If you haven’t heard Humbug yet, the newest release from Sheffield’s Arctic Monkeys, be prepared to have your face slowly and painfully peeled back by the halting power and thunderous riffs of the group’s heaviest record yet. With a howling croon more reminiscient lead singer Alex Turner’s previous release, his one-off record as half of The Last Shadow Puppets, the tracks on the band’s third album seethe and melt with like butter on brimstone. Coupled with some of the best instrumentation that the Monkeys have ever conjured from their dark bag, Humbug is one of the best releases bar none of the year so far. Definitely pick it up at the earliest opportunity and check out these Japanese-release-only b-sides below.
(apparently the Arctic Monkeys don’t want free press because they sicked the ‘Web Sheriff’ on me – whatever you do, do not buy this album now)
NEW LISSY TRULLIE REMIX Our favorite NYC garage-rocker extraordinaire Lissy Trullie has been busy traversing these United States over the past summer, burning rubber and breaking hearts up and down our interstates, and it would seem that now that she’s cozied back up in her big city apartment she can finally begin cranking out new material as she said she would in our exclusive interview. No sooner said than done as LT and crew have recently had their hit single “Boy Boy” remixed by Blunt Laser into a dreamy, pop wonderland with Trullie’s sonorous growl echoing in like from a dub megaphone, soaring over handclaps and glitchy-notes that crackle into trumpet solos. Overall a fantastic and dancey remix, way above and beyond your average ‘add a dance line and boom-tsk’ reworking, and we here at Cannibal Cheerleader are able to bring it to you exclusively for download. Check it below.
In other news, Lissy has also been up to quite a bit on their latest European tour, according to their latest press release, which you can read below:
Lissy Trullie has had an eventful year so far, and the last few months and those to come are no exception. The New York group have recently signed to Downtown Records in North America, and Wichita Recordings for the UK and other territories, and are currently in the studio writing songs and preparing to record their debut full-length which they plan to release in early 2010. The band is excited to build upon the success of their debut EP Self-Taught Learner, which since its release in February ‘09, has garnered praise from many corners including SPIN, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, Blurt, and VICE among others. This spring they also made their late night debut on Last Call With Carson Daly and played for and chatted with ABC Amplified’s Dan Harris at their practice space. Following a summer full of writing and recording, Lissy Trullie will hit the road in the UK with The Cribs and Adam Greene this September. Plans to tour the states following those dates are in the works.
All has not been without hiccups however. Having completed a tour of the US with The Virgins and Anya Marina this May, Lissy Trullie kept on and crossed the Atlantic for what was looking to be a very fun and successful jaunt through Europe and the UK. Yet after a couple of shows prospects headed south in Hamburg as Ian Fenger (Bass) was diagnosed with the dreaded H1N1 virus (aka Swine Flu) on June 7th and was committed to hospital. Seriously ill and hooked up to an IV, Ian and the band as well as their friends and family discovered that the infamous Flu was in fact no joke. They also found out the German government was not going to treat it as such either. Despite not showing signs of illness, precautionary measures were enforced, and the rest of the band and tour manager were quarantined in their hotel and prevented from leaving. There they were administered medicine and monitored for symptoms. “We had to take tamiflu so we couldn’t catch anything…” said Lissy of the experience, “not even a break!” The band were greatly concerned for Ian’s health, and devastated at having to cancel many of their planned tour dates because of uncertainty surrounding their detention. Your browser may not support display of this image. Your browser may not support display of this image.
Three days later the outlook finally began to brighten. With Ian’s condition improved and everyone else seemingly healthy, the rest of the band were allowed to leave for London (home of their label Wichita Recordings) providing they remain quarantined upon arriving. Six days after being admitted to hospital, Ian was finally discharged, and returned to the United States to be with family. The rest of the band were also eventually deemed safe for the public, and were able to salvage the final two shows of their tour in Paris and Amsterdam.
Finally home and in good shape after a harrowing and frustrating experience, Lissy Trullie are looking forward to eventually making up the dates they missed due to an unfortunate attack of the H1N1 virus. Their tour this September with Adam Green and The Cribs will help them on their way to accomplishing that, as they play a few of the cities they had to miss on this latest run. In the mean time this summer they’ll continue work on their full-length debut.
All of our favorite indie-rockers are catching swine flu, ah! Glad to see everybody’s back safe and sound – let’s keep it that way, shall we?
Lissy Trullie – “You Bleed You” ******************************************************************** ARCTIC MONKEYS PRESENT “CRYING LIGHTNING” Continuing to live up to every bit of hype that every couch-surfing critic seems to sling their direction, the Arctic Monkeys present “Crying Lightning”, a boot-stomping churner of a track featuring a threatening, stealthy bassline complimented by Alex Turner’s cleverest of quips on the subject of a deranged relationship and a sinewy, spidery guitarline. Content to play to its subtelties as opposed to exploding at first chance as the track threatens to do at every change and turn, this first single of the Monkeys upcoming LP Humbug delivers on the promises of a sludgier, more virulent sound, making even a saxophone solo a haunting presence. Give it a listen below and be sure and comment with your feelings on the Sheffield foursome’s new direction.
