Cass McCombs and his band, back lit by a sophisticated ‘Lite-Brite,’ opened with “Buried Alive” from his newly released album Wit’s End, a “cheerful” track where you’re unsure whether he is deep in the ground or profoundly depressed.
“Waking up to the breath of the ore, in the sea of Black/ If you cut a worm in two the other half will grow black /If I’m alive or dead I don’t really care, as long as my Soul’s intact/ Buried Alive/Stinking corpse, I smell but cannot see, you hateful neighbor! /Pride, monomania, everything from Earth, topaz vapor/ Hi-chloridized polyethylene resin lacquered newspaper/ buried alive/maybe I’m wrong/ maybe I’m waking for the day…”
I burrowed through the crowd to the platform and awaited the group-wallowing which I had looked forward to all week. Naturally, I did not expect to have my mood instantly elevated by Cass McCombs. He sings about death and abandoned toys.
Cass McCombs, a dour, gifted, California born singer songwriter, cultivated his wandering sound (garage-folk, dollop of alt-country, as eclectic as Beck) living at campsites, on couches, and in cars from Northern California to Baltimore, Maryland. His lyrics weigh heavy but his delivery lightens the load. One of my favorites:
“Cast out of eden/tricked by a snake/brother killing brother/the mighty flood’s wake/glad I was not among/those kept off that boat/boy, they was much badder times/when the bible was wrote/then come slavery/then come curse/then come death-cloud/for the first birth/glad I was not living/I don’t mean to gloat/but boy! They was much badder times/when the bible was wrote…”
I would like to apologize for the fanatical gushing to follow.
I believe this to be my sixth Alice Smith experience, and the second time at Philadelphia’s Tin Angel, last Saturday, June 25th.
That may seem like a high number, to those who’ve never heard her live, but each time she brings a soulful potent voice, new creative songwriting, and a lot of personality. There was no opener (bless you Tin Angel); she sang the 8pm slot, and was welcomed by loyal, patient, and adoring Philly fans.
It all began, for me, in 2008 at a half-empty Black Cat, where she started off slow, full band, fighting to win the audience over with her voice. I listened, glued to the checkered floor with tears streaming down my face. One month later, I heard her at a sold-out 9:30 Club with screaming fans, Res as her opener, and plenty of people curious to know more about “that girl who sang that song from The L-Word” [“Dream”].
I then saw her at Joe’s Pub in New York. You’ve seen all the taped live performances on Youtube, you know that venue—it was intimate, genre-bending, and exciting. I heard her in Philadelphia in 2010 at Tin Angel, small, narrow, and honestly, I came away disappointed; she didn’t blow me down the hall, her piano player did not accompany her properly, and I thought maybe I’d hit “fan-fatigue.”
Fortunately on my last encounter, one year ago, at BB Kings, I regained my wits; she cleared my mind with “Break,” jump-started my heart with “So Bad,” and subsequently broke it [my heart] with “Goody.” Alice came out in a skin-tight black dress, even though she was terrifically pregnant (which, at first, took the men seated at the surrounding tables by surprise—but, come on, they’re shallow). As usual she was stunning, and she sang. the. walls. apart.
During that performance she would catch a glimpse of her silhouette on the rear curtain and laugh at her pregnant belly. With increasingly impressive stage presence and “at home” comfort with the crowd, she has really grown since Black Cat. I have enjoyed watching her change, and although she would not give out any more information about the baby, she did mention the album, just once. A member of the crowd yelled “When is the second album dropping!?” She paused, and with a sassy, defiant look she replied, “Call Sony!” I remember thinking that night, “If I don’t receive this album soon, I plan to take action, drastic action. I know all of the songs by heart. I need to be able to access them all the time, any time.”
The future is here.
After her 2006 release of For Lovers, Dreamers & Me(that was five years ago), Alice Smith has finally freed herself from that label and her performance at Tin Angel Saturday night was overflowing with fresh music, hopeful energy, and a charismatic stage presence. Alice seems determined to finish her album in the coming months and start touring again. I would like to go ahead and call dibs, and wish Alice Smith a great deal of success. Her talent has been “off the shelves” for too long!
