Dancing About Architecture 06.12.07
Posted by Ian Wright on 06.12.2007
Primavera regrets, Norway, Fiery Furnaces, Super Furry Animals, Broken Social Scene, Glastonbury.
The bit at the start
So there was no column last week because I was in Spain, big mistake. Shit trip, under whelmed by almost everything I saw, should never have gone, could have spent the money on something far more enjoyable like a colonoscopy sans lube.
Anyway, I saw some bands ...
Day 1:
-Herman Dune, alright. Cool drummer.
-Dirty 3. Not overly familiar with them but decent. Left halfway through to see...
-Alexander Tucker. OK, some interesting looping stuff, he seemed annoyed about the sound a lot.
-Slint, great, best thing I saw all weekend. Considering that there were loads of bands playing that I like a lot more than them that's a bit of a let down.
-Why was I even surprised that the pumpkins were shit? Hits were alright.
-Justice, I danced.
Day 2:
-Blonde Redhead, pretty good.
-Beirut, a big steaming pile of shit which annoyed me no end, but not as much as Zach´s stage persona.
-Modest Mouse were rubbish and even fucked up their one great song.
-Low were good.
-Built to Spill despite huge sound and technical problems were really fucking impressive.
Day 3:
-Isis, ok for about 2 songs, and only when the fella wasn't singing.
-Sonic Youth, truth be told Daydream Nation is far from my favourite album of their´s and there were times when I was bored, I enjoyed the encore more when they were free from the constraints of playing the album and could just play great songs.
-Wilco, quite shit for the most part, a lot of it was just about saved by Nels Cline's guitar playing when he was adding texture to the songs and mucking about with his "science project". He did do some wanky classic rock solo bullshit to which impressed me far less. Jeff seemed to be in a pretty good mood but there weren't all that many occasions when I was seriously impressed by what he was doing, "Jesus etc." "shot in the arm", "via Chicago" (is that what it's called or is that just some words he sings a lot). Kidsmoke was amazing.
-(The last 20-30 minutes of...) Battles, I could recognise that what I was seeing was pretty special but my head was so fucked I couldn't "enjoy" it so I just stood there like some chin stroking motherfucker and tried to take it in and figure out precisely who was doing what. In terms of musicianship I don't think I've seen many other bands as technically gifted as them, and of those there's hardly any that I didn't think were shit (I'm looking at you Dillenger Escape Plan).
Beg, borrow, buy, steal or download this album.
Low – Trust
Alan Sparhawk may have the saddest voice in the whole world.
The Dancing About Architecture MySpace band of the week.
Austin based Elephant 6-ish indie pop. I think he likes The Apples In Stereo.
Recommended song: Artificial Expansion
You news, you lose
Burn the witch.
If you care about things like what labels put out albums by what bands then you may be interested to learn that The Fiery Furnaces have signed to Chicago based imprint Thrill Jockey. In doing so they become stablemates of Tortoise, Califone, The Sea and Cake and Trans Am amongst others.
Window City, the duo's first album with Thrill Jockey is due out on October 23rd. If I even listen to it expect a reaction of, "Nah, I don't get the appeal at all," which has been my reaction to almost everything else they've ever done.
… is the name of a place in Wales. Seriously, it is.
And you thought Super Furry Animals was an odd name, think how bad it could have been.
Anyway Wales' bestest ever band (because Tom Jones is a solo artiste, and kinda shit) are due to release their next album Hey Venus! on Rough Trade in August and main animal Gruff Rhys spoke to the NME about the 11 song album which will be preceded by the single "Show Your Hand" a fortnight (that's 2 weeks (that's 14 days)) before the album hits the shelves (and lets say … ohh 5 weeks after it leaks on the web).
According to Rhys (and he should know), the album is about a character named Venus who leaves the countryside for the city. According to the NME the band are already working on their next album which may contain a few off cuts from Hey Venus!.
Rhys also has an album due out next year with Boom Bip entitled under the name Neon Neon on Lex Records which is likely to feature guest spots from Spank Rock, Yo Majesty, Fatlip, and Har Mar Superstar, and the Magic Numbers.
Hey Venus!
01 The Gateway Song
02 Runaway
03 Show Your Hand
04 The Gift
05 Neo Consumer
06 Into the Night
07 Baby Ate My Eight Ball
08 Carbon Dating
09 Suckers
10 Battersea Odyssey
11 Wolves
Hello … Nigel, where are we? Oslo David. OSLO
OR
Gail Wallens: Author of "Hostage Terrorist, Terrorist Hostage: A study in duality." Dr. Hasseldorf, what can we expect in the next few hours?
Dr. Hasseldorf: Well, Gail, by this time the hostages will be going through the early stages of the Helsinki Syndrome.