Arctic Monkeys – “Crying Lightning” ******************************************************************** NEW ACTION DESIGN NEWS Lots of news from Cannibal Cheerleader favorites the Action Design who are currently resting from a Warped Tour jaunt while simultaneously gearing up for a whirlwind August tour across the Southwest. The group has just finished filming the music video for “Landmines” and will be releasing this undoubtedly action-packed affair on the general internet populace before long.
The band has also been hard at work on a bevy of new tunes, including “Chamber of Hellos” and “I’ll Do You”, both covers of songs by the band Wire Train and available on the new soundtrack to The Endless Bummer, a National Lampoon movie with an inexplicably kicking soundtrack due in part to its association with Warped Tour ‘09. “I’ll Do You” is streaming over at the band’s PureVolume page whereas “Chamber of Hellos” is at the band’s MySpace. Check them both out for some new Action Design goodness.
In other news the band has recently stated they will be releasing new tunes soon so definitely stay tuned for more Action Design news and check out their Video Diary of the past few months below (and while you’re at it, subscribe to the band’s YouTube account). at Les Eurockeennes de Belfort ‘09. Watch out for obligatory Jack Daniels preparation and some serious Spence-sibling vocal tradeoffs. One of the best live vids of the band we’ve seen in a while (short of our own of course, haha).
The band has a lot in store for the rest of the year and while we’re not allowed to say much yet, be prepared to hear a lot more from this progressive hardcore act before year’s end. Keep checking their blog for updates. More forthcoming…
Rolo Tomassi – “Fofteen” ******************************************************************** NEW BEYOND GODS & EMPIRES VIDEO Speaking of excellent hardcore, local Austinites Beyond Gods & Empires are gearing up for a media blitz with their new EP The Descolada Virus, featuring a pummeling assault of hardcore vocals mixed with intricate metal instrumentation, all recorded live on tape here in the Lone Star State. Check out an excerpt below for the video of “Insurrection Song” and be prepared for an audial reckoning as the foursome gears up for a tour in support of their newest release. The song itself stands tall as a 6+ minute-long rancorous political diatribe with spit-sung vocals that continues to whirl about with unchecked ferocity. One of our favorite metal tracks of the year. Check it:
Beyond Gods & Empires – “Insurrection Song”NEW FEVER RAY VIDEO One of our favorite releases of the year so far, Fever Ray’s self-titled debut, has also been providing us with a cornucopia of bizarrely horrifying and absolutely electric music video selections, including this newest induction for the “Triangle Walks” single. Featuring a laser light show in the spirit of the darkly tribal atmospherics that plague the former Knife member’s solo effort, the video stands tall as another fierce addition to the singer’s catalogue. Check it out below.
Fever Ray – “Dry and Dusty” ******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER: SHE KEEPS BEES An unlikely offspring from the NYC Cake Shop scene, She Keeps Bees consists of a boy-on-drums, growling, riot-grrrl on guitar and crafts the most hypnotic indie blues-soul this side of Detroit. With an appetite for pop hooks and dual-vocal delivery, She Keeps Bees grinds out lo-fi sonic gems with all the fiery abandon of a preacher speaking in tongues, with the Southern-stylings to match. Here’s an open invitation to get your city-slicker asses down to Austin you two, because in the capital city you’ll be welcomed as royalty. Until then, be sure and check these two out below.
She Keeps Bees – “Focus” She Keeps Bees – “Gimmie” ******************************************************************** NEW RIVERBOAT GAMBLERS VIDEO The Riverboat Gamblers have been touting their new excellent LP Underneath the Owl up and down this great nation of ours over the past few months and just recently the band released the video for second single and standout track “Victory Lap” featuring some pretty stellar live footage that needs to be seen to be believed. This video really packs in so much of the band’s true heart and soul that we not only had to post it but apologize for not keeping up with these guys recently – all hurt feelings aside, we love the Riverboat Gamblers, we love Underneath the Owl, and we love Rookie Sensation Mike Wiebe and unhealthy amount. Check it out below.
The Riverboat Gamblers – “A Choppy, Yet Sincere Apology” ******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER: THOU On a more serious, far more metallic note, enter Thou, New Orleans answer to every sludge-metal act that dared to say they were ‘Southern-influenced’. With thunderous riffs that feel as if they could literally collapse lungs in man’s chest, and shrieked vocals that sound like a discordant marriage between Jacob Bannon and a manical, church-burning black metal miscreant, Thou creates a wall of sound that while chugging along at the rate of a lumbering giant nonetheless captivates with its brutal anti-establishment message and teeth-in-your-neck delivery. From the experimentally edged brutal musicality to the forcefully apocalyptic and yet wholly imaginiative lyricism, this foursome is a true beast, a sight to behold and one of our favorite finds of the year.
Plus, as announced by the band on their website, the group will be releasing a split with none other than Cannibal Cheerleader’s other favorite purveyor of doom and gloom Salome. Look for it at the end of the summer or right here, where we’ll be sure and get it to you first.
Thou – “Tyrant” Thou – “Monstrance” ******************************************************************** FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE PRESENT LUNGS Back on a lighter note, the long awaited debut album Lungs from long-time Cannibal Cheerleader favorite Florence and the Machine has finally dropped and it delivers in spades, featuring the same sparkling and unique instrumentation and the absolutely blasting and beautiful tones of the lead singer. With big, booming pop dreamworlds dancing through each of Florence’s cathartic and creative character studies, the dance-hall musicianship compliments fantastically with the overall hip-shaking eroticism that seethes from every track. Florence has everything going for her on her path to become a vital and exciting breakout American act like she’s already being touted as in the UK. Here’s hoping for some justice and a showing of Lungs on the US charts. Check it out below.
