Paper Bag Records’s artists will be performing across Toronto at local record shops including Criminal Records, Sunrise, and Sonic Boom this coming Saturday, April 18th, 2009.
Giveaways at each show.
JOSH REICHMANN / ORACLE BAND Sunrise Records
336 Yonge Street,
Toronto, ON 1:15 pm myspace.com/joshreichmann
ROCK PLAZA CENTRAL *stripped down performance
Criminal Records
493 Queen Street West,
Toronto, ON 6:00pm myspace.com/rockplazacentral
SLIM TWIG
Sonic Boom
512 Bloor Street West,
Toronto, ON 8:30 pm myspace.com/slimtwig _______________________________________________________________
Record Store Day Treasures Two: A couple more 7″s
Akron/Family:
7″ single with “Everyone is Guilty b/w Total Destruction”
Limited to 1000 copies
Everyone is Guilty”” is from Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free and “Total
Destruction” is only available here. Black Moth Super Rainbow:
7″ orange vinyl with “Born on a Day” b/w “Born on a Day (demo)” Limited to 500 copies.
With over 100 limited releases being pressed especially for Record Store Day, it’s hard to select favorites. But throughout the week, File Under ? will be listing select highlights to whet appetites.
Thrill Jockey is proud to present our very own special contribution to Record Store Day (April 18th). The deluxe “Records Toreism” LP will be limited to 900 copies and will feature on one side a drawing by Post Typography and a photo silk screen by Crosshair on the other. The images portray record stores of the future, one if you support the community institutions and the other if you don’t. Yes that is right, the inconvenient truth. The printing and jacket fabrication will be done by Crosshair.
Deluxe – all hand made, hand printed loveliness!
A
1. Mountains “Windows”
This is a new song that does not appear any place else. It was recorded with love for the record store.
2. Tortoise “High Class Slim Came Floatin’ In”
This is a new song. It will also appear on their new album in June. Released early with love for the record store.
AA
1. Double Dagger “Stagger Lee”
This is a new song that does not appear any place else. It was recorded with love for the record store.
2. White Hills “Eye to Eye”
“Eye To Eye” was previously released on Abstractions & Mutations, a limited edition CD-R release put together for a tour in September of 2007. Released for the first time on LP with love for the record store.
3. Trans Am Featuring Tim Soete “Wounded Monkey”
This is an unreleased song recorded and mixed March 28, 2005 at MAINZ in Auckland, New Zealand. Tim Soete on lead guitar and lead vocals. Released with love for the record store.
The album will also come with two inserts: A zine “WhatsinstORe” with contributions from Ira Robbins (Trouser Press), Stephen Pastel (Pastels, Monorail), Ian MacKaye (Dischord, Evens, Fugazi, Minor Threat), Magas (Reckless Records, Magas), Julie Cafritz (Pussy Galore), Rick Wojeck (Dusty Groove), Nigel (Rough Trade Records London), Danny Beard (DB Records, Wax N Facts), Ron (Jazz Record Mart), Andee Connors (A Minor Forest, Aquarius Records) Josh Madell (Other Music), Bill Ryan (Pier Platters), Bundy Brown (Tortoise, Pullman, Directions, Dusty Groove) and more!
The second insert, NAY! I say the first MANIFESTO, was written by an elusive crank known to dine with those that lay claim to Futurism.
Feel the power! Join the movement – RECORDSTORISM!!
In his latest opera, The Minotaur, British composer Harrison Birtwistle collaborates once again with David Harsent (librettist for Sir Gawain and the Green Knight). He also returns to themes found frequently in his music: tales from Greek mythology, labyrinthine structures (both theatrical and musical), theatre-as-ritual, and violence. The latter, even for a composer with a reputation for selecting confrontational scenarios, is on an unprecedented scale.
Of course, this befits the ancient tale of the Minotaur, a half-man half-beast who murders and cannibalizes Athenian sacrificial victims until vanquished by Theseus (with a little help from Minoan priestess Ariadne). Abetted by director Stephen Langridge’s visceral production, Birtwistle and Harsent play up the brutality of the monster – as well as the carrion-hunting Furies who appear in the wake of his rampages. While some may shudder at the graphic nature of the action (including a particularly disturbing rape-murder and several simulated eviscerations), The Minotaur also attempts to construct a three dimensional portrait of its antagonist as a deeply conflicted and isolated individual. Taunted and shunned by humankind, he is an inarticulate monster when awake, but somehow is able to speak when dreaming. John Tomlinson’s poignant, emotionally wracked Minotaur evokes sympathy, despite his seemingly unquenchable brutality.