Creative singer-lyricist Will Johnson fronts Centro-Matic, a guitar-driven, and lyrically-supported alternative rock-country band from Texas. He is accompanied by Matt Pence (Percussion), Scott Danbom (Piano, Violin, Bass, Vocals), and Mark Hedman (Bass, Guitar). They’ve been producing solid music for over fifteen years and continue to tirelessly work, create, and tour.
“The guitars really do rock, but it’s Johnson’s lyricism that counts — these guys recall everyone from the Drive-By Truckers to The Wrens and Big Star. Rarely have rough edges been put to such subtle use.”—Nashville Scene
They are joined by the much buzzed-about twenty-five year old singer-songwriter Sarah Jaffe, who began touring with the Old 97’s at the end of May only to then hop on tour with Centro-Matic in Nashville last Wednesday.
“Suburban Nature, Sarah Jaffe’s full-length debut, announces the Denton, Texas-based musician’s arrival as a force on the folk-pop scene in a big way, offering up 13 gems that could make even a hardened critic start throwing around terms like the next big thing.”—American Songwriter
I mean, there’s been enough buzz but not enough opportunity to see both Centro-Matic and Sarah Jaffe, so join me at DC9 this Sunday… Hear what all the talk’s about.
Sunday night, Jeremy Messersmith, Minnesota-based singer-songwriter, could not have been welcomed by a warmer crowd. Upstairs at DC9they cheered every first note, sang along with “Virginia” that Jeremy admitted he’d been “waiting all tour to get here and play, and someone yelled it out so I used it as an excuse!” The band crooned and harmonized, while the fans sustained knee-aches from twisting, bopping, and bouncing.
Prior to the performance, Messersmith was kind enough to fill TVD in on his existential-crisis album The Reluctant Graveyard, what makes him a “happy dude,” and his Minnesotan “baptism by snow.”
How’s the tour going (that van full of friends hanging in there?), Midwest then down the Eastern coast and back? Madison, Chicago, and you played with Cave Singers in Cleveland, how was that? (They toured with Fleet Foxes for a bit, pretty interesting sound.)
This tour is by far the best one I’ve done. The band is sounding great, and the van rides are SO much more enjoyable with a group of friends. We haven’t started hurling whiskey bottles at each other yet, so I think we’re okay. We actually didn’t get to hear Cave Singers in Cleveland as one of their members ended up being admitted to the hospital. I hope he’s doing okay.
Most recently, I have been listening to “A Girl, a Boy, and a Graveyard,” “Organ Donor” and “John the Determinist” from The Reluctant Graveyard. (Alright, repeatedly, and not just those tracks.) From where do all of these ideas stem?
I think those songs are semi-biographical and are the fallout from an existential crisis—basically losing a rigid belief system and asking what the point of it all is. “John the Determinist” is a statement on the futility of determinism I guess. Even if everything we do in our whole lives has been predetermined from the birth of the universe and free will doesn’t exist, it really doesn’t change much. For some reason, I thought that was a funny and reassuring idea.
“I don’t know how I’m s’pose to feel, my body’s cold, my guts are twisted steel” and “All we are is ticks and tocks, seconds in a pocket watch”—I really like that line. And, thank you! It’s refreshing to hear a man sing. You know what I mean, “Troubadours of Folk,” i.e., Donovan, Tim Buckley, Loudon Wainwright III, Kingston Trio. Did that ’50s/’60s singing inspire/influence you?
Absolutely. I’d been listening to a lot of Donovan and Sinatra oddly enough. Oh, Van Morrison too. If you want to learn how to sing, you could do a lot worse than trying to emulate those guys.
I had the pleasure of sitting down with José González and Tobias Winterkorn of Junip before they played Black Cat Saturday night (6/18). We talked about expectations, family, oldies, touring, and a new record!
I was able to attend and review your last show at Black Cat, although your album had already come out. What more can we expect this time around—working on new stuff?