Harvey Johnson: As in Helsinki, Sweden.
Dr. Hasseldorf: Finland.
And now for the latest in our occasional series of reports about festivals around the world. This time it's Øya Festival (thank you ctrl+c because I've no idea how to get that character) in Oslo, Norway which takes place between August 7-11.
This year's festival will feature appearances by Spoon, the Jesus and Mary Chain, Boredoms, Low, Battles, the Go! Team, Lily Allen, the Hold Steady, Devendra Banhart, the Besnard Lakes, Lady Sovereign, Bonde do Role, the Twilight Sad, Justice, Architecture in Helsinki, Primal Scream, ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Malajube, Matt & Kim, Shout Out Louds, Albert Hammond Jr., Tool, Nine Inch Nails, Roky Erickson, Eagles of Death Metal, Yo Majesty, Shining, New Violators, New Young Pony Club, and many more which makes me almost think it'd be worth enduring the insanely high Norwegian booze prices to make the trip.
It can't be as bad as Primavera anyway.
Cool.
We may be waiting about a million years for the next Broken Social scene but on the upside that means that every member would be able to release a single solo album each while we wait for it and it would average out to a record a year, it just so happens that they've been coming out on a more regular basis than that (see Millan, Amy; Haines, Emily; Feist, Leslie; some of the dudes too). Next up is core BSSer Kevin Drew who will release Broken Social Scene Presents Kevin Drew, "Spirit If..." on the band's own Arts & Crafts label on September 18 and which was produced by Drew himself as well as fellow BSS members, Ohad Benchetrit and Charles Spearin and collects songs written by Drew at Benchetrit's studio over the course of 2 years. The album will feature contributions from a number of Broken Social Scensters as well as some other folks who aren't in the band. According to the press release, "The record unfolds like an emotional comic book. It's Drew's song-writing and all his favourite topics are addressed: fucking, fighting, fearing and hope. FFFH."
The release is the first in a series of "Broken Social Scene Presents" albums and Brendan Canning is at present readying his own album in the series which is due out next year.
A slightly better known festival.
It's been sold out for weeks but the lineup for this year's Glastonbury was announced while I was away and as ever there's some pretty stellar names on the bill.
Amongst the hundreds of performances through the weekend (June 22-24) you'll be able to see sets from Arcade Fire, Björk, Bloc Party, Arctic Monkeys, Lily Allen, Hot Chip, M.I.A., CSS, Klaxons, !!!, and the Stooges, Modest Mouse, the Hold Steady, Bonde do Role, the New Pornographers, Spiritualized (an acoustic set), Patrick Wolf, Beirut, the Pipettes, the Go! Team, Vitalic, Super Furry Animals, Bright Eyes, Rufus Wainwright, Guillemots, the Long Blondes, Trentemøller, Annuals, Tokyo Police Club, the Chemical Brothers, Maxïmo Park, Four Tet, the Killers, Simian Mobile Disco, Pete Doherty, Kaiser Chiefs, Stephen and Damian Marley, Erol Alkan, the Horrors, the Magic Numbers, John Fogerty, the Who, and... Chumbawamba (acoustic).
You'll probably also be able to see unwashed hippies fuck around the stone circle while another unwashed crusty offers to sell you some "truffles".
06-10 Chula Vista, CA - KZBT Independence Jam
06-16 Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo
06-29 Calgary, Alberta - Sled Island Festival
07-04 Detroit, MI - Comerica CityFest
07-05 Milwaukee, WI - Summerfest
07-11 New York, NY - Rockefeller Park (River to River)
08-04 Chicago, IL - Grant Park (Lollapalooza)
08-05 Baltimore, MD - Virgin Festival
08-10 Oslo, Norway - Øya Festival
08-11 Gothenburg, Sweden - Way Out West
08-12 Leicester, England - Summer Sundae Weekender
08-14 Paredes de Coura, Portugal - Paredes de Coura Festival
08-16 London, England - Cargo
08-17 Hasselt, Belgium - Pukkelpop Festival
09-07 Vancouver, British Columbia
09-10 Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theatre
09-11 Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theatre
09-14-16 Austin, TX - Zilker Park (Austin City Limits Festival)
10-10 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
10-15 Toronto, Ontario - Phoenix Concert Theatre
10-20 New York, NY - Roseland Ballroom
Handsome Furs
Visas sorted there's more US dates added.
06-08 Toronto, Ontario - Comfort Zone (NXNE)
07-21 Ottawa, Ontario - Zaphod's
07-23 Chicago, IL - Schubas *
07-24 Chicago, IL - Schubas *
07-25 Omaha, NE - Slowdown
07-27 Fargo, ND - The Aquarium
07-28 Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock Social Club
07-31 Toronto, Ontario - Lee's Palace
08-01 Montreal, Quebec - La Sala Rossa
08-07 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
* with the Besnard Lakes
Wilco
If you see them with Low then you're very lucky.
