From the first moments of Trevor Sensor’s debut EP for Jagjaguwar, Texas Girls and Jesus Christ, the Illinois-born 22-year– old singer/songwriter’s distinctive burr of a voice sounds aged decades beyond his years. The rest of the young talent’s music follows suit, too, with timeless-sounding melodies and a sense of songwriting that exudes maturity while still feeling fresh.
Montreal outfit Ought gave us one of 2015’s best songs in Sun Coming Down track “Beautiful Blue Sky”. Now, frontman Tim Darcy is looking to find some success of his own on his upcoming debut solo album, Saturday Night.
Due out February 17th via Jagjaguwar Records, the 10-track effort sees Darcy swapping out some of the angular riffs of Ought’s catalog for indie rock that’s tinged with hints of Ryan Adams-esque Americana and folk. An endeavor all his own, the LP is an unsurprisingly intimate and introspective one, as a press release describes:
“A personal meditation reveals itself across these songs as you feel a poetic, thoughtful person attempting to reconcile a schism, one that grows more expansive as Saturday Night flows along. It is a journey, but it’s a really fun, gratifying one; like a poem where you’re not supposed to know exactly how to feel at that last line and you’re left just bursting with a wonderful emptiness.”
“Still Waking Up” from the upcoming album ‘Saturday Night’ out February 17th, 2017 on Jagjaguwar Records
Foxygen, the duo of Sam France and Jonathan Rado, have shared the brand new video ‘On Lankershim’, the latest track taken from impending new album ‘Hang’, out 20th January on Jagjaguwar Records.
On their first proper studio record, the Los Angeles duo once again present their uncanny knack for pulling together myriad strands of influences to an elaborate, uncompromising vision. And this time, they’ve gone true big band.
Every song on “Hang” features a 40-plus-piece symphony orchestra arranged and conducted by Trey Pollard with additional arranging from Matthew E. White. Additionally, “Hang” was recorded with the Lemon Twigs brother rhythm section duo of Brian and Michael D’Addario, and also features Steven Drozd of the Flaming Lips on select tracks. Written and produced entirely by Foxygen, “Hang” was recorded on 2” tape at Electro Vox Studios in Los Angeles.
The video, a lo-fi VHS-style excursion across Foxygen’s LA, comes after lead single ‘Follow The Leader’ and a sold-out London showcase at Oslo, Hackney.
Foxygen – “On Lankershim” from ‘Hang’ out on January 20th, 2017 on Jagjaguwar Records
The band will return to the UK on Feb 27th, for a show at KOKO, after a short run of European dates.
Let’s face facts — in 2016 it is remarkable that there’s a new Dinosuar Jr album to go ape over. After all, the original line-up of the band (J Mascis, Lou Barlow & Murph) only recorded three full albums during their initial run in the 1980s. Everyone was gob-smacked when they reunited in 2005. Even more so when they opted to stay together, as they have for 11 years now . And with the release of ‘Give a Glimpse Of What Yer Not’, this trio has released more albums in the 21st Century than they did in the 20th.
Last year, 2015, saw the amazing live shows Dinosaur Jr played to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their eponymous debut LP. and the songs they were celebrating are amazing enough, But essentially that was a nostalgia fest a very fine nostalgia fest too but it’s the future that beckons the living. So you have to be pretty damn chuffed that the band has managed to pull another magnificent rabbit out of their collective hat.
The songs on ‘Give a Glimpse...’ were recorded over the past year or so, again at Amherst’s Bisquiteen Studio (located in a secret nook of J’s basement). The sound is great and roaring with J’Mascis various bleeding-ear psychedelic guitar touches oozing their way into the smudge-pop modeling, while Murph’s drums pound like Fred Flintstone’s feet, and Lou’s bass weaves back and forth between proggy melodicism and post-core thug-hunch.
Of the 11 songs presented, nine are J’s. Mascis he has had so many projects going at various times — from the retro glam of Sweet Apple to the metal dunt of Witch to the ostrich-rock overload of Heavy Blanket — it’s always a little shocking he can compartmentalize well enough to keep his tunes with Dinosaur Jr sounding so instantly recognizable. Which is not to say they’re interchangeable, it’s just that he has a very idiosyncratic way of structurally assembling and presenting the songs. Even when they’re not being played in concert (with amps turned to 12, and vibrating ’til they glow red).the way he hits his guitar strings has a unique quality that immediately lets you know you’re listening to Dinosaur Jr.