JG: Yeah, we added some songs that we didn’t play on that last tour, so one song from the In Every Direction EP, and also we’re playing older songs we weren’t playing before.
So you’re recycling; are you excited about that or just trying to mix it up?
JG: We’re excited, this set is better than back then.
TW: Yeah it’s good.
Wait, wait, what was wrong with the old set? Are you already tiring of the old?
JG: Haha, it’s just getting better, it’s going from good to better. It’s fun to change it up.
TW: We’ve been playing a lot of shows with those songs, but no, I’m not bored with them. It really helped when we put in the new song though from In Every Direction; it helped me find a new energy. It’s a really good song, and playing it live is really fun.
(To Tobias) Is it you focused? Haha.
TW: No, it isn’t. Not at all. I have a solo, almost like a solo, so maybe…
JG: Yeah, I like it too, and I sing less than usual.
Photo Credit: Jon Bergmann
What was the big idea with the video contest, what role did you play in its inception, and are you really, as a band, going to personally choose the winner?
JG: It came from the label actually. Because so many people have cameras they can use, it was partly economical and partly fun. We don’t have money left to pay any director, so…
Have you all scheduled a time to sit down and review everything? Will the label prescreen for you?
TW: No, we haven’t heard anything about that. I hope we don’t get two hundred all at once.
Yeah, you get fifty boxes of old VHS tapes in the mail.
JG: We will spend some time at home just watching, and on tour. They are sent to the label first, so someone will look at them and send them on.
Both women have unique voices. Todd would be at home in the 1960s (think: Festival Express), opening for Richie Havens/Buffy Sainte-Marie; her soft spoken introduction parting her thick curly hair, only to impress and comfort the audience with her warm and expansive range. Todd writes songs about love, the moon, oceans, and Brazilian river goddesses (“Canto de lemanja”), sung in her sweet-sexy alto, with classical basic acoustic style; like I said—faultlessly ’60s.
Obel strays from the time-honored American folk vibe set by Todd. She performs an instrumental introduction moving quickly into “Philharmonics.”
“Guess who died, last night / In grey stockings, in all might / It was no loss / The only God of mine / He fell down, just do drown / In a sea of delight / To tame champagne / And creatures of the night / As the water, took him over / Filled his lungs, inside out / I sold his gold / For flowers and rice/ Speaking fire, he would hire / Pawns and peasants just like me / To feed upon the conquered ones / But now we are free.”
After this depressing tale she moves to “Beast”—“This is for all you people out there who have a problem with your temper.”
I believe her accompanist, Anna, played a total of three instruments, guitar, melodica, and cello. Anna captivates us with her cello pieces, lending the disquieting tone for which Obel’s songs call. Obels’ voice opens up midway through her set, New Song (possible working title “Fuel & Fire”) was a little bumpy, her “oooos” sounding crackly and unstable, but when all was quiet, Obel shone, centering herself and her vocals amidst a suspense-building cello number and moments of silence.
She wound down with “Riverside” (which played live definitely sounded like Jules’ version of “Mad World”), and in the final tune they end crisply, leaving the attentive basement crowd wanting more. The acoustics and ambience in the Synagogue’s Down Stairs were expectedly weaker than the ornate interior and high ceilings of the floor just above, but for smaller acts, this location and artist accessibility may be just what they need to gain notoriety.
All dance-aholics rejoice! Digitalism’ssecond record, I Love You, Dude, will be released one week from today. And, hopefully I, and you, okay we, will get the chance to hear the German duo live and “bust a move” when they play the 9:30 Club in August during the HARD Tour. I would like to sit down with Jens Moelle and Ismail Tuefekci to hammer out some of the foggy details that typed responses draw forth. So, for now, this interview was a text correspondence. And as you will read below, they love music and do not take themselves too seriously, and I love them for that!
How did you move from being DJs to producing a record? And, what was that transition like?
We both worked at the same record store, and we used to hang out a lot with the owner, too. It was like a family. You’d spend the afternoons in the shop (even if you weren’t working) and go and DJ at night or at least go visit a friend DJing somewhere. We started doing these homemade edits at Jence’s place on a computer, and somehow got into this habit of burning them onto CDs and giving them to friends who were DJing the same night, just for fun. We kind of became obsessed with it, and the edits got more sophisticated.