Florence and the Machine – “Cosmic Love” Florence and the Machine – “My Boy Builds Coffins” ******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER: THE DANKS Crossing the lo-fi pop-rock aesthetics of the Strokes with the high-minded baroque leanings of Tokyo Police Club, Canada’s the Danks tout a brand of fuzz-filled, soft-spoken nerd-rock that slowly burrows its way into your conciousness while never allowing you to let it spin idly in the background. Just intent to be engaging while still lazy enough to seem as if this quartet might just be too cool to care if you like them or not, the Danks combine warbly synths with basic three-chord structures and sleepy vocal delivery to heart-warming effect. Stick this in your stereo and drive to the beach immediately – pick up a surfboard and sell your worldly possessions on the way.
The Danks – “What We’re Doing” The Danks – “Who Knows” ******************************************************************** PIPETTES SINGER GOES SOLO When the Pipettes announced way back when that the inimitable trio of chanteuses would be uncerimoniously dropping two of its key members Riot Becki and Rosay from its lineup the indie community was nothing if not perplexed. Still, not one to be left out in the cold, Rosay, or in true life Rose Elinor Dougall, decided to regroup and rebrand herself as a Siouxsie Sioux-esque solo artist with jangly pop numbers with etheral sensibilities and homespun charm. Lofty goals sure but it might seem as if the starlet has done just that with the release of her latest 7″, featuring the hypnotic single “Start/Stop/Synchro” which sounds like a Howling Bells take on Beach House tune, all glockenspiel and tinkerbell-on-cough-syrup instrumentation with Dougall flinty voice guiding the song gently forward. A real bedroom-pop gem from this rising star – here’s hoping she can come back even stronger than the group who felt they didn’t need her anymore.
Rose Elinor Dougall – “Start/Stop/Synchro” Rose Elinor Dougall – “Static Saturday” ******************************************************************** (OLD) BAND CHEER: THE TWILIGHT SAD While the Twilight Sad have certainly seemed to have traced their route around the blogosphere once or twice already, the Scottish foursome definitely have enough heartfelt indie hooks and shoegazey guitarwork to garner mention here. As the world waits with baited breath for the premiere of Forget The Night Ahead, the group’s second album, its worth mentioning the brilliance of the group’s debut LP Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters and how it has captured the imagination of post-punk and ex-emo enthusiasts worldwide. With life-affirming lyricism that borders on melodramatic for all its depth and heaviness were it not for the vast and haunting musicality to match, the group manages to make lonely feel terrifyingly immediate and real, the stark Scottish accents a pleasingly incongruous foil to the band’s booming shoegaze freakouts. This debut album remains such a wholly worthwhile listen, filled with such rich textures and purposefulness of intent, all red-faced and unabashedly hysterical with its heart-on-its-sleeve emoting, that one cannot imagine Forget the Night Ahead coming close to the group’s first flirt with the independent music community.
However, upon hearing the first few tracks from the band’s sophomore effort, namely “Reflection of the Television” and “I Became A Prostitute”, it has become apparent the group has managed to bottle the inimitable energy and naked ambition of their debut and release it once again on rock fans worldwide. In many ways, the album finds the group sinking deeper into darker territory, and just as lead singer James Graham’s vocals drift further and further down below the guitar-wailing hysterics of his bandmates so too does the subject matter of the group’s songs, dipping ever deeper below the surface into pale-blue suburban nothingness.
The Twilight Sad have recently announced through their Twitter page that they will be having an upcoming US tour with another Cannibal Cheerleader favorite Frightened Rabbit, giving Austin an opportunity on September 24th at Mohawk to be delivered a one-two sock to the face of Scottish sadness. Here’s to hard knocks. Below you’ll see the beautiful video for “I Became A Prostitute” – highly recommended.
The Twilight Sad – “Reflection of the Television” The Twilight Sad – “Twenty-Four Hours (Joy Division Cover)” ******************************************************************** TOKYO POLICE CLUB BLOGGING NEW ALBUM Our favorite indie-rockers from yesteryear Tokyo Police Club are riding high from a highly regarded debut LP, a fantastically enigmatic debut LP, and a world tour opening for Weezer of all bands, and now that the band has to continue being a fantastic bunch of music-makers, they’re finding the need to share the whole experience with us care of this blog. Seems as though the boys are doing well for themselves – watch out for extended cooking tips and a good deal of studio trickery in the coming days. Definitely worth following.
Tokyo Police Club – “In A Cave” ******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER: BLACKHOLE Quality, creative hardcore music remains decidedly difficult to come by. Whether it dwells in the mediocrity of scene politics or remains uninspired in its delivery, sameness is the death-knell of American punk – that’s why the good stuff not only seems to be springing from the UK but also from the Carter family. You’ll remember Frank Carter, little-known frontman for London-based hardcore juggernaut Gallows? Well turns out his brother Richard Carter fronts a hardcore band as well known as Blackhole and if anything the group is a crustier, more energetic and less-produced beast of a band than his brother’s. Don’t get us wrong, Gallows’ remains one of our favorite bands of the moment but Blackhole is sitting pretty as, well, the new black and with tours with The Ghost of A Thousand and Cancer Bats upcoming the band seems poised to take over. Not much available yet in terms of mp3s, but do check out this video from the band featuring some killer and cathartic vocals care of Carter and some churning punk riffs. Crusty, metal-infused, dirty, underground, mangy punk rock just like the good old days.