06-13 Davenport, IA - Adler Theater *
06-14 Cincinnati, OH - Aronoff Center *
06-15 Indianapolis, IN - Murat Theater *
06-17 Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo
06-19 Atlanta, GA - Chastain Park Amphitheatre *
06-20 Charlotte, NC - Ovens Auditorium *
06-21 Columbia, MD - Merriweather Post Pavilion *
06-22 Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie Theater *
06-24 Northampton, MA - The Pines *
06-25 New York, NY - Hammerstein Ballroom *
06-26 Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw *
06-28 Boston, MA - Bank of America Pavilion *
06-29 Shelburne, VT - The Green at Shelburne Museum *
06-30 Toronto, Ontario - Massey Hall *
07-07 Kongsberg, Norway - Kongsberg Jazz Festival
07-08 Copenhagen, Denmark - Roskilde Festival
07-11 Montreux, Switzerland - Montreux Jazz Festival
07-13 Suffolk, England - Latitude Festival
07-14 Glasgow, Scotland - Indian Summer Festival
07-15 Dour, Belgium - Dour Festival
07-17 Turin, Italy - Spazio 211 Festival
07-20 Benicàssim, Spain - Festival Internacional de Benicàssim
08-14 Duluth, MN - Bayfront Festival Park
08-15 Winnipeg, Manitoba - Burton Cummings Theatre
08-21 Seattle, WA - Marymoor Park
08-22 Portland, OR - Edgefield
08-24 Berkeley, CA - Greek Theatre
08-27 San Diego, CA - Concerts in the Park
08-29 Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
09-14-16 Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Festival
* with Low
TV On the Radio
06-28 Arendal, Norway - Hove Festival
06-29 Stockholm, Sweden - Accelerator Festival
07-01 Belfort, France - Eurockéennes Festival
07-03 Barcelona, Spain - Apolo
07-04 Madrid, Spain - Joy Eslava
07-05 Lisbon, Portugal - Super Bock Super Rock Festival
07-29 Brooklyn, NY - McCarren Park Pool
07-30 Saratoga Springs, NY - Saratoga Performing Arts Center
07-31 Detroit, MI - The Fillmore
08-02 Cincinnati, OH - Bogart's
08-03 Millvale, PA - Mr. Smalls Funhouse
08-04 Baltimore, MD - Pimlico Race Course (Virgin Festival)
08-05 Chicago, IL - Grant Park (Lollapalooza)
The Hold Steady
06-07 Houston, TX - Walter's on Washington
06-08 Austin, TX - Emo's
06-09 Denton, TX - Hailey's
06-10 Norman, OK - Opolis Production
06-11 Little Rock, AR - Sticky Fingerz Chicken Shack
06-12 Columbia, MO - The Blue Note
06-14 Asheville, NC - The Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall
06-16 Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo Festival
06-23 Tuttlingen, Germany - Southside Festival
06-24 Scheeßel, Germany, - Hurricane Festival
06-26 Copenhagen, Denmark - Vega Jr.
06-27 Arendal, Norway - Hove Festival
06-29 Stockholm, Sweden - Accelerator Festival
06-30 Werchter, Belgium - Werchter Festival
07-01 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg
07-02 London, England - Shepherds Bush Empire
07-04 Portsmouth, England - Wedgewood Rooms
07-05 Manchester, England - Academy 2
07-07 Kinross, Scotland - T in the Park
07-08 Dublin, Ireland - Oxegen Festival
07-10 Leeds, England - Cockpit
07-11 Liverpool, England - Academy 2
07-12 Stock, England - Sugarmill
07-13 Guilford, England - Guilfest Festival
07-14 Suffolk, England - Latitude Festival
07-15 Swansea Bay, Wales - Fflam Festival
08-04 Chicago, IL - Grant Park (Lollapalooza)
08-05 Covington, KY - Madison Theater
08-06 Toronto, Ontario - Opera House
08-07 Montreal, Quebec - La Sala Rossa
08-09 Brooklyn, NY - Prospect Park Bandshell
08-24 Leeds, England - Leeds Festival
08-25 Reading, England - Reading Festival
Writing under the influence
Without which this column would not have been possible:
Modest Mouse – We were dead before the ship even sank.
Ratatat - Classics
The bit at the end
For the record, I couldn't give a shit about Wilco licensing their album to VW. I'm more pissed about the begging "please buy our album" e-mails that they sent out when it was released.
The Catalan tourist board should sell Barca with the following slogan, "Barcelona, city of 60 cent beer, pills for a tenner, and the worst restaurant service in the world."