One day we decided to rent some space for a studio, so we could make even better music in there. Said and done—and a few months later we managed to release some new edits on a vinyl white label. By the time we were preparing the second one (“Idealistic”), the pressing plant said that it would be a waste if we put it only on a white label. They suggested a proper release instead. Next thing was that Kitsuné picked the track up to re-release it properly, and it found fans all over the world. After a few 12” vinyls, we found the time to finish a whole album.
So the transition was pretty smooth and natural, it wasn’t an overnight thing, and we’re really glad about this because that way you get all the important experience you’ll need for the future, and you appreciate every little thing that comes along.
You’ve been pegged as a fusion of dance and punk rock, a palatable electro duo that anyone can enjoy; where is Digitalism going next?
We don’t know really. All we know is that on our first two studio albums we ended up with kind of a bipolar mix between techno and indie music. It’s just the stuff that we love, and we’re trying to put everything under one roof. It’s a tricky thing to find the right balance there. We also found that regardless of what we come up with in the studio-–it can also be a ballad—there’s always the nod to the dance floor. It’s just in us, because that’s where we’re coming from. Hard to say where that’s going [go] to next. The new album, for instance, is just like the first one, but more extreme. So the song side is emphasized, but the hard tracks are even harder this time, and the tempi are totally different and in more extreme ranges.
When will Digitalism be gracing The States and the District with a live show? Maybe… this summer?*
We’re coming over for the HARD Summer Festival (and the HARD Summer Tour that’s scheduled around it), and that’ll be real soon!
On Digitalism: Did you give much thought to the dictionary’s definition of your name?
A serious condition resulting from excessive consumption of digitalis (a plant) characterized by nausea, vomiting, and a disturbance in heart rhythm or rate.
Ha-ha that’s a good one, no we didn’t! Apparently there are more “Digitalism” definitions out there; it’s also an ideology and an art form. But by the time we chose the band name, we didn’t know anything about that, especially not the herbal stuff. We loved a series of Yellow 12”s called Africanism produced by Bob Sinclar, DJ Gregory and the likes, and we were looking for a name to write on our CDRs. We did everything with computers by that time, hence “digital”-ism.
Did you enjoy the soundtrack of the 2010 TRON: Legacy? Tron was a big thing, and we were happy to hear that Daft Punk was working on it.
It’s a great soundtrack with a beautiful musical theme, and we love the fact that they worked with a full orchestra. That’s our taste! But the film itself was like a two-hour trailer for “Tron Legacy,” where you leave the cinema and think, “OK that was the trailer, now where’s the real full-story movie?” A bit disappointing. Great effects though.
How do you feel about your songs being used in television shows, commercials and video games?
That’s great—it means those people wanted Digitalism music!
And finally, when dancing to your music is it in the feet, the hips, or the shoulders?
We always head-bang immediately when we found something exciting in our studio, so probably the neck, and the hips too, that’s what the ladies do!
“If you’ve ever had ‘the spins’ after a long night of drinking, or listened to Nick Drake on a hot summer night with the windows open—you get it.”—Me quoting myself.
Junipis pure folk-intoxication: easy listening, catchy tunes, pleasant reedy vocals, and African-esque rhythms. The trio of Swedes fronted by José González is launching a fan-based video contest.
Junip-lovers are asked to submit their interpretation of “Without You,” off of last year’s debut full-length release Fields. The band will then select the official video and director, and the video will debut on Mashable.com and will receive a Moogerfoogerhand-crafted effects box, the same Moog brand of synthesizer Tobias Winterkorn uses. The contest ends August 5th, 2011, so enter today at Junip’s YouTube contest page!
Well, The Vinyl District is holding a contest of its own; we are giving away a pair of tickets for Junip at BlackCat, this Saturday, June 18th with local favorite Matthew Hemerlein opening.
