Continuing my recent love affair with Scottish musicians, today’s post deals with the, quite frankly, brilliant band from Glasgow, Frightened Rabbit.
Frightened Rabbit have released their new album, “The Midnight Organ Fight”.
Yesterday I finally recieved my copy of Frightened Rabbit‘s new album, “The Midnight Organ Fight“, following a month of extreme expectation after I was exposed to their single “The Modern Leper” at the beginning of April. While that song raised my hopes somewhat, it in no way prepared me for the perfection that is “The Midnight Organ Fight”. This is an album that almost never puts a foot wrong, and is easily a contender for my “top albums of 2008” list.
There’s a sincerity to lead singer/songwriter Scott Hutchison’s lyrics that immediately draws you in; it’s like a stream of consciousness of poignant observations… in fact, I’ve heard his lyrics described as “all the stuff you wish you’d said at the time of the break up but were too drunk/tired/dumbstruck/sad to sputter“, and I couldn’t put it better myself.
I might not want you back, but I want to kill him […]
I’m still in love with you and can’t admit it yet.
– Frightened Rabbit, “Good Arms vs. Bad Arms”
All of this is delivered in Hutchinson’s charming Scottish brogue – sometimes seemingly in direct contrast to his subject matter – and jangly, mixed guitars that only serve to heighten the urgency and immediacy of the emotions that lie just below the surface.
It’s beautiful, desperate, angry, and so damn tight, that I’m amazed this is only the band’s sophmore release. Put simply, Frightened Rabbit are everything that I got into this gig for.
Below, I’ve included the video for their first single, “Head Rolls Off“, and then two tracks off the new album; the aforementioned “Head Rolls Off”, and the heart-breaking “Good Arms vs. Bad Arms“. Do yourself a favour, and get this album. Seriously.
Over the years, I’ve amassed quite a large collection of live shows of my favourite artists… thank god for all those tapers out there who share their wealth with those of us who can’t make it to the show! When I was living in South Africa, those tapers pretty much managed to get through the many winters when large acts simply wouldn’t visit our shores. So I thought it was time that I shared the wealth. And that leads us to this, the inaugeral “Live Music Friday“. When time allows, Friday posts here will become a regular live music post. Now, I’m not going to lie… the likes of Ryan Adams, Howie Day and Bob Schneider will probably be popping up more than once in this series of posts. But for today, I thought we’d start with…
Alex & Angela Dezen at the Hotel Cafe, 2007
Alex Dezen of The Damnwells & Angela Dezen.
It’s official. Following Damnwells posts here and here, I’m obsessed. And I’m ok with that. The music of The Damnwells really is that rare breed, where I find that — even years after initially hearing them — my love of their music hasn’t waned in the slightest. And that’s a rare form of staying power.
There are quite a few live recordings of Alex and The Damnwells around, and some with better sound quality than this one. But this is possibly my favourite, simply because of the dynamic that Alex Dezen shares with his wife, Angela… who is not only an actress, but an amazing singer. Side note – how jealous can one guy make me? There is a real tenderness in these songs that simply hits you like a steam-train.
I stumbled across a recent video that they posted on Youtube, of them performing the song, “Like It Is”, in front of a glowing Christmas tree, where that exact tenderness is so immediately apparent…
Alex and Angela Dezen performing “Like It Is” live.
From the moment Alex opens his voice in that video, my heart absolutely breaks. And when Angela comes in? Man… I know this is an awful thing for a music blogger to write, but I simply don’t have words for it. It awakens a yearning in me that I never knew existed.
And that’s how it is with this live show. Alex Dezen, with Angela, creates beauty. If nothing else, make sure you listen to their version of “Bastard of Midnight“. If it doesn’t stop you in your tracks, then I’m not sure we have much more to talk about.
Anyway… here’s the set-list. I’ve included individual files below, and then a handy .zip of the entire show below that.
Alex and Angela Dezen Live at the Hotel Cafe, 14 October 2007
And now for the links… The Damnwells website can be found here, their Myspace here — and I would suggest checking out Alex’s blog there — and Angela has a website here. Linkage galore!
