cambridge, MA - Middle East #%
10-02 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church #%
10-03 Pittsburgh, PA - William Pitt Union #%
10-04 Ann Arbor, MI - The Blind Pig #%
10-05 Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge #%
10-06 Madison, WI - UW Madison Terrace #%
10-07 Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock #%
10-09 Denver, CO - Bluebird #%
10-10 Salt Lake City, UT - In The Venue #%
10-13 Anacortes, WA - Department of Safety &$
10-14 Seattle, WA - The Vera Project &$
10-15 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom &$
10-17 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall *%$
10-20 Los Angeles, CA - Echoplex *%
10-23 Phoenix, AZ - Modified Arts *%
10-24 Tucson, AZ - Club Congress *%
10-26 Denton, TX - Hailey's *%
10-28 Birmingham, AL - Bottletree *%
10-29 Asheville, NC - Grey Eagle *%
10-30 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle *%
10-31 Atlanta, GA - Lenny's %^@
11-02 Orlando, FL - The Social %!
11-03 Gainesville, FL - Common Grounds %!
11-04 Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder %!
11-06 Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon %~
11-07 Houston, TX - Walter's on Washington %~
11-08 Austin, TX - Fun Fun Fun Fest
11-10 Lawrence, KS - Jackpot Music Hall %~
11-11 St. Louis, MO - Firebird %~
11-13 Bloomington, IN - Rhino's Youth Center ~

* with Serengeti and Polyphonic
# with Dark Dark Dark
% with AU
& with No Kids
$ with Mount Eerie
^ with Jemina Pearl
@ with Islands
! with James Husband
~ with the Moore Brothers

Yo La Tengo

09-15 Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
09-16 Boston, MA - Wilbur Theater
09-17 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
09-18 Durham, NC - Carolina Theater
09-19 Atlanta, GA - Variety
09-21 Asheville - Orange Peel
09-25 New York, NY - Roseland Ballroom *
10-02 Montreal, Quebec - Le National
10-03 Toronto, Ontario - Opera House
10-05 Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom
10-06 Chicago, IL - Vic Theatre
10-07 Minneapolis, MN - First Ave
10-09 Omaha, NE - Slowdown
10-10 Denver, CO - Ogden
10-11 Aspen, CO - Belly Up
10-12 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
10-14 Phoenix, AZ - Marquee
10-15 Los Angeles, CA - Avalon
10-16 San Diego, CA - Soma
10-17 Santa Cruz, CA - Rio Theater
10-18 San Francisco, CA - Treasure Island Festival
10-20 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
10-21 Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom
10-22 Seattle, WA - Showbox SoDo
11-05 Dublin, Ireland - Tripod
11-06 Glasgow, Scotland - ABC
11-07 Manchester, England - Academy 2
11-08 London, England - The Roundhouse
11-10 Bielefeld, Germany - Forum
11-11 Lueven, Belgium - Het Depot
11-12 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg
11-14 Copenhagen, Denmark - Gray Hall
11-15 Oslo, Norway - Cosmopolite
11-17 Stockholm, Sweden - Kagelbanan
11-18 Lund, Sweden - Mejeriet
11-19 Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle
11-20 Den Hague, Netherlands - Crossing Border Festival
11-22 Dusseldorf, Germany - Zakk
11-23 Berlin, Germany - Postbahnhof
11-25 Katowice, Poland - Hipnoza Club
11-26 Vienna, Austria - Arena
11-30 Paris, France - Bataclan