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have been busy recently, bouncing across the States on a helter-skelter tour in support of one of our favorite releases of the year It’s Blitz!. They’ve been so busy in fact that it seems as if they hardly have time to devise their own tshirt ideas, which gives rise to the plan to allow fans to submit their own creations. Yes, the NYC trio have announced via their MySpace that the group will be holding a tshirt making competition – simply head here for all the details and good luck!
In other news the band has crafted a new video for standout track “Heads Will Roll” (we personally think that every tracks from IB! sounds like a standout, but hey, that’s us) and it features, unsurprisingly, a good deal of glitter and rediculous Karen O costuming as well as, inexplicably this time, a break-dancing werewolf that equal parts bizarre as it is awesome. Confetti doubling as blood normally wouldn’t fly in the Cannibal Cheerleader world, but we’ll let the Yeah Yeah Yeahs slide – this time.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Dull Life” ******************************************************************** CANNIBAL CHEERLEADER AND YOU And so wraps up another jam-packed installment of Cannibal Cheerleader. Take a few days to digest it all because it certainly took quite a few days to write people. We here at Cannibal Cheerleader want you to know we value your readership and while we refuse to buy into the repetitive blogosphere hype and concern ourselves with page views and the next big thing, we’d like to be able to connect with readers. That’s why we’ve set up a variety of ancillary sites that you can view Cannibal Cheerleader materials on. We’ve placed them all over to the right in a little section we like to call ‘The Blight’, seeing as 99% of Web 2.0 remains mindless tripe (except for you and us of course).
We’ve got a YouTube page where we post all of our concert videos, a Vimeo page where we post higher quality reels, a MySpace where we maintain connections with different artists from around the world, and a Last.fm where anyone can view our listening habits. We’re also on Hype Machine, which is a great aggegator of different blogs (just be sure to actually read the content, don’t just download the song!). We invite you to check these ancillary additions out and subscribe/friend/whatever us so we can be closer to you, the reader.
And yes, to all concerned, we have a Twitter, though adding us will only grant you the occassional disgusting tweet about dismemberment or punk situationist theory or hey, maybe a new Lissy Trullie track. Silly maybe, but we’d love to have you follow us regardless.
As a final note we’d like to regurgitate our purpose again, which is not to mindlessly deliver some new mp3 from the newest in-vogue artist or claim to have the most exclusive content – we don’t have the money or the staff for that. Those blogs have lost sight of what it is to write about music, the fiercely independent and underground artistry that is music journalism. The drive and passion that is cutting a pasting a zine together on your living room floor. The love of music that is working nights as a waiter just for the opportunity to write more often and hear more bands. We strive to be the answer to those hipster blogs, to deliver thoughtful, imaginative prose and prime music journalism with an eye for the outsider art that attracted us to indie rock in the first place. Thanks for reading, and as always, until next time, stay hungry.
ARCTIC MONKEYS REVEAL HUMBUG Since we last left you Cannibal Cheerleader faithful the word on the street was still pretty sketchy on the details of the newest Arctic Monkeys LP. My how the times have changed. Seems as if the boys from Sheffield have been busy, releasing everything from the album cover (the hazy, retro image you see up there), to the title (the aforementioned, classically understated, and undeniably British Humbug), to the tracklist (the terse ten-song list you see below).
“My Propeller”
“Crying Lightning”
“Dangerous Animals”
“Secret Door”
“Potion Approaching”
“Fire and the Thud”
“Cornerstone”
“Dance Little Liar”
“Pretty Visitors”
“The Jeweller’s Hands”
We here at Cannibal Cheerleader have been Arctic Monkeys fans since the beginning, ever since they let loose with their punkish snarls and street-wise rhymes on their debut LP. When Favourite Worst Nightmare dropped we were stunned at the art-rock direction the band had chosen for their sophomore release, which featured the fearsome foursome flowering into rock monstrosities, artful tunesters whose lyrical chops and wicked instrumentation were forces to be reckoned with. And now, all signs point to an even more ‘Cannibal Cheerleader’ approach to their third album – stoner jams, Black Sabbath influences, hell even Josh Homme is aboard. Sludge city. Check out this recent press photo featuring all the boys with classic slacker hair. Note the ‘molest-aches’ and Sabbath shirt. Now squirm on over to the news that Josh Homme of stoner-metal gods Queens of the Stone Age helped co-produce Humbug. Even track titles like “Fire and Thud” absolutely seethe with sludge-jam mentality. And frankly, that’s quite alright with us. Not only are we big stoner-jam fans to begin with, and Arctic Monkeys aficionados to boot, but we have an affinity for bands trying new things, broadening their horizons, and venturing outside their comfort zone. Here’s to Humbug coming through in spades.