“The Sad Truth Is This Blog, It’s What Happens When One Day You Don’t Have That Person You Talk To Everyday Anymore. They Leave. Any You Get Desperate. And Pathetic. And You Don’t Know Who To Talk To. Life Goes On Without You. That Is What This Is. This Is A Horrible Loneliness. I Hate It. I Hate It So Much I Do It Every Fucking Day.”
Ryan’s blog was one of the most creative things to hit the music blogosphere in years. So… again: We’ll miss you Foggy.
(side note: I know it’s been quiet and this is an unacceptable first post after a week away, but things were/are ridiculously busy after my week in Sydney. Regular posting will resume soon… I promise.)
****
Edit: Well, that didn’t take long. There’s yet another post up, where Ryan posted this 20 minute video. Something tell me this is going to be a lingering goodbye…
Edit #2: Again… that didn’t take long. Ryan’s since deleted the video. Sorry folks.
Ryan Adams is a maniac. The output on his blog (mentioned back here… so if you haven’t yet subscribed to his RSS feed, I don’t want to talk to you anymore) is ridiculously fast-flowing. Given the prolific nature of Ryan, this shouldn’t come as a surprise… after all, this is the guy who has, in the last 7 years, released 11 albums; and that’s not including his sterling work with all time alt.country greats, Whiskeytown.
Anyway, this is just really a short post to remind you that there are some gems coming up on that blog, if you don’t mind sifting through the 14 entries a day. For example, take this video:
I spent the afternoon making a movie about things I loved this week, people I love all the time, folks I admire, and my exciting planned excursion out of “Cave of Where Jams Are Born” also known as, “bedroom”/ that’s right folks, that’s where even that black magic comes from. (makes gagging sound, loses more ability to discern reality from fiction, pets Darryl Hanna Robot the cat)
Enjoy. Oh, I made the jam too. did the whole thing. Thanks to my pals for providing the photos. Lovely stuff everyone
So, basically the guy put this – more creativity than I’ve managed to come up with in a month – together in an afternoon. Jam included. A song he wrote to pass the time.
It’s official. The dude just shits creativity, and his bowels are hyperactive. I’m jealous.
Pennywise’s new album, “Reason To Believe”, is out now on Myspace.
Although you probably wouldn’t know it much reading through the posts on this blog, I used to be into punk. And I mean big into punk. For a few years there, it was all I cared about. Nowadays, only certain punk bands have made it into my mainstays… The Clash, Rancid, The Stooges, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Bad Religion and a few select others. However, while they may not have made that list, Pennywise still hold a special place in my heart. So it was with much interest that I found out they were releasing their album – for free! – on Myspace.(side note… how often have we seen these types of releases around here lately… quiteafew, it seems).
And so on the 25th, when the album went live, I rushed to download it. And it’s only been a cursory few spins so far in the last few days, but so far… I’m liking it.
I mean, let’s be honest here… Pennywise know what their fans like. And as soon as they nailed it, they were hardly going to mess with a winning formula. So the album isn’t anything startlingly ground-breaking from them. While it doesn’t hit the highs of “Unknown Road” or “Straight Ahead“, and doesn’t feature a “Bro Hymn” or “Alien” equivalent, it’s still well worth a listen.
“Bro Hymn” by Pennywise has become something of a punk anthem.
Anyway, I’ve been out of the punk scene for far too long to get into the album in detail here. But I definitely think it’s well worth your time. If you’d like a download copy of the new album, “Reason To Believe“, what you’ll need to do is go to Pennywise’s Myspace page, and click on the album link. It requires you to add “Textango” (a mobile music distibutor, who is releasing the album in partnership with Myspace) as a friend. It promises “no spam, no tricks, no bullshit“… and so far, they’ve held to their word. Adding them as a friend is a requirement to download the album though, so no add… no album. I hate this kind of marketing, as you always feel they’re going to screw you with spam, so I leave it up to you to make the choice.
