#14 Andrew Morgan (interview)

Location: Somerville, MA/Chicago
Genre: Indie/Pop
Label: Broken Horse (UK), Sonic Boom Recordings (US)
Track to hear: Morpheus Calls
Status: Working on Three Months In Cook County, no release date at this time
link: http://www.myspace.com/morganandrew

On the road to success there are always speed bumps slowing us down. Unfortunately for Andrew Morgan, he is driving through a mall parking lot. What started with an epic debut album that was grossly underappreciated led to a slew of setbacks and struggles to release a follow up, causing Morgan to be the poster child for Murphy’s Law.

A large reason why his first record, entitled Misadventures in Radiology, did not get the attention it deserved is because Morgan was unable to support it fully by playing live after his vocal chords started to swell shut. When the pain persisted, he soon realized that the problem was not his roommate’s cat; rather, it was the artificial sweetener he was adding to his coffee every morning that was causing the reaction.

“Bizarrly, Splenda was the culprit,” Morgan told me via Myspace, “(I) nearly had to have surgery on my vocal cords after losing my voice for three months.” It is a shame, too, considering that his voice is the perfect compliment to his music. You see, Morgan does not write songs. He composes them. Clearly capable of arranging lofty string arrangements and ambitious build-ups, he keeps his voice at a hush; keeping the focus on the journey his music takes you with his understated vocals as firm support. Morgan hints at his influences such as Brian Wilson and Elliott Smith (who helped him record Misadventures) without imitating them, riding a thin line of appreciation without bastardizing their works; as so many bands nowadays do. His seamless execution leaves his music comforting at moments and chilling at others.

Morgan is still in the process of working on his second album, titled Three Months In Cook County. The project has been halted twice due to lack of funds, as well as other challenges.

“I parted ways with my longtime pianist and violinist,” he added, “Making this record has been really hard.” On top of everything he has had to endure, getting his masters completed from Harvard Divinity School does not speed the record-making process up.

“It's been enlightening, but then half the time I regret (getting my masters).”

No matter how long the wait could be, I am sure I'm not the only one who is willing to be patient for this one.

#13 Mystery Jets (interview)

From: United Kingdom
Genre: Fast, energetic Brit Pop
# of members- 5
Fun fact- Members Henry and Blaine are actually father and son. He must be the coolest dad ever.
track to hear- You Can't Fool Me Dennis
Link. www.myspace.com/mysteryjets

Let’s face it; it takes more than talent to make it in music these days. The Internet Generation has the attention span of a goldfish, with more than a million bands worldwide offering free music streams at the touch of a button. This serves as both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, the possibility for exposure is limitless. A band from the Western Hemisphere could build a solid fan base with a country from the East without ever touring or even getting an album distributed there. On the other, how does a band not only gain a following but also maintain it, when the open borders of music causes a brutal mess of artists vying for your attention?
The answer seems simple enough, but few bands are willing or conscientious enough to bring it back to the good ole’ grassroots motto: win one fan at a time. Luckily for this guy (located in Iowa, mind you), the Mystery Jets have perfected this philosophy and are ready to get to know you on a more personal level.
“I’d say our attitude to fans and the non-exclusivity between us and people who are into us, is really just a form of respect for the people who’ve allowed us to get to where we are,” William Rees (lead guitarist) told me via Myspace. This is heavily apparent through their Myspace page, where they have held video and Christmas card contests, ask for people’s opinion on their favorite books and offer enough ring tones and banners to help spread the Mystery Jets gospel. With enough content to keep one interested and coming back, it is no wonder that a band without a big radio song or a top ten hit has had their profile viewed nearly 200,000 times.
However, don’t think they are just glued to their laptops. It is more of a two-pronged attack, having estimated touring the width and length of England a dozen times in the last four years. “It’s a great change, suddenly having an audience and feeling like every song you write will be listened to and considered.”
One of their more prominent fans has taken notice. Bloc Party’s Kele Okereke named the band’s debut album, Making Dens, his favorite of 2006. So, just like the engine they are using to fuel their success, the possibilities are limitless. Having already toured Japan and planning a U.S. tour for early May, I would be less than floored if they eclipsed America’s favorite exports such as Bloc Party and Franz Ferdinand and became our new favorite foreign fixation.

Bonaroo list leaked??

I know it is coming out in February, but this is an alleged leaked list of the bands playing at BONAROO. If this is true, is anyone up for a road trip to tennessee?