Other members of the cast are compelling as well. Christine Rice sings the challenging and long role of Ariadne beautifully, but deftly underlines the character’s moral ambiguity and capacity for subterfuge. Johan Reuter supplies a well-honed portrayal as well. Sung with intensity and fearsome brio, his Theseus has few romantic sentiments; he clearly prefers using Ariadne to wooing her. Birtwistle’s score, with its characteristic vocal angularity and imaginative orchestration, captures the subtleties and subterfuge of the characters’ interactions and meditations. It’s also more than up to the task of vividly accompanying the most raucous of the opera’s action sequences. Like Harsent’s depiction of Theseus, The Minotaur is not interested in wooing or cajoling the audience, but it certainly creates a memorable reassessment of a timeless story.
While digital distribution is undeniably convenient, sonically speaking MP3s leave a lot to be desired. Several companies have been at work on audio formats that strive for the manageable size of MP3s while not compromising on sound quality. MP3HD files are currently four times the size of conventional MP3s, but are a lossless format that will be compatible with most MP3 players.
One of the first artists to embrace the upcoming MP3HD format is the jammy neo-prog outfit Umphrey’s McGeeUmphrey’s McGee. Umphrey’s made selections from their recent two-night run at the Murat Egyptian Room on March 13, 2009 available in the new format this past week at http://all4mp3.com/Listen_mp3HD.aspx. Additional recordings will be made available in the coming weeks.
“As one of the few artists who record and make available every show that is played, sound quality is paramount to the entire band. The HDMP3 format is a welcome addition to our existing arsenal of lossless and lossy formats we make available for fans, explains Umphrey’s McGee’s audio engineer and producer Kevin Browning.” Offering a much richer sound spectrum combined with the convenience and familiarity of the MP3 format, we expect HDMP3 to be a hit with the band and fans alike.”
This past Thursday, I was in touch with Francois Thuiliere at Thompson Software about their MP3HD project. He said, “MP3HD is a lossless audio codec based on MP3. It makes a bit-exact copy of CD or wav, and its biggest advantage over similar codecs is its backward compatibility with mp3. So if you play an MP3HD file in a non-MP3HD player, it will simply play the standard mp3 file.”
“We just launched the format a couple of weeks ago and we are already seeing a lot of interest in the musician community. The fact that most of the labels have adopted mp3 (which was developed by Thomson) is very encouraging for the future adoption of mp3HD. We will have the software development toolkit (SDK) ready for our licensees in May, so you expect implementation in commercial products to start in the coming months.”
While it is far too soon to guess who will win the battle for prevailing hi-def digital audio format, the effort promises to bring better-sounding music to the ears of audiophiles in an era increasingly dominated by digital distribution.
More info: There’s a Win Amp plug-in for Windows and a demo software toolkit (available here).
Sub Pop is well known for its support of indie and experimental rock. In recent years, the imprint has also supported a series of releases by artists strongly influenced by folk and roots music: notable examples include Iron and Wine and Fleet Foxes. Vetiver’s latest full length recording, Tight Knit, is another fine example of Sub Pop’s support for folksy pop.
After making an album of covers in 2008 (Thing of the Past on Fat Cat) and then changing labels to Sub Pop, front man Andy Cabic and the rest of the band sound refreshed, and better rehearsed; their songwriting its most memorable to date. Indeed, several songs pass the ‘singleworthy’ check. “Everyday” is the one currently getting the most airplay, but the supplely rustic “Rolling Sea,” “Through the Front Door,” and “More of This” are considerably lovely as well. There’s a prevailingly relaxed vibe about the music-making that is enviably effortless-sounding; a spontaneity amidst the tight ensemble playing elusive to so many other acts. Tight Knit, yes; but overflowing with musicality.
Dan Deacon is the latest in a series of recent indie artists whose music pits self-recorded laptop electronica against a panoply of live instruments, with stirring results. Unlike his previous work, which consists entirely of electronics, Bromst is a much more collaborative affair. In fact, Deacon is bringing fourteen musicians on tour with him to realize its material in live settings (concert information below).