Arctic Monkeys – “Take It Or Leave It (Strokes Cover)” ******************************************************************** JENNY LEWIS LIVE REVIEW Sweltering heat accompanies any Austin, Texas summer night, and June 22nd was no different just because the cooling breeze that is the voice of Miss Jenny Lewis was in town. Still, as the sun set on the Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheatre here in downtown Austin, any audience member there could have told you there was no other place worth being than bathed in the glow of the sonorous tunes by the fiery redhead. The evening started with Ohio-to-Austin transplants the Heartless Bastards churning away at their soulful rock-renditions, leaning heavily on the formidable strength of lead crooner Erika Wennerstrom’s inimitable voice. Burning through tracks from their newest LP The Mountain as well as old crowd favorites, the band felt tight and pulverizing, Wennerstrom’s rhythm section choreographing their movements in tune with the songs like consummate rock professionals. The sound was mixed at a very bass-high level, allowing for a bombastic volume level that rumbled out over the enthusiastic crowd. After an all-too-short set the band wrapped up to make way for the main course. Then, just as the sun set off in the distance Jenny Lewis trailed by boyfriend and co-writer of Acid Tongue Jonathan Rice and the rest of her ragtag traveling troupe took to the stage with force, leaping immediately into crowd favorite “See Fernando” before assaulting a bevy of old classics from her already formidable solo library. Whipping their way through track after track of instantaneously infectious indie-rock nuggets with equal parts country and rock twang, Jenny Lewis and company sounded wholly loose and carefree. While a Rilo Kiley performance, as awe-inspiring as they might be, come with at times an overabundance of gravitas, it became clear to the audience at Stubb’s that a Lewis solo performance was the exact opposite – an opportunity for the singer to delight in rock classicism and groove effortlessly without self-referencing. Still, perhaps the most achingly gorgeous performance of the night was the solo-acoustic rendition of Rilo Kiley classic “Silver Lining” that saw Lewis alone on the stage, strumming away through the basic chords of the love-lorn tune, made all the more powerful by the absence of Blake Sennett. The band wrapped up the night with a cavalier and ramshackle take on “The Next Messiah” followed by an encore that featured a brand new song (”Big Wave”, one of two new songs of the night, the other being “Just Like Zeus”, both being infectious and sounding more Rilo Kiley-esque than most of Lewis’ current repertoire), “Acid Tongue”, and the hot-and-sweaty closer “Born Secular”. Overall a fantastic display of confident musicianship that once again reasserts Miss Lewis reign as the queen of indie-rock. Check out this wonderful video below found on YouTube – recorded maybe with a digital camera but the vertical lines make me think I’m watching an old home movie and the sound quality is pretty spot-on. Enjoy!
Jenny Lewis – “Acid Tongue” Heartless Bastards – “Out At Sea” ******************************************************************** CRYSTAL CASTLES TUSSLE WITH SECURITY Word on the street is Cannibal Cheerleader favorite Crystal Castles are some troublesome youngsters. Always gallivanting about, canceling shows (to great dismay), and generally acting like good ol’ fashioned rockstars. Now it seems they’ve gotten into yet another scrape, this time with security at the Sonar Festival in Barcelona. Sources say that after an entire set of battling with agonizing sound issues, Alice Glass decided to trash the band’s drum kit after the set was finished. Apparently, festival security didn’t enjoy her rowdy behavior and in the video below one can see a security guard scooping her up and away from the drums. However, in the last few seconds of the vid one can see E. Kath dashing to his singer’s aid and just as it looks like he’s about to throw a haymaker the video cuts out. Reports are a small tussle took place but the only punches thrown were by the tiny fists of Glass to undoubtedly little damage. Check it out below.
We here at Cannibal Cheerleader, Crystal Castles historians we are, have long since known about Glass’ penchant for causing a ruckus. Check out some of the videos our friends from the Lymbyc Systym sent us (their drummer pulls double duties in both bands) showcasing some onstage destruction. Obviously skip to the last part of both the videos for the real action.
Yep, seems as if Glass and Kath are quite the rapscallions. We’re not one to pass judgment on such things really – we’re just huge fans of the music. Still, all the ruckus and holier-than-thou arguments about how dastardly the Crystal Castles duo behave remind us of how the Brits hemmed and hawed over the Sex Pistols’ Bill Grundy interview – and how twenty years later they all realized how silly they all were for caring so much. And hell, we appreciate it when rock stars act as such. Here’s to a few destroyed hotel rooms at the Crystal Castles suite.
Crystal Castles – “Death (White Lies Remix)” ******************************************************************** SPINNERETTE RELEASE SELF-TITLED DEBUT Coming off the heated anticipation following their Ghetto Love EP, Brody Dalle’s self-titled SpinneretteLP emerges, rising like some Garbage-influenced phoenix from the ashes of the Distillers. Never one to people please and not follow her own ambitions, Dalle here experiments with churning electronic loops and danceable rhythms recalling a solo-era Courtney Love with bigger chops and a greater sense of genuineness. And while the songs may at times seem cookie-cutter and over-produced, Dalle is nothing if not self-referential, taking an inherently shallow music medium and infusing it with hot sweat and malice, her trademark drawl and impassioned wails adding an air of desperation to the forlorn tracks and creating an undertone of experimentalism and depth that begs for multiple spins. The album has been receiving some flack from all sides, but the ultimate criticism that anyone can come up with is that Dalle is not delivering on the promise of Coral Fang Pt. 2. I’m sure she would say the album is her big middle finger to an industry that wishes to pigeonhole female artists into easily definable roles. This is Dalle’s Eagles of Death Metal and it kills.