The other two songs here were written and sung by Lou, and they’re quite great as well. Although Barlow’s template and palette are more mercurial and shifting (as they are with his other ongoing projects, like Sebadoh), the two here have a consonant resonance. Both songs carry the same vibe as Roger McGuinn’s great early sides with the Byrds (although this has to do more with spirit than specific notes), reminding us that albums like Fifth Dimension and Notorious Byrd Brothers were among the main models for East Coast bands like the Soft White Underbelly. “Love Is…” and “Left/Right” represent the same kind of style displacement.
J Mascis‘ songs offer a lot of formal style moves as well. Over the last three decades, J’s songwriting has continued to pursue confusion, isolation and mis-communication as its main themes (which is one of the reasons he’s always been the artist-of-choice for so many misfits), but he has really worked on the craft of songwriting, and he’s constantly improving his ability to convey these feelings rather than merely inhabit them. “Lost All Day” might be the most eloquently sad of the songs on ‘Give a Glimpse...’, but my favorite is probably “Mirror,” which comes off like the best song Blue Osyter Cult song they didn’t record for Agents of Fortune. The opening (and repeating) line, “I’ve been crawling around since I met you,” branded itself onto my brain the instant I heard it. But then, “Goin’ Down” (not the Freddie King tune) is a stone classic as well. And “Tiny” has the prettiest pop architecture. “Be A Part” continually makes me flash on the first time I heard “Cowgirl in the Sand.” “I Told Everyone” is almost like a Bowie tribute when you hear it from another room. “Good to Know” has the record’s most insane guitar solo. “I Walk for Miles” contains the most thuggish riffs. “Knocked Around” features the most elegant use of falsetto. And the whole damn thing is great. In short, on its 11th LP, Dinosaur Jr does what it has done best for the past 30-plus years, which is to remind us of the life-giving force of guitar, bass, drums and scary-big stack of Marshall amps.
Tim Darcy, guitarist/vocalist from the Montreal-based rock band Ought, has announced a forthcoming debut solo album, “Saturday Night”. Working without the rest of the group shouldn’t pose a problem for Darcy, as he’s got plenty of backup in the form of a turtleneck- and blazer-wearing mob of clones, all of whom star in the video he’s shared for the first single, “Tall Glass of Water.”
At the beginning of the video, we’re introduced to two Darcys walking in opposite directions. We follow one into a room with a dozen more Darcys, now played by different actors who copy the original’s movements or engage in symbolic puppet play. The given voice in the lyrics: “Is it rain or is it toxic fire? Is it love or is it desire?” and “If you chance it all in one, would you chance it all again?”
Saturday Night will be out Feb. 17th via Jagjaguwar Records.
“Tall Glass of Water” from the upcoming album ‘Saturday Night’ out February 17th, 2017 on Jagjaguwar Records
Gordi is a young folk artist we’ve developed a real thing for. Growing up in the small regional town of Canowindra, the singer-songwriter first caught our attention in 2014, when we named her ‘unsigned artist of the week’ then nominated her as Next Big Thing in the FBi SMAC Awards. Fast forward to 2016 and she’s landed an international label deal with Jagjaguwar Records, released this beautiful Courtney Barnett cover, and performed with Bon Iver on Jimmy Fallon.
Gordi — 23 year old Canowindra-born Sophie Payten. It’s music that gets it both ways — ambitious big pop that doesn’t give an inch of artistic concession. Here, wistful aching and longing can almost feel like a spirited celebration. It’s expansive and elegant. The songs on the Sydney-based artist’s debut EP Clever Disguise, which came out earlier this year .
An intuitively smart and fearlessly generous record – this is an artist in complete command of their craft at the top of their game and is already a contender for album of the year. After 2014’s stunning Burn Your Fire for No Witness which dramatically raised her profile, Angel Olsen perhaps felt pressure to make a big statement the next time out. My Woman finds her rising up to the challenge, maintaining a harrowing intensity in full-band rockers and solitary confessionals. Olsen is a brilliant songwriter and an even better vocalist, who can go from stern to tender to deranged, and back again, in a single verse. In the beginning of “My Woman”, Olsen mostly pursues love with wild-eyed fervor, whereas the closing songs disconsolately consider its ruins. Yet, the relentless heat of My Woman can be exhausting over the course of the 10 searing tracks—the addition of a throwaway would give a weary listener time to regroup. But Angel Olsen’s fearless and eloquent embrace of raw emotions in all their messy splendor ultimately feels oddly uplifting, the way it always does when you witness a gifted artist at her best.
