Thank you Spoon for bringing out an even better album
Source: Pitchfork.com
Just when we thought Spoon topped-out when it came to making staggeringly consistent indie rock albums, they kept on doing us one better. Considering these guys were responsible for three of our favorite albums of the decade, we're hoping they can come up with as much greatness in the 2010s.
So, Happy Friday: The band's seventh LP, Transference, is due out January 26 in North America via Merge and January 25 in Europe via Anti-.
The record features 11 songs produced by the band, including recent single "Got Nuffin", not to mention tracks called "I Saw the Light" and "Out Go the Lights". Lights, people, lights! And if you can't wait that long to hear the newness, we're sure Spoon will play at least a couple Transference tracks at their upcoming New Year's Eve gig with Jay Reatard at Milwaukee's Riverside Theater.
Track List for Transference:
01 Before Destruction
02 Is Love Forever?
03 The Mystery Zone
04 Who Makes Your Money
05 Written in Reverse
06 I Saw the Light
07 Trouble Comes Running
08 Goodnight Laura
09 Out Go the Lights
10 Got Nuffin
11 Nobody Gets Me But You
Posted by Ryan Dombal for Pitchfork.com on October 30, 2009 at 11:40 a.m.
Posted By Ryan Dombal (Pitchfork.com) on 30-Oct-09
Interview with Neon Indian
Twenty-one year-old Mexico-born, Texas-raised Alan Palomo is a restless fellow. Neon Indian is his third new musical identity in two years, following the short-lived Ghosthustler and the ongoing VEGA. But, as opposed to VEGA's glossy synth-pop, Neon Indian is decidedly lo-fi and ramshackle. "Neon Indian is like VEGA's evil twin in the sense that it's made up of these strange musical and emotional impulses," Palomo said in a recent interview.
A gauzy combination of Buggles-style 1980s pop, video game soundtracks, and cheeseball elevator music, Neon Indian songs like "Deadbeat Summer" and "Should Have Taken Acid With You" are effervescent, goofy, and achingly nostalgic. Kind of like MGMT on a ramen budget-- and with less face paint.
A sometime film student, Palomo conceived Neon Indian as an audio/visual endeavor, and enlisted high school friend and artist Alicia Scardetta to help with its eyeball attack. Live projections and online teaser videos are set to lead up to the October 13 release of the project's debut LP, Psychic Chasms, via Lefse.
Palomo took some time out while preparing the Neon Indian live show-- which will make its debut at Colorado's Monolith Festival September 13-- to chat with us about the pitfalls of lo-fi, (not) taking acid, and a particularly disturbing and bloody Nintendo game:
Pitchfork: How did the Neon Indian project start?
Alan Palomo: It began with the song "Should Have Taken Acid With You". During holiday break last year, [Neon Indian visual artist] Alicia [Scardetta] and I were supposed to get together and spend an afternoon on acid, but it fell through. I felt really bad about it so I wrote this song and sent it to her and figured that was that. Then she responded, like, "Wow there's really something to this."
Pitchfork: Did you reschedule the acid meet up?
AP: Not yet.
Pitchfork: There's a lot of music coming out now that uses this really lo-fi aesthetic to get its point across. I think the technique fits on Psychic Chasms, but it can seem like a shortcut to actual songwriting sometimes, too.
AP: I'd be lying if I said lo-fi was a completely gimmick-free genre. It's an old trick to just cover songs in reverb and distortion-- one I've been guilty of in the past. But there's also a lot of really amazing music that's written as a result of that. If you heard Daniel Johnston's "Story of an Artist" with an 18-piece band it might not have had the same effect. Someone like Ariel Pink speaks to me directly because he can still make this incredibly emotional music that's devoid of studio assistance.
That said, I do have some ambivalence towards lo-fi where it stands right now. There's so much stuff coming out on blogs and I have this impending anxiety as to whether it's going to become another electro disaster. A few weeks ago I was reading this book Transparency of Evil by Jean Baudrillard, and he was talking about how art is becoming this speculation-based currency and in order to proliferate it has to reference itself faster and faster. I remember thinking, "Oh Christ, this sounds exactly like the blog world!"