Spinnerette – “All Babes Are Wolves” Spinnerette – “The Walking Dead” ******************************************************************** JIM JAMES IS EVERYWHERE The fact that My Morning Jacket has no release planned for this year hasn’t stopped lead crooner Jim James from remaining as prolific as ever. On top of releasing the excellent Celebración de la Ciudad Natal Record Store Day release featuring the Jacket performing live, James has also revealed that he will be releasing an EP of George Harrison covers under the pseudonym ‘Yim Yames‘ in tribute to the late Beatles guitarist. The release features recordings from Harrison’s days with the Beatles and his storied solo career.
In other Jim James related news, the Monsters of Folk album has been officially confirmed, and it combines the MMJ frontman with none other than M. Ward and Conor Oberst. The self-titled debut album is due out on Sept. 22nd and will feature fifteen barn-burning country-rockers. Tracklist below:
“Dear God (sincerely M.O.F.)”
“Say Please”
“Whole Lotta Losin’”
“Temazcal”
“The Right Place”
“Baby Boomer”
“Man Named Truth”
“Goodway”
“Ahead of the Curve”
“Slow Down Jo”
“Losin Yo Head”
“Magic Marker”
“Map of the World”
“The Sandman, the Brakeman and Me”
“His Master’s Voice”
Yim Yames – “Behind That Locked Door” ******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER: COMPLETE COLLAPSE Sometimes record store crawling can pay off in spades, as was the case when the Cannibal Cheerleader crew wandered into Trailer Space Records in East Austin to find female-fronted Atx hardcore group Complete Collapse spreading ruiniation between the indie and classic rock aisles. Despite having only been around since January the band is already gaining steam locally, and will be playing club shows and recording demos as the summer drags on. For our money however, the band, with their rip-snarl guitar attack and the guttural howl of lead singer Carrie, is one of the best hardcore punk groups representing Austin right now. Be sure and check their July 14th show at Red 7 and head over to their Myspace. Hail to the hardcore. ******************************************************************** JOIN JOY FORMIDABLE MAILING LIST Seems as if our pals in The Joy Formidable have been busy – crafting a stunning debut LP, releasing three singles and three respective videos already from said 9-song album, and all the while keeping up with their fans on a very intimate level. It seems the band would like everyone to know they should sign up for their email list at their new official website so we here at Cannibal Cheerleader are definitely obliging. Won’t you? Be sure and keep track of this trio over at their Myspace – word on the street is they’ll soon be huge.
Joy Formidable – “The Greatest Light Is the Greatest Shade” ******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER: LA ROUX Riding an electric storm across the Atlantic, fueled by infectious synth-beats and danceable harmonies, UK act La Roux are poised to storm the US and turn the Little Boots hysteria into ‘LaRoux-lite’. Sounding decidedly icy and unconcerned while maintaining enough crystalline tenderness and depth to really illuminate the fact that a great dance record when made well is also a great indie-rock record, the duo’s (producer Ben Langmaid and singer Emmy Jackson) self-titled debut swaggers with the confidence of a record deep into an artist’s career. With a tidal wave of British press behind the band and a Flock of Seagulls haircut that’s sure to be the focus of a million other articles on the highly coifed singer, La Roux are nonetheless the kind of understated dance act that’s sure to make a huge splash.
La Roux – “In For the Kill” La Roux – “Colourless Colour” ******************************************************************** VOTE ROLO TOMASSI One of our favorite acts of all time Rolo Tomassi is apparently in the running for the Kerrang! Magazine award for Best British Newcomer. To help the group claim this hefty title and wrestle it from those other poser bands you have to go to this website and vote immediately! Just put ‘ROLO TOMASSI’ in the text box and you’re all set. Let’s get Rolo Tomassi to the top where they belong!
As a quick aside it seems in all our Rolo Tomassi excitement we’ve somehow forgotten to introduce their excellent video for rawkus album opener “Oh, Hello Ghost”. Allow us to remedy that immediately and treat you to a string of hardcore infused Xmas lights and tiny wooden mannequin in a disturbing love triangle:
In other news it seems that Rolo Tomassi and one of our other favorite Holy Roar groups Throats will be releasing a special split 7″, with each band covering the other’s respective songs. Throats will be giving their own rendition of “I Love Turbulence” while the Spence’s and company will be delivering the goods on “Headclouds” and “Reign of Low”. Limited edition here folks, pre-order while you can. Here’s to these two awesome UK imports!
Rolo Tomassi – “Scabs” Throats – “Deathnaps” ******************************************************************** NEW TINY VIPERS ALBUM If any young artist this year were to deliver on the promise of their past work in the same way that Jesy Fortino of Tiny Vipers has done with her new incredible outing Life On Earth, a stunning achievement in minimalist acoustic-folk and a mind-altering journey that begs to explore deep, philosophical facets of one’s mind, then they can be said to have pull off the impossible. Tiny Vipers, perhaps best known for her silence-inducing, eye-opening live performances has crafted a stormy, flickering dark wave of an album, with a sound like a dark journey down the river Styx, casting away at a slow pitch towards a dark underworld of introspective thought where return is not guaranteed. Casting aside all traditional singer-songwriter structures and Cat Power-aping, Fortino here sounds completely unique and natural, alone in a cave with only her questions on life to comfort her. A truly masterful effort, Life On Earth may well have claimed the crown of the best acoustic record of the year only halfway through.
