2009: Handsome Furs- Dri- Cinnamon Band – Great Scott [REVIEW]
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Best Of 2011: Glen’s Favorite Songs
Rather than release a countdown or a numbered list, I’ve decided to try something different!!!!! Band and song. Keepin’ it simple.
Arctic Monkeys- “Black Treacle”
Atlas Sound – “Lightworks,” “Mona Lisa”
Babies – “Meet Me In The City”
Bass Drum of Death – “Get Found”
Beets – “I Think I Might Have Built A Horse”
Black Keys – “Lonely Boy”
Black Lips – “Family Tree,” “Modern Art,” “Mr. Driver”
Colleen Green – “Rabid Love”
Diarrhea Planet – “Fauser”
Dum Dum Girls – “Coming Down”
Fat History Month – “Old Lady Smokers“
Gaye Blades – “Don’t Get Married“
Girls – “Magic”
Handsome Furs – “Repatriated”
The Hussy – “Sexi Ladi”
Mark Sultan – “Song In Grey,” “Graveyard Eyes”
Mind Spiders – “Don’t Let Her Go”
M-Tank – “Don’t Miss You”
Natural Child – “Hard Workin’ Man”
Night Beats – “Ain’t Dumbo”
Orwells – “Lays At Rest,” “Halloween All Year”
Panda Bear – “Last Night At The Jetty”
Peach Kelli Pop – “Girls of Summer,” “Eenie Meenie Minie Moe”
Shannon and the Clams – “Baby Don’t Do It“
The Strokes – “Under Cover of Darkness”
Thee Oh Sees – “I Need Seed,” “If I Stay Too Long”
Those Darlins – “Be Your Bro”
Ty Segall – “My Head Explodes,” “You Make The Sun Fry“
Black Lips “The Lie” In Need For Speed: The Run
The soundtrack for Need For Speed: The Run, the long-running racing video game, has just been announced and most importantly it features some fine music (otherwise I wouldn’t have made this post). Black Lips‘ “The Lie” (Arabia Mountain, 2011, Vice) is in the game as is The Handsome Furs “Damage” (Sound Kapital, 2011, Sub Pop) and “Lonely Boy” (El Camino, 2011, Nonesuch) by Black Keys.
As I believe I’ve written before, video game soundtracks more or less were the forerunner to a pretty significant amount of music that I like presently. Musicians and bands like Jay Reatard, The Walkmen, Pixies, and Editors would hardly or doubtfully be among my favorites today if I hadn’t been exposed to them via video game back then. It’s encouraging to read about how my favorite band is going to be in a widely played game. The video game soundtrack is a great platform for exposure, especially when it reaches out to people who perhaps otherwise would never get a chance (or want a chance) to listen to Black Lips or Handsome Furs.
Check Out “The Lie”:
CD Review: Sound Kapital [2011]
Band: Handsome Furs
Release: 6/2011
Label: Sub Pop
1. “When I Get Back” – A-
2. “Damage” – B+
3. “Bury Me Standing” – B+
4. “Memories of the Future” – A-
5. “Serve the People” – B+
6. “What About Us? – B+
7. “Repatriated” – A-
8. “Cheap Music” – B+
9. “No Feelings” – B
Comments: If you’ve been listening to the Handsome Furs for the past couple of years (longer, even), you’ll notice that this record swims comfortably in a known sea. Sure, there is no known guitar recorded on this LP. I’d argue that some of the synths create a fuzz reminiscent of a Dan Boeckner guitar (“Cheap Music”), but let us not get caught up in this. “When I Get Back” is getting back to Face Control. Not that they ever departed from it. It’s luscious pop, dance-y, layered, and anthemic. It’s hard for the Furs to mess up their music. Their sound is habitually one of slickness and compactness. That’s why I love ’em. Sometimes they do border on recycled songwriting, principally in structure, but I’d be hard pressed not to say this isn’t common for a lot of bands. Repetitive song endings are Boeckner’s go-to-guys and as ubiquitous as they are (on Sound Kapital and in the past), they remain exciting. Case in point would be “Damage,” which doesn’t really get GOOD ’til the end. A tune like “Memories of the Future” is for sure one of their most electro-dominant. There are a bunch of subtle sounds, some very wobbly and bass heavy, others as delicate as the touch of a toy piano. There a couple of tracks that either overstay their welcome, or simply aren’t as memorable or deserving of multiple listens as others. I do give the band a lot of credit for cutting things off after nine songs. Smart decision. The dance party of Sound Kapital is one that people will remember for being consistently joyous. It’s not an earth shattering dance party nor is it one to elicit boredom.
Grade: B+ (88)
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Handsome Furs play @ Brighton Music Hall on August 17.
Show Alert: Handsome Furs @ Brighton Music Hall
Date: August 17 (Wednesday)
Comments: The Furs played at Great Scott on April 13. I’m going to go out on a limb and say they enjoy playing in Boston to come back again as part of a larger summer tour. We fans enjoy them and look forward to the release of their third album, Sound Kapital.
All Dates: http://altmusic.about.com/b/2011/06/02/handsome-furs-tour-sound-kapital-across-north-america.htm
Show Recommendations: Wednesday, April 13
BOSTON: Handsome Furs @ Great Scott. The Handsome Furs, Dan Boeckner and wife Alexei put on an excellent show. Last time they were here (July 2009), a drunk fat guy made his way on stage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhscEoPA8cU. That wasn’t the highlight, though. “What About Us” off their upcoming album Sound Kapital (June, Sub Pop) was just released and you can check it out here: http://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Handsome_Furs_-_What_About_Us.mp3.
RHODE ISLAND: Black Lips @ The Met, Pawtucket. Not much more needs to be said. I’m excited to hear some of the new Arabia Mountain songs live and just as excited to hear all the oldies that simply never get old. If you haven’t seen Black Lips and live in Rhode Island, Southern Mass, Central Mass, whatever…you have to go! You’ll be missing out big.
New Info. About Handsome Furs Third Studio LP
Spinner.com:
“We kind of realized after we made that ‘Face Control’ record that one of the strengths of the band that really separated it from Wolf Parade — and separated the two audiences — was there was more of a dance party vibe than sort of a cerebral rock vibe to the crowd [at] the shows,” he continued. “It was really cool to be able to have those things separate so I could enjoy them separately — I think we’re kind of going more in the sweaty, punk dance party vibe.”
Handsome Furs is currently touring eastern Europe, and so far have one North American date in Chicago already booked for 2011, they’ll play at Lincoln Hall January 15. According to Boeckner, the band’s new album will be out “late spring/ early summer” if everything goes as planned.”
Wolf Parade on ‘Indefinite Hiatus’
Bit of sad news (for me at least) Wolf Parade announced that they will be going on an ‘Indefinite Hiatus’ to work on their various other projects. While they did say they will be a couple of shows in 2011, there is no time table to return to the studio for a follow up to their excellent third album “Expo 86”. In the meantime we can expect another Handsome Furs album in the near future so it doesn’t appear to be a bad blood issue, just a creative decision.
You can read more at spinner.com:
http://www.spinner.com/2010/11/29/wolf-parade-indefinite-hiatus/
Handsome Furs on CNN
Handsome Furs Bangkok
I partake in the Chinese phenomenon of “parking” myself.
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 