The Police (headline)
Bob Dylan (headline)
Pearl Jam (headline)
Tom Waits
Willie Nelson
Umphrey's McGee
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones
Modest Mouse
The Black Crowes
Ryan Adams
My Morning Jacket
Arcade Fire
Keller WilliamsBand
Hot Chip
America
TV on the Radio
Fountains of Wayne
Les Claypool
The Shins
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Toots and the Maytals
The Roots
The Decemberists
Of Montreal
Cat Power
Ozomatli
Perpetual Groove
Band of Horses
John Butler Trio
Nickel Creek
Medeski Martin and Wood
Lily Allen
Neko Case
Keiren Hedben (Four Tet) & Steve Reid
The Hold Steady
Earl Scuggs
Charlie Louvin
Man Man
Grizzly Bear
Konono #1
The Slip
Rodrigo y Gabriela
Uncle Earl
Annuals
Beirut
M. Ward
Cold War Kids
Girl Talk

New Album Update: January 22

Arcade Fire




If your favorite albums from 2006 are getting a bit stale, here are a few newbies that will spice up your Ipod.


Arcade Fire- Neon Bible March 6, 2007
Sondre Lerche- Phantom Punch February 6, 2007
Piebald- Accidental Gentlemen January 23, 2007

Happy Listening!

#12 The Hold Steady

Location: Brooklyn
Genre: Rock
# of Members: 5
Label: Vagrant
Fun Fact: The Hold Steady is the first rock band in 15 years to grace the cover of The Village Voice.
Track to hear: Chillout Tent
Status: Supporting the critically-acclaimed Boys and Girls in America, released in 2006.


I interviewed Craig Finn, The Hold Steady's frontman (and Twin Cities native) in the summer of 2005. I never published the interview, and most of it is irrelevant now since they have come out with Boys and Girls in America, but I find this little bit entertaining (when I asked him this question there was absolutely no hesitation. It was as if he had actually thought about it before I asked him).

The Top 5 most annoying things about the Mall of America.

1. There used to be this cereal bar and the cool thing is you could get your picture taken and put on a Wheaties box. Les Savy Fav did one and a couple other bands I know. And they closed it down. So that was annoying; that The Hold Steady never got to get a Wheaties box.
2. There’s a radio ad for this restaurant, and they never said it is in the Mall of America, they just say its on the upper east side, not the upper east side of the Mall of America.
3. Glamour Shots. My wife had never seen it before and said “What is this place? They dress you up like a hooker and take your picture?”
4. The roller coast in Camp Snoopy is pretty weak. A kid died in Camp Snoopy in a gang fight. Thugged out Minnesotian gangsters hanging out at the Mall of America.
5. The smell of Cinnabon and those Carmel Corn places. I can smell it on me a day after I leave the mall.

#11 We Are Scientists

Location: Southern California
Genre: rock/pop
# of members: 3
Label: Virgin
Fun Fact: The Video for Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt is directed by an SNL writer and member of the comedy group The Lonely Island.
Status: Supporting For Love and Squalor, released in 2006.
link: www.wearescientists.com

Complexity, I think, is one of the most overrated aspects of music. Sure, groundbreaking and experimental sounds are important in helping music progress into a “better” direction, but many times it just falls flat. Sometimes I find myself awed by someone who is particularly proficient with his instrument, but won’t give it a second listen because it does not catch my ear and, therefore, has no staying power.

Adversely, simple music can be underrated. We seem to have become caught up with the emergence of pro-tools layering together umpteen tracks to remember how it used to be before all of that was available. In fact, I seem to recall a time when music was—dare I say—fun.

Enter We Are Scientists.

Will this 3-piece “wow” you with their musicianship? Probably not.

Can I honestly say that they don’t resemble the likes of The Strokes, Block Party and Hot Hot Heat? Again, I can’t.

Will this disc, upon playing, probably make you tap your foot after the shittiest day and not force you, when asked to describe it, with mundane words like “challenging” and “heartfelt”? Your damn right.

The first two tracks, “Nobody Moves, Nobody Gets Hurt” and “The Scene is Dead” are probably the catchiest back to back opening songs on any album I have ever heard since Weezer’s “My Name is Jonas” and “No One Else”. Every song is full of catchy hooks, angular guitars, and a stop/go style to keep you interested until the forty-odd minutes are done. “Textbook” allows the album to wind down into a smooth lament about a relationship gone awry; a hint of seriousness for an otherwise tongue-in-cheek album.

So, just this once, let’s replace our obsession with over-analyzing every note and lyric a band creates with an appreciation for a band writing songs for the sake of a good time. Then, if we are lucky, we won’t fall victim to the never-ending plague of pretentious and elitist criticisms.

#10 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Hurry! Clap Your Hands Say Yeah are streaming their entire new album, Some Loud Thunder, on their myspace page! Go to www.myspace.com/clapyourhandssayyeah

If that doesn't excite you, I don't know what will.

Coming up next week:

Interviews with Mystery Jets, The Sterns and Andrew Morgan.

Stay tuned...

#9 French Kicks

Location: NY,NY
Genre: Indie
Label: Starlight International
Fun Fact: This video features Olivia Wilde, of The Girl Next Door and Alpha Dog fame.
Track to hear: So Far We Are
Status: Supporting Two Thousand, released in 2006
link: www.frenchkicks.