One listen to Bromst, and it’s easy to see why Deacon’s bringing along reinforcements; the artist is willing to let things get busy – even occasionally to clutter the soundscape. Arcade-game whirrings and buzzes infiltrate “Red F” and “Get Older,” while the expansive indie rock “Of The Mountains” builds layer upon layer of synths, drums, and guitars into a flurry-filled, delightful aural feast. Meanwhile, “Wet Wings” employs a host of overdubs of Jean Ritchie singing rustic folksong “The Day is Past and Gone” in goose bump-raising canonic overlaps. The LP’s stylistic range is impressive: “Woof woof” plays with dance-electronica and varied vocal samples in energetically buoyant fashion, while “Surprise Stephani” displays its electronica opposite: lushly multi-textured, slowly evolving IDM. Deacon might consider a live recording of the Bromst tour: it’d be fascinating to hear how the songs evolve.
Tour announcement (Forcefield PR)
Dan Deacon launches his massive US Spring tour in support of his new album, Bromst. This tour will feature a full 14 piece live ensemble similar to the one that performed with him at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple back in Dec. but will have different members. Baltimore bands Future Islands and Teeth Mountain are set to open the entire tour.
Dan Deacon’s live ensemble for this tour:
Benny Boeldt: keyboard, sampler, synthesizer
Denny Bowen: drum kit
Andrew Burt: guitar, violin
Andrew Bernstein: saxophone, guitar
William Cashion: keyboard
Stephe Cooper: mallets, guitar
Dan Deacon: voice, electronics, keyboard, sampler
Gregg Fox: drum kit, mallets
Justine Frye: cello, mallets
Chester Gwazda: keyboard, sampler, synthesizer
Kate Levitt: percussion
Kevin O’Meara: percussion
Sam Sowyrda: mallets
Gerrit Welmers: keyboard, sampler, synthesizer
______________________________________________________________
DAN DEACON
all shows with full live ensemble, and with Future Islands and Teeth Mountain opening:
04/03 Philadelphia, PA First Unitarian Church
04/04 Baltimore, MD Floristree
04/05 Williamsburg, VA The Little Theater
04/06 Asheville, NC Orange Peel
04/07 Knoxville, TN Catalyst
04/08 Birmingham, AL Bottletree
04/09 Athens, GA 88/cp
04/10 Atlanta, GA Masquerade
04/11 Tallahassee, FL FSU / Club Downunder
04/13 New Orleans, LA The Candle Factory / The Heavy
04/15 Baton Rouge, LA Spanish Moon
04/16 Houston, TX Orange Show
04/17 Austin, TX Emo’s
04/18 Ft. Worth, TX The Ft. Worth Modern Museum
04/20 Tempe, AZ The Clubhouse
04/21 San Diego, CA Che Cafe
04/22 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
04/23 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
04/24 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom
04/25 Seattle, WA The Vera Project
04/26 Vancouver, BC Richards on Richards
04/29 Salt Lake City, UT Kilby Court
04/30 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater
05/01 Kansas City, MO Pistol S.C.
05/02 Minneapolis, MN Triple Rock (2 shows, early and late – 5pm and 10pm)
05/04 Madison, WI Majestic Theatre
05/05 Milwaukee, WI Turner Hall Ballroom
05/06 Urbana, IL Canopy Club / Club Void
05/07 Chicago, IL The Metro
05/08 Mt. Pleasant, MI CMU / The Wesley Foundation
05/09 Detroit, MI Contemporary Art Institute
05/10 Toronto, ONT The Deleon White Gallery
05/11 Montreal, QC La Sala Rossa
05/12 South Burlington, VT HG Showcase Lounge
05/13 Cambridge, MA Middle East Downstairs
05/15 Brooklyn, NY Danbro Studios at The Brewery
05/16 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
05/17 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Released in a high-quality vinyl pressing, with intriguing anthropomorphic flower artwork by Greg Dalton, Gary War’s New Raytheonport embodies the best aspects of bedroom psych-folk with few of its reputed indulgences. War (Chas. Mtn.) recorded most of the tracks solo on a Tascam 488, but added a few overdubs of friends and mastered the LP with the assistance of Jay Rajeck and Ariel Pink.
New Raytheonport is thickly scored, populated with overlapping – at times chorused – voices, reverberant psych-rock guitar lines, and hazily backgrounded drums. Standouts include the impressionist “Clouds Went that Way,” jaunty rocker “Please Don’t Die,” and a cover of Alan Parsons’s “Eye in the Sky.” While distributing exclusively on vinyl is a bold move in an already challenging music marketplace, one hopes LP connoisseurs and new ‘table owners alike will find New Raytheonport. It is a delight well worth seeking out.
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