Tiny Vipers – “Life On Earth” Tiny Vipers – “Tiger Mountain” ******************************************************************** NEW BLOC PARTY SINGLE Never ones to rest on their laurels, Bloc Party are racing off again, this time with a new one-off single called “One More Chance”, released on BBC Radio last week. Featuring Kele Okereke’s trademark pained-croons about lost love and strained relationships, the single introduces a dancier rhythm and a disco-inflections that were only briefly explored on Intimacy. The song careens through several minutes of guitar-pedals and electronic washes before barreling to hushed close, altogether leaving us wanting more. Is this the new direction for another Bloc Party LP? Retro synths and lost love? Here’s hoping so! Enjoy at the Bloc Party site here!
Bloc Party – “Ion Square (Banjo Or Freakout Remix)” ******************************************************************** HALFWAY THERE: MID-YEAR BEST OF LIST We here at Cannibal Cheerleader don’t count ourselves as big fans of ‘rock lists’, the male-oriented activity of putting quantitative values to qualitative artistic endeavors. We’ve always made a point to try and not even review bands we dislike – art is subjective and to create is inherently a valued activity. That said, while we like a lot of things, we, like most, tend to like some things more than others, and that’s what our mid-year best of list is all about. We figured since this is a halfway-point in the year list we wouldn’t go into too much detail; instead we numbered our favorite singles and albums thus far, creating a comprehensive list of what has impressed us thus far. Check it:
1. “Black Eyes” – Gallows One listen to the terrifying wail that is Gallows‘ Frank Carter screaming “I know where you live!” instantly rockets this searing single up the list, and kudos to the crunching instrumentation and experimental aesthetic that pulls it out of the hardcore sameness muck and into first place. Perhaps the best thing Gallows have ever done – looking forward to checking them out on July 4th here in Austin!
BEST ALBUMS OF ‘09 THUS FAR
10. The Horrors – Primary Colours 9. Neko Case – Middle Cyclone 8. Peter Doherty – Grace/Wastelands 7. Tiny Vipers – Life On Earth 6. The Joy Formidable – A Balloon Called Moaning 5. Bat For Lashes – Two Suns 4. Fever Ray – Fever Ray 3. Kylesa – Static Tensions 2. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz!
1. Lissy Trullie – Self-Taught Learner What can we say that we haven’t already about this blistering release? Lissy Trullie wraps up everything that’s cool about rock and roll into one six-song EP then dares us to find flaw. We here at Cannibal Cheerleader really can’t. Looking forward to some recording news in the near future and maybe another LT release by the end of the year. ******************************************************************** CANNIBAL CHEERLEADER LIVES So where have we been for the past few weeks? Whatever happened to ‘never gonna let you down now’? Well Cannibal Cheerleader faithful, we’ve been saving up the good stuff for one big release of course. As opposed to aping the other blogs who release every worthless tidbit they can scrape together or copy/pasting from PitchGum, we plan on releasing a massive weekly post that really showcases what music we find really worthwhile. The blog has been repeated ad infinitum. We didn’t devise Cannibal Cheerleader to get the most hits, to join the blogosphere proper. From now on CC is an online zine, appearing once a week featuring all the outsider writing you’ve come to know and love.
So what do we have in store for you? Well as the year progresses the site layout will be updated, showing off a little bit more of our videowork. Check out the video below to see a reel of our Cannibal Cheerleader work over the years – seems like we’ve been around the block more than once! That said we encourage anyone who wants the CC crew to make a video for their band to please contact us at cannibalcheerleader@gmail.com. We’d be happy to do it and frankly we’re not bad at what we do. Check it:
Lastly stay tuned for the fall edition of the Cannibal Cheerleader zine – that’s right volume 4 people! What’s that? You don’t have issues 1-3? Well they’re going fast so email us quick and we’ll shoot you a copy in exchange for something cool (be creative and music related!). And just to plant the demon seed in all you faithful’s brains, this Halloween be prepared for the Cannibal Cheerleader Horrowshow, a showcase of metal acts from around the world right here in Austin, Texas on Oct. 31st. You’ve been warned. Hail to the horror.
It’s been a hot minute since we reported on the activities of one of our favorite discoveries of the year, NYC garage-rocker Lissy Trullie and her company of dashing Boho-rejects and art-school dropouts. Seems as if LT and the gang will be swinging through Austin next month at Emo’s in support of another Cannibal Cheerleader fave, the Virgins. It’s a genuine New York City meets Lone Star State affair, so be there people! Here’s a few Lissy Trullie videos to quench your thirst until then!
Straight from the record label (Little Black Cloud Records) that brought us the inimitable Ringfinger comes Cinemasophia, a Richmond quintet by way of Brooklyn that blaze a brand of shoegaze-meets-electro, Stars-inspired indie rock in an equal parts subdued and fuzzed-out manner that’s wholly unique. Featuring faraway, distant vocals like an early emo-record or a long-worn cassette, Cinemasophia are crafting bedroom ready tunes that are nonetheless sure to rattle the windows from their panes. Tracks like “Pet Enemies” simmer with an undercurrent of electronic warbles before dipping into guitar heroics near the song’s end. The band’s intense use of volume disparity and sonic shifts give their music an unpredictable and electric feeling, churning behind a Firefox window for a few minutes before bursting up and making the listener click on the iTunes icon to see just who is that playing again. Very addictive, check it out below.