If I was to give you clues as to the show, I would probably say:
1) The performer absolutely wails on guitar.
2) The performer has probably the most pure voice you’ll ever hear. Able to leap and soar in ways uncommon in contemporary music.
3) The performer has some of the best grasp of wordplay this side of Speechwriters LLC.
Of course, by the third clue – and of course the title of the post – you would know that I’m talking about the one and only Jason Mraz. Last night, Jason performed at the Tivoli, along with opening acts Hayley Sales and Gregory Page. And man, was it a killer night.
Hayley Sales
Hayley Sales belted out and awesome set at the Tivoli in Brisbane
Hayley Sales opened up the night, at about 8pm. This was a tough slot, as most people there – me included – had not heard Hayley before, and a number of people seemed impatient to jump straight to Jason’s slot. So when Hayley started out with her first tune, the floor wasn’t exactly what you’d call packed. That all changed when her first chords struck out on the guitar.
(Aside: I have to apologise here. I didn’t manage to make notes for last night, as I did with my Jack Johnson recap, so I’m not 100% sure of the opening songs, or the order. I’m pretty sure that she started out with Jailcell Mind, but if anyone else was there feel free to correct me. Throughout this entire entry, I’m sure.)
Hayley has one of the most powerful voices I think I’ve heard in years. There’s a real versatility to it as well; one minute it can be a husky whisper, sexy as all hell… the next a powerful, intimidating force. She also has this really fun vibe up on stage; I think that while most people were a bit skeptical at first of this lone girl up on stage, after a few minutes under her sunny smile and contagious grooves, you couldn’t help but get into the joy of the set.
Hayley didn’t perform the entire set alone though. She called up Toca Rivera – the percussionist/singer from Jason’s band – to perform with her for about 3 or so songs. And she also called up Jason to finish the set, with an absolutely amazing performance of “Keep Driving“.
Hayley, Jason and Toca perform “Keep Driving” at the Tivoli
(Aside #2: Excuse the “phone-camera” quality pictures. They look like that because… well… they were taken with a crappy phone).
The performance of “Keep Driving” had the entire crowd singing along. And anyone who was there will be able to attest to the fact that Hayley’s closing note, held with clarity and power, was undoubtedly one of the highest notes we’ve ever heard at the Tivoli. There was a shocked silence before outrageous clapping and cheering. Nice one Hayley.
Highlights? “Jailcell Mind”, simply because it took everyone by surprise. “Keep Driving”, for that stunning last note and great interplay between Jason and Hayley. And also the cracking tune, “Only What You Want“. All in all, a great set, and someone I’ll be sure to keep an eye on in the future.
Gregory Page performed perhaps one of my favourite sets at the Tivoli
Next up was Gregory Page. Now, unlike Hayley, I had actually heard of Gregory Page before. But I was unsure how his minimalist style would go down with this crowd. Gregory’s music is a strange creature; obviously there’s the well-known minimalist feel to it, but it’s a deceptive minimalism… there’s so much more going on under the surface that you sometimes feel you could drown in it.
I think some people were bewildered by Gregory, but these people were certainly in the minority, as there was a great feeling about his set. He opened with perhaps my favourite song of his, “Sleeping Dogs“. There’s a pain in this song that simply does not let you go, while at the same time an aching beauty to it. Sleeping Dogs was possibly my favourite song of the night, point-blank… all songs included.
“It’s so cold here, in my bed without my love
I cover my emotions, I’m half dead
And the hours laid as the memories still haunts me, and it’s tearing me apart
There are fireworks exploding in my heart”
– Gregory Page, “Sleeping Dogs”
Gregory Page and Jason Mraz at the Tivoli in Brisbane
Gregory also called Jason up for a tune. I learned later in the night that Gregory Page had actually given Jason Mraz his first break, when he invited Jason to open for him; and this long-time partnership was clear in their synergy that night. Truly, a great performance. There is a phone-quality vid of the performance; but I warn you: I include this here solely for those die-hard fans who need to see this kind of thing. The sound and picture quality is terrible, so skip this if you aren’t one of those die-hards. The song only actually begins in earnest around 1:00 in.