To enter to win, please comment directly to this post with your favorite Muppet character, or use some of your best Chef-Gibberish.
Please do not take any offense, as I am at a loss for “things that are Swedish,” and I am left with fond childhood memories of The Swedish Chef. I once asked a Swedish friend of mine what they call him in Sweden, and she replied “The Chef, of course!” I am unsure if she ever understood why I found that funny, but this one is for her!
The winner will be chosen Wednesday (6/15) at noon.
Insider info: Per our source, this show is close to selling out!
If you are swept away by sweet melancholy sounds in soundtracks like Yann Tiersen’s Amélie, take pleasure in being trapped inside a haunted music box, and delight when lyrics are at odds with the melody, you will thoroughly enjoy Danish singer-songwriter-composer Agnes Obel.
Obel’s debut album Philharmonics marries her smooth vocals with eerie piano. Less than a year since its release, Obel embarks on her first full US tour. And, fortunately for you, lucky readers of TVD, you have a chance to win a pair of tickets to see the show. Agnes Obel will perform in the intimate downstairs stage of Sixth & I Synagogueon Monday, June 13th.
Agnes Obel literally just posted on her facebookearlier today, “Agnes is on tour in the US right now a few time zones from home. What songs remind you of home and why?”
To win the tickets, in the comments below, tell us the song that reminds you of home.
The winner will be chosen on Thursday (6/9) at noon.
Destined (in my humble opinion) for greatness, Nick “Takénobu” Ogawaarranges songs that both everyday pop supporters and classical music buffs can sink their teeth into. With the catchy rhythms in “Excuse Me” paired with the moving musicianship in title track “Exposition,” “Black Stallion,” and “Geeneries” (Instrumentals), Takénobu eliminates the intimidating pomp surrounding classical music and exposes the cello as fun.
Takénobu’s first LP Introduction consisted of Folk/Bluegrass tracks, such as “Shady Grove” and “Beggars Can’t Be Choosers,” but in his March 23rd release Exposition, he experiments with his sound, as in “Darkest Before the Dawn,” creating a cutting-edge electric cello triumph.
Who: Nick Takénobu Ogawa (Cellist, Vocalist)
“I’ve played cello since I was six and had to practice every day after school, until I started liking it on my own and started branching away from classical music. I’ve been writing my own music for the last 10 years. I use a loop pedal to layer different cello parts to create different melody lines and textures and write and sing lyrics as well.”—Nick Takénobu Ogawa
What: Innovative cello music, produced independently by a talented and motivated artist
Both of Takénobu’s albums, Exposition (March 2011) and Introduction (2007), can be streamed on listen.takenobumusic.com.
When: Now
“Fishin’” is the soundtrack featured in Madison Square Art Conservancy’svideo (displayed in taxi cabs in NYC this summer) promoting the new Jaumé Plensa installation.
Where: Scheduled show in Atlanta, his current residence, July 17th at The Earl
Why: Playing everything from upbeat pop to more traditional folk, Takénobu’s unique and modern perspective on the cello will alter yours.
“Takénobu: Introduction is my favorite album of 2007, and that includes all releases, major labels and independent.”—Michael Eck, Host of WAMC’s Performance Place, NPR
Nick is currently working with gifted violinists; we will wait impatiently for this upcoming collaboration.
Confession; I have been building a mental dream team of female indie vocalists. Laura Stevenson, congratulations, you have a solid spot. This group consisted (prior to Thursday’s performance) of indie-folk badasses Sarah Jaffe and Sharon Van Etten. Their voices penetrate and galvanize, enlivening and depressing us with clever lyrics, dark humor, and indelible sound. My supergroup is filling up, and I would be so pleased to hear it, one day… A girl can dream.
“This one’s depressing,” Laura utters as Laura Stevenson and the Cans began playing a cutesy pop intro; folks unfamiliar with “The Healthy One” swayed and bobbed their heads in anticipation of a love song but received something akin to “Ring Around the Rosie.”