This year’s Austin City Limits Festival lineup has been revealed and while we here at Cannibal Cheerleader are excited about a few of the choices (the Virgins, the Raveonettes, the Decemberists, Arctic Monkeys, and Sonic Youth to name a few) the headliners are considerably weaker this year. While we can’t fault anyone for liking Pearl Jam (not our cup o’ tea) and we have a passing interest in the Beastie Boys (early 90s anyone?), to have Dave Matthews Band, nemesis of all indie-rock fans, headlining the event is pretty grotesque. Oh well, you’ll still definitely be seeing us at the show, if only to check if the Arctic Monkeys will be playing any new material. Check out the whole lineup below:
Pearl Jam Dave Matthews Band Beastie Boys Kings of Leon Ben Harper and Relentless7 Thievery Corporation John Legend The Dead Weather The Levon Helm Band Ghostland Observatory Sonic Youth Mos Def Toadies Flogging Molly The B-52s Lily Allen Citizen Cope Arctic Monkeys The Decemberists Coheed and Cambria Andrew Bird Girl Talk STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector 9) Phoenix Bassnectar Bon Iver !!! The Avett Brothers The Airborne Toxic Event Medeski, Martin & Wood Clutch Michael Franti & Spearhead Grizzly Bear Heartless Bastards Passion Pit White Lies Dan Auerbach The Walkmen The Scabs Reckless Kelly Devotchka Blitzen Trapper The Virgins Here We Go Magic Eek-A-Mouse K’ Naan Asleep at the Wheel Dr. Dog The Raveonettes The Knux Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears State Radio Los Amigos Invisibles The Felice Brothers Federico Aubele Raul Malo Daniel Johnston Poi Dog Pondering Brett Dennen Rodriguez Henry Butler Preservation Hall Sam Roberts Band The Greencards Sara Watkins Walter “Wolfman” Washington David Garza John Vanderslice Zac Brown Band Todd Snider School of Seven Bells The Dodos Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3 Alberta Cross Deer Tick Bell X1 Alela Diane The Wood Brothers The Parlor Mob Rebirth Brass Band Marva Wright Terri Hendrix L.A.X. Lisa Hannigan The Low Anthem Sons of Bill Suckers Sarah Jaffe Cotton Jones The Henry Clay People Papa Mali Jypsi Vince Mira Jonathan Tyler & the Northern Lights Mimicking Birds Jeffrey Steele Jonell Mosser Leatherbag Keith Gattis Damien Horne Sarah Siskind Dexateens Nelo Danny Brooks Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band The Soul Stirrers The Durdens Palm School Elementary The Gospel Silvertones Diaconos Quinn Sullivan Ralph’s World Q Brothers Milkshake Telephone Company Loose Cannons Lunch Money
HEARTSREVOLUTION IN AUSTIN Performing at the most hipster bar in Austin, Beauty Bar, and surrounded by obnoxiously dressed scenester kids, Brooklyn’s infamous Heartsrevolution nonetheless belted out an inspiring rage-filled set of electronic-tinged punk with enough energy to enthrall even the coolest of wallflowers. Starting off with crowd-pleaser “Choose Your Own Adventure” Lo and Ben stomped through their now famous SwitchbladeEP with reckless abandon, invoking a half dance party half most pit in the front row. For her part, Lo impressed the most as while Ben stoodand methodically pumped out beats on his keyboard, she crawled over the ground, bounced around constantly, and screamed even between songs, barking orders at the sound-guy in her own cutesy but fearsome way. All in all, that’s how I’d best describe the evening, a combination of cute, dancey tunes with fiery, explosive punk rock. It’s as if fire and snow or foxes and bunnies had met up together. Hmm……More pictures below. Heartsrevolution – “CYOA“ ******************************************************************** NEW CRYSTAL CASTLES VIDEO – KNIGHTS We were going the new Crystal Castles as reported by Pitchfork and Stereogum here, but apparently the video has been taken down, presumably because the video is actually a fan video. Sad because the video was strangely cool, featuring an MF Doom lookalike. Instead, check out this completely official video for “Courtship Dating” one of our favorite CC songs of all time. Enjoy!
Crystal Castles – “Knights” ******************************************************************** ARCTIC MONKEYS REVEAL NEW LIVE DVD According to Pitchfork we’ll soon be seeing an Arctic Monkeys live DVD, which is welcome news considering the dearth of new AM material as of late, besides the excellent Last Shadow Puppets LP from Alex Turner. Here’s hoping the group puts out more material or even their third LP soon!
If you haven’t heard Humbug yet, the newest release from Sheffield’s Arctic Monkeys, be prepared to have your face slowly and painfully peeled back by the halting power and thunderous riffs of the group’s heaviest record yet. With a howling croon more reminiscient lead singer Alex Turner’s previous release, his one-off record as half of The Last Shadow Puppets, the tracks on the band’s third album seethe and melt with like butter on brimstone. Coupled with some of the best instrumentation that the Monkeys have ever conjured from their dark bag, Humbug is one of the best releases bar none of the year so far. Definitely pick it up at the earliest opportunity and check out these Japanese-release-only b-sides below.