Angel Olsen – “Sister” from the album ‘MY WOMAN’ released September 2nd, 2016 on Jagjaguwar Records
The renaming of the band formerly known as Viet Cong was, depending on your opinion, either a fuss about nothing or something they dragged their heels over and should’ve sorted out ages ago. I love the gravity of this record. The vocals are stern and low-register, the bass is urgent and pressing, and the song titles (Anxiety, Degraded, Forbidden) aren’t exactly a laugh-a-minute, but this is fine doom-laden post-punk.
It’s a somber tone with which to begin proceedings but Preoccupations (Formerly known as Viet Cong) are an uncompromising band – from the outset, they’re only interested in realising their own vision, following their own individual path. They do say you only get one chance to make a first impression but here, on their second self-titled album, they’ve somehow rubbished the rules of one of the oldest proverbs around.
Songs generally take a more structured ‘verse and chorus’ approach than on the eponymous Viet Cong album from last year. Saying that, the 11-minute ‘Memory’ is quite an epic, rolling what could be two or three songs into one. It’s synth-driven section somewhere in the middle is a real magic moment on the record, as Matt Flegel’s vocals suddenly turn unexpectedly high-pitched.
The fresh start may have been forced on them, It has been a big year for Preoccupations. Between a name change, and relentless touring, and a new album, the Calgary natives have found ways to remain in the indie rock spotlight. Their last two albums received glowing reviews, while stoking controversy for their previous moniker, Viet Cong. With a new name, the Preoccupations self-titled album is a third attempt at a first impression, and it is receiving outstanding reviews.
Despite the heavier explorations on Preoccupations’ new album, I am surprised by the friendly and easygoing voice on the other side of the phone. Scott “Monty” Munro has been the guitarist-keyboardist for Preoccupations since the band’s formation in 2012. I spoke with him about the new album, the band’s endless gigging, their creative processes, and future endeavors
Preoccupations – “Memory” from ‘Preoccupations’ out September 16th, 2016 on Jagjaguwar Records
A dour start it may be but “you can’t feel happy every day”, so the line in “Zodiac” goes, as the pace steps up another notch. Motoric pulses agitate, a wide bass line booms bombastically and guitars robotically chime with millisecond precision.
As a genre, post punk might be decades old but it’s not necessarily a tired one. Every now and again a band comes to attention to reawaken the genre with as much vibrant urgency, as it’s late-70s inception. Post punk still has the potential to make a rare exception and deliver originality because at its essence is a delicate balance of ingredients for forward thinking, alternative music – the positive yin: a no-wave artistry, in constant search of innovative, fresh sounds and the negative yang: a punk rock, rebellious attitude that operates outside of convention.
The balance continues: Preoccupations is not just a record of harsh bangs and explosive moments. It is equally a subtly nuanced album, with considered composition just as important a part of the process. The record ebbs and flows from one movement to the next with thoughtful progression.
The most powerful of progressions comes four tracks in, with a reminiscent twist. If “Memory” serves us correctly, a Joy Division-esque, half-spoken chant gives way to a choked-with-emotion New Orderish wail. It’s Preoccupations’ own rose-tinted, post punk documentary of the developments from 1977-82 in under seven minutes and suddenly we’re uplifted – ears are pricking up, parties are starting up and revelers are coming up. The album thankfully then affords us a well-needed few minutes of soundscape relaxation, to allow us all time to collect our thoughts before picking up the beat once more.
With a conciliatory tone and a shrug of the shoulders, Flagal reminds us that “we’re all gonna die”, as desperate guitar sirens ring out their warnings. With “Stimulation” we are able to reach our peak and finalise this record as a shining example, that great post punk is still a possibility nearly four decades on from its beginings.