* with Black Lips

Leonard Cohen

07-30 Lisbon, Portugal - Pabillion Atlantico
07-31 Leon, Spain - Leon Arena
08-03 Venice, Italy - St. Mark's Square
08-05 Istanbul, Turkey - Harbiye Open Air Theatre
08-06 Istanbul, Turkey - Harbiye Open Air Theatre
08-11 Palma de Mallorca, Spain - Palma Arena
08-13 Vigo, Spain - Festival Castrelos
08-15 Girona, Spain - Festival Jardins de Cap Roig
08-16 Colmar, France - Foire aux Vins de Colmar Festival
08-18 Vienne, France - Theatre Antique de Vienne
08-20 Nimes, France - Arena of Nimes
08-22 Monaco, France - Sporting Club
08-23 Monaco, France - Sporting Club
08-26 Wiesen, Austria - Festivalgelinde
08-28 Bratislava, Slovakia - Incheba Expo Arena
08-29 Prague, Czech Republic - O2 Arena
08-31 Budapest, Hungary - Arena Plaza
09-02 Belgrade, Serbia - Belgrade Arena
09-04 Bucharest, Romania - Piata Constitutiei
09-12 Madrid, Spain - Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad de Madrid
09-13 Granada, Spain - Coliseo Atarfe
09-15 Zaragoza, Spain - Pabellon Principe Felipe
09-17 Bilbao, Spain - Bilbao Exhibition Centre
09-21 Barcelona, Spain - Palau Sant Jordi
10-17 Sunrise, FL - BankAtlantic Center
10-19 Tampa, FL - St. Pete Times Forum
10-20 Detroit, MI - Fox Theatre
10-22 Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Spectrum
10-23 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
10-25 Cleveland, OH - Allen Theatre
10-27 Columbus, OH - Palace Theatre
10-29 Chicago, IL - Rosemont Theatre
11-01 Asheville, NC - Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
11-03 Durham, NC - Durham Performing Arts Center
11-05 Nashville, TN - Tennessee Performing Arts Center
11-07 St. Louis, MO - Fox Theatre
11-09 Kansas City, MO - The Midland by AMC
11-12 Las Vegas, NV - The Colosseum at Caesar's Palace
11-13 San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion

Fuck Buttons

09-17 – Leeds, England - Brudenell Social Club *
09-18 – Sheffield, England - The Corporation *
09-19 – Oxford, England - The Cellar *
09-20 – Manchester, England - Deaf Institute *
09-21– Nottingham, England - Bodega *
09-22 – Birmingham, England - Hare & Hounds *
09-23 – Newcastle, England - The Other Room *
09-24 – Glasgow, Scotland - Stereo
09-25 – Lancaster, England - The Storey *
09-26 – Bristol, England - Colston Hall *
09-27 – Brighton, England - Audio *
10-27 – London, England - Heaven

* with Zun Zun Equi

Islands

08-19 Brooklyn, NY - Bell House
08-22 Los Angeles, CA - Sunset Junction Street Fair
09-28 Tampa, FL - Ritz Ybor
09-29 Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Revolution
09-30 Orlando, FL - House of Blues
10-02 Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
10-03 Charlotte, NC - Amos' Southend
10-04 Norfolk, VA - The Norva
10-06 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
10-07 Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero
10-09 New York, NY - Roseland Ballroom
10-10 Cambridge, MA - House of Blues
10-12 Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
10-13 Pontiac, MI - Clutch Cargo's
10-14 Toronto, Ontario - Kool Haus
10-15 Chicago, IL - Subterranean *
10-18 Missoula, MT - Badlander *
10-19 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey *
10-20 Vancouver, British Columbia - Rickshaw Theatre *
10-21 Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre *
10-22 Davis, CA UC Davis - Oddfellows Lodge *
10-23 Berkeley, CA - UC Berkeley (Lower Sproul Plaza) *
10-23 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill (day show)
10-24 West Hollywood, CA - The Troubador *
10-25 Phoenix, AZ - Rhythm Room *
10-27 Austin, TX - Mohawk *
10-28 Denton, TX - Rubber Gloves *
10-29 Memphis, TN - Hi Tone Cafe *
10-30 Birmingham, AL - Bottletree Cafe *
10-31 Atlanta, GA - Lenny's Bar *
11-01 Durham, NC - Duke Coffee House *
11-02 Baltimore, MD - G-Spot *
11-03 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church *
11-04 Cambridge, MA - Middle East *
11-05 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom *

* with Jemina Pearl

Writing under the influence

Without which this column would not have been possible:

Talk Radio
VA - Dark Was the Night

The bit at the end

The new Why? album leaked today. I'm really looking forward to giving it a listen in the next day or so. Full review up next week.

Semi permanent plug for my blog.