Highlights? Obviously the aforementioned “Sleeping Dogs”, and the stunning “Knife in My Chest“. While I’m sure that Gregory’s music is not for everyone, he certainly has a stalwart fan in me.
Jason Mraz performed to a great crowd at the Tivoli.
By the time Jason and the full band made it onto the stage, the crowd was absolutely rabid. Launching straight into a killer rendition of “Mr Curiosity“, Jason had them eating out of his hand from the get-go. The thing that always astounds me about Jason, apart from the stunning wordplay of course, is the clarity in his voice. There is a purity there that I find hard to give a comparison point; simply because there is no comparison. This is a voice that truly can fly at the drop of a hat. And it never gets any less amazing. And Jason showed it off in fine form with this song, slipping between operatic and playful towards the end. It really was a great way to start off the set.
Jason Mraz and band at The Tivoli in Brisbane
About 3 songs in, Jason and band launched into “Cannabis College“, and of course the crowd exploded. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a live show where this song hasn’t had the entire joint jumping. Funniest point of the night? When the dude next to me leaned in to his mate – with about 30 seconds of the song left – and said to him: “This song is hilarious mate. It’s all about smoking weed!!“. Thank you, Captain Obvious, for the hilarity that ensued. Of course, that excitement was only carried through when the obligatory, “The Remedy” made it’s appearance.
The rest of the set was, as usual, polished brilliance. From the tender rendition of “Love For A Child“, through to the duets with Hayley, and later Gregory, the night was a true conversation between artists and audience.
My friend managed to snag a few seconds of “Sleep All Day” on his phone… although it’s only 58 seconds of the song, I’ve included it below as the sound and image quality is far better than the clip I posted above; that, and also it’s simply a cracking tune that went down a storm on the night.
Again; highlights of the set? Tough to say, but if pushed I would say the following songs were standouts, for me at least:
“Mr Curiosity”, “Love For A Child”, “Tonight, Not Again“, “Sleep All Day”, “Live High” (which I posted a video of here), and the closer, “I’m Yours“, which also went into medley including Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds”, and it’s refrain of, “Don’t worry about a thing, ‘coz every little thing gonna be alright!”.
It certainly seemed that, at the end of the night, everyone agreed that everything was, in fact, more than alright. It was perfection. The only thing that I was hoping for, that never transpired, would have been a performance of “The Dream Life of Rand McNally“. But hey, you can’t have everything.
Thanks Jason and Co, for sharing the night with us. It was awesome being involved.
I’ll admit it. I haven’t been a fan of Yeasayer at all. Don’t get me wrong, there’s definitely talent there; intelligent lyrics, great harmonies… I’m not denying that’s there. But, listening to their recorded material, it’s just always been too much for me. Those were my exact words: “Too much”.
So it was great to see that Vincent Moon, of the always impeccable La Blogotheque, had the same reaction. As he stated:
When I saw them in Brooklyn, Yeasayer puzzled me, weird outfit, gimmicks from the 80s, crazy flights, it was all too much. When I listened to the record, it was worst: I couldn’t bear the layers, synthesizers, exaggerated reverberation. That evening, I hardly regretted missing the show, despite the amazed faces of those who were leaving the venue.
However, as oft happens with La Blogotheque’s “Takeaway Shows“, seeing the band perform live and impromptu might just have changed my – and Vince’s – mind.
Take a look at the below video, of them performing “No Need To Worry” and “Redcave“. “No Need To Worry” – which only actually kicks in about 1:30 into the video – is, quite simply, sublime.
While the video’s included below, I would really suggest you click through on the link above, to read Vincent Moon’s – he’s the director of the music video – account of the night. It’s inspiring. There’s also a second video there, with a stunning performance of their track “2080“.
I’m not about to buy any of Yeasayer’s albums. At least, not just yet. But this has certainly changed my view of them.