Preoccupations’ greatest asset is in its breadth of ability; spontaneous, yet considered; off-kilter, but instinctive; eccentric, although well composed. The artists formerly known as Viet Cong are releasing their first new album under their new name. The also self-titled album features their singles “Anxiety” and “Degraded.”
“Degraded” from ‘Preoccupations’ out September 16th, 2016 on Jagjaguwar Records
Justin Vernon held a press conference over the weekend to discuss 22, A Million, breaking down the process of recording, the sounds that inspired him, and the moment he almost scrapped the record. The album, in Vernon’s words, is defined by “explosiveness and shouting more.” “33 ‘God‘” in many ways, captures the crux of this new direction. There’s an air of cross-pollination to it, notably from James Blake and Kanye West. A few months ago, chopped vocal samples, helium pitch-shifting and an industrial sputter would have been on the low-probability end of things you would have expected from a new Bon Iver song.
The emphasis on experimentation and unusual structure obscures what is, skeletally, a straightforward song about doubt and articles of faith. There’s no chorus to speak of, and instruments clash with unprecedented force. On the other hand, you can imagine a stripped down acoustic version with untouched vocals working on the strength of the melodies. Some of the lyrics are precise (“I find God and religion too/Staying at the Ace Hotel”), others inscrutable (“The foreman is down/We’re rising the stairs”), effectively negotiating the polarity between deeply personal turmoil and arty abstractions.
Despite some recurring ticks and (of course) Vernon’s voice, these new songs make it abundantly clear that this project has grown far beyond its folk roots, with no discernible trajectory. Bon Iver doesn’t emerge often enough for us to be able to dissect trends or ongoing patterns anyways. We can plot where we are, but the lack of continuity essentially assures us that each record will be a snapshot. “33 ‘God” may serve as 22’s focal point.
22, A Million is the upcoming third studio album by American indie folk band Bon Iver, set to be released on September 30th, 2016. The album was premiered at Justin Vernon’s Eaux Claires Music Festival
What Happened To Bon Iver: Well, he seems to have mostly dropped the sad singer-songwriter guy schtick and adopted a massive, reverb-y sound that sounds like it’s sucking you into an uncomfortable cloud. But don’t worry – his trademark falsetto hasn’t gone anywhere.
22, A Million Out September 30th on Jagjaguwar Records
http://boniver.org/bio
Angel Olsen’s magnificent album ‘My Woman’ on clear vinyl in September. The 29-year-old singer-songwriter came up as a touring member of Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s backing band in 2010, playing guitar and duetting with the eccentric folk and country hero (a.k.a. Will Oldham). Despite her increasingly prominent solo career, she’s often labeled as one of his disciples, posited as a protégé even as she has issued three acclaimed albums where her muse is wholly her own. That miscategorization has led to others: When Olsen began releasing her own stripped-back, mournful folk works — 2011’s Strange Cacti EP and 2012’s Half Way Home .
When she added a full-blown band for 2014’s breakthrough Burn Your Fire For No Witness — an ambitious album that was as much fuzzy, blown-out rock music as folk — the gloomy reputation followed her. Olsen, whose voice tends to ring out in a near-tears tremble, has been reluctantly framed as the weepy poster girl of contemporary folk rock, forever salting her wounds for the sake of her art.
My Woman, which arrives on September 2nd, is an unexpected departure for Olsen, her most diverse record yet. It’s not quite synth pop, at least not all of it, but from its first song, “Intern,” she might have had you fooled. Olsen directed and stars in the video for “Intern,” where she plays a tortured, “super famous” pop-star type in a silver wig and Britney-esque headset mic, singing along to moody chords fit for a Julee Cruise ballad. “I don’t care what the papers say,” she croons, turning to the camera as she ignores a sheepish, young interviewer. “It’s just another intern with a résumé.” The song was an anomaly in Olsen’s two-year-long recording process for My Woman, a onetime studio experiment that just ended up fitting. “[I thought], How funny would it be if it was so misleading?” Olsen says. “But what I realized is if I used different instruments like synth and piano, and went away from my guitar for a minute, I could sing differently. It opened up all of these opportunities to use my voice more, to be less preoccupied with trying to be super clever with my lyrics.”
Angel Olsen – “Sister” from ‘MY WOMAN’ out September 2nd, 2016 on Jagjaguwar Records.
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