“Oh deary, your mother’s got a fever / And clearly your daddy’s gonna leave her / That leaves you with your little sisters, oh / And you know they didn’t mean to cut you / Just had to see if your blood was sick, too / And it’s clear with all the critters weakening your sisters / And your system’s running quick and not as sickly as you think / And you will live long / You will bury them all in the ground / And your body will grow / And you’ll bury them all.”
The Cans are a rippling lake from which Laura Stevenson explodes, breaking through the surface, belting out graced notes with ease just to softly sink back down. They were fluid and strong, moving perfectly together—imagine synchronized swimming—never once drowning each other out. The term “chemistry” has been shamelessly worn-out in reviews, but here it applies; LS&C sounded polished, they exchanged knowing glances and looked like a real fucking band. I would be confident in taking an exit poll for any shows they perform live.
I am listening to “Barnacles” daily since I received Laura Stevenson and the Cans’Sit Resist (heavy with horns and a catchy rolling rhythm), “Scrape these barnacles I am utterly yours / take my lack of control and swallow it whole / break my excuses to leave over your boney knees and / free me free me free me free me / I am utterly yours.” The album is great from start to finish, reflective, powerful, and engaging.
I am eager to see Laura Stevenson and the Cans tonight at Black Cat. Briefly worried I might lose my excitement in relentlessly reviewing albums and shows, listening to Laura singing atypical alternative rock-country with a resistant attitude rekindled that excitement. Don’t miss one of the best female “indie” vocalists—big mistake.
I stop by Mark Charles Heidinger’s “homecoming” and Vandaveerperformance, his most recent project, where he plays lead guitar, writes songs, and harmonizes with vocalist Rose Guerin and drummer Robby Catholic (with guest appearance by John Thomas on Banjo/Slide), but first, he answers a few questions for me.
So, you’re from Lexington, Kentucky. Which is it, Clark, Bourbon, Jessamine, Scott, or Woodford?
I was born in Ohio, raised in the rolling hills of Jessamine County, and also a resident of Lexington for a decade more directly thereafter.
Are you attending the Festival of Bluegrass this year?
I will be attending the festival of mowing my grass this year, for when I am not on tour, I am far away from stages, tending to the home, garden and roost.
Stab in the dark: Favorite Bourbon/Whiskey?
All of them. But more specifically, I like the 12 year old “Lot B” Rip Van Winkle, Basil Hayden’s, Bulleit, Buffalo Trace, Woodford Reserve, Knob Creek, and, of course, Maker’s Mark, where I proudly serve as an honorary ambassador.
Vandaveer
Coming from the land of bluegrass, you chose folk (some pop, jazz, and rock), why? Is it the story-telling? Is it what you were raised on?
I was raised on pot roasts, egg souffle, mashed potatoes, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but I do like all those genres you just mentioned. Not sure I consciously chose one style of music over any other. More just the nature of absorbing and reinterpreting and imitating… Repurposing might be a good way to put it…
In being a part of groups like Apparitions and These United States, was Vandaveer something you wanted for your own?
I think Vandaveer was very much a reaction to my experience with The Apparitions. Bands can be precarious, especially when you try to democratize them. Ruling with an iron fist is much easier. That being said, These United States and Vandaveer came about in the same period. Were I able to be in three places at once, I’d like to think I would be involved in all three projects, but I haven’t quite figured that trick out just yet. I certainly miss the camaraderie.
It’s out. As promised, the Lions & Tigers & Whales/State Violence split 7″ released April 21, 2011. Lo-fi DC crust meets L&T&W’s raw, gritty, late ’90s style hardcore.
If you want to purchase and listen to the recently released L&T&W/State Violence split 7″, you can find it at Cricket Cemetary.
“Our first 7″ is available from me personally, at our shows and very soon through my label’s website, CricketCemetery.com. …I miss the days of waiting for a record in the mail. Or going to the record store. This band and social media don’t get along very well. Don’t get me wrong––I love the internet. I use it every day. However, I just don’t see a place for this band on Myspace. We’re not trying to get a record deal or win a music award. I suppose I’m just trying to make the process more of a scavenger hunt.”—Ian Thompson