When you have all these micro music genres popping up out of nowhere, it seems like the only way to expand or retain any sort of relevance is to exhaust every possible variation until it implodes like this supernova leaving a residue of hundreds of shit MP3s. I really hope the medium by which someone writes a song isn't the only thing the song has going for it.
Pitchfork: Neon Indian has a distinct sense of longing, even if it's tough to make out what you're saying a lot of the time.
AP: There's definitely a very specific theme in the lyrical content of Psychic Chasms. It's funny, I can always understand the words but I'll play it for someone they'll be like, "Dude, what the fuck did you say?" I have to send my friends the lyrics and they're like, "That's what it means? That's so sad." [laughs] I don't even know if I'll provide a lyric sheet for Psychic Chasms-- I like the idea that everyone draws their own meaning.
Looking back on it, the album came to be this series of snapshots of pivotal moments in relationships that went completely awry. It might seem amateur, but nothing makes better artistic fodder than relationship history for me. When I moved from Denton to Austin last year, I toiled away at my synths most of the time and didn't really hang out with people. It was during this self-reflective phase that I started thinking back to when I was introduced to all these wrong combinations of feelings-- happiness, nostalgia, gut-wrenching anger. I purged a lot of that with this album.
Pitchfork: Some Neon Indian songs remind me of old video game soundtracks. Were you big into gaming as a kid?
AP: I probably bonded more with the Sega Genesis, but I would definitely watch my brother play Nintendo for hours. I remember this one game called Monster Party where this half-man, half-falcon takes you to a planet that looks unusually happy until a strobe light flashes and then everything is drenched in blood and green slime, and there are corpses everywhere. As a kid I was like, "What the fuck is this?"
We're the first string of generations to have our imaginations directly dictated to by video games. I wouldn't be able to imagine what life would be like daydreaming about being a knight as opposed to grabbing a controller and slaying a dragon. As a really young kid it was my vicarious window to the world. It transcends nostalgia.
Pitchfork: How did you originally get into music?
AP: I only started playing a few years ago, but I've always experienced music passively. My dad has been an inadvertent musical influence just because that's how he makes his living-- he had a brief stint in the late 70s and early 80s as a Mexican pop star. I actually sampled some of his stuff for Neon Indian. If you YouTube "Jorge Palomo" you can see a video of a guy who looks like me singing into a mic.
Pitchfork: What are your touring plans for the rest of the year?
AP: I'll be doing gigs back and forth between VEGA and Neon Indian shows from August through December. For Neon Indian, we might do some European shows in some unusual environments. We got an offer to play a fashion show in Paris. [laughs] As apprehensive as I was about something like that, at the same time I'm like, "Dude, haven't you always wanted to play a show with a bunch of supermodels walking around?!"
Posted By Pitchfork.com on 30-Oct-09
Lissie cover
We love Lissie's cover of her latest album "why you runnin"
Lissie was born and raised in Rock Island, IL. She was Annie in Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse Production and performed in 82 shows. This event has ultimately led Lissie to a life as a full time working musician and vocalist. She recently signed a record deal with Sony/BMG UK. Lissie was the opening act for Lenny Kravitz on his current North American tour. She plays most Wednesday nights at Cranes Tavern.
Posted By Cherie on 30-Oct-09
MTV making skinned knees cool
Johnson & Johnson launched a limited-edition series of Band-Aids featuring artwork by Brazilian indie artists Carla Barth and João Lelo. The brand hopes to reach audiences looking to express themselves (so expect to see them on the skinned knees of skateboarders and x-gamers). Unfortunately, they are only be available in Brazil (unless we cry really loud and make lots of noise.)
Posted By http://www.trenddelacreme.com/ on 30-Oct-09
Grey denim is not boring
Grey is huge for winter and makes a classic wardrobe staple. Some may be turned off by the grunge factor and think it a little boring mixed with dark colors but thats not the case at all. Grey works so well with colorful hues and makes a fine substitute for blue denim. Im a big fan of light or distressed skinny grey jeans.
Want to make your own? You can bleach an old pair of black faded jeans grey by leaving in neat bleach for about 2 - 3 minutes then soaking in diluted bleach for about 10 mins and rinsing well. The longer you leave it in a rinse the lighter they will be.
Posted By Cherie on 30-Oct-09
Alex Band Updates
Alex recently shot the video for the first single "Tonight" in LA and a few lucky fans got to be there. Check out the Gallery on www.alexmaxband.com and you can see Lisa's pictures from the Video shoot. Also if you check the Rare photos gallery you'll find a few exclusive pictures Alex sent me. The single is still on target for a release the first of the year and the album shortly after!
Alex's "Live in Brazil" DVD is ready and being shipped this week. Make sure you order your copy today as this is a limited release and will sell out soon! Just visit the store on either of Alex's site to place your order today.
Alex's song "Only One" was recently featured on Melrose Place and one of Alex's songs will be appearing in Vampire Diaries soon so be listening for it!
There are also still autographed copies of Alex's EP available and you can find the details for ordering them on my site in the Store.
Alex was part of Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher's Freedom Awards Charity Event. He was presenting and receiving an award as well as performing. Congrats Alex!
Alex Band's Donate Life Rocks will be presenting an intimate evening with Alex on December 3rd in Los Angeles. This will be a small, solo acoustic show and the venue will be announced shortly. Check the tour section of Alex's sites for more details to be announced soon!
You can follow Alex on Twitter now by going to http://twitter.com/alex_band
Posted By Debbie Hagerman w/ Alexmaxband.com on 06-Nov-09
Top looks for Xmas
Some looks from the Kate Moss Xmas collection designed exclusively for Top Shop. The Black Star team is oohs and ahhs. We just love love.
Posted By Cherie on 30-Oct-09
Black Star Bracelets in Green Room at Mo' Nique show
What is the Highlight at the Mo’Nique Show?The under $10 product that everyone is
talking about? It’s Zorbitz jewelry and…
Mo’Nique (Oscar Winner) show highlights. Celebrities were
going crazy for Zorbitz Jewelry, which was the highlight in the green room at
the Mo’nique show. Who was in the in the green room? Mo’nique, Halle Berry,
Ludicris, Wesley Snipes, Carlos Mencia, Charles Dutton, Regina King, Nate
Parker, Fabulous, Eric Snow.Now
everyone can dress like the stars for under $10 at Zorbitz.net.
Posted By Zorbitz on 12-Mar-10
Tonight Video Has Been Released
-Alex Band "Tonight" video has been added to FUSE starting the month of may -Alex Band "Tonight" video has been added to all Foot Locker locations (1200), Champs Stores (620) and Metro PCS locations for the month of April. The video will spin 2-3 times everyday in each store- over 180,000 plays/month -Alex Band "Tonight" has been added to SYMS stores for the month of March 30+ locations -Alex Band "Tonight" has been added to ClubCom adult contemporary/alternative rock programming for march. ClubCom is the leading media providor for the fitness industry/ Their videos are primarily shown in gyms and health club facilities... -The video has been added network-wide to just under 1000 venues nationwide. New York Sports Club, Gold's Gym, Powerhouse, Bally Fitness, and Brunswick Bowling are some of the bugger chains, but they also service smaller, independent regional chains as well. -video added to PCM/Nightlife programming (March) -video added to Promo only- Express week 2 (March) -confirmed Yahoo!Music-new videos feature late March
Posted By Zorbitz on 04-Mar-10
Alex TV shows
All the TV shows BWR are booking
around May 18th (our target US album release date):
American Idol
Chelsea Lately"
"FOX & Friends" FOX News Channel
ABC Amplified
ACCESS HOLLYWOOD
CBS Sunday Morning
CNN American Morning
Current Television
Dancing with the stars
Ellen Degeneres Show
Entertainment Tonight/The Insider
Extra
Fox News Channel/Fox and Friendsvideo
George Lopez Show
Good Morning America
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Last Call with Carson Daly
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Show w/ David Letterman
Live with Regis & Kelly
mtv news & specials
Rachael Ray Show
The Bonnie Hunt Show
Posted By Zorbitz on 04-Mar-10
Black Star at Jingle Ball '09
Black Star bracelets made it out to Jingle Ball '09 and where a huge hit. Check out the stars that loved them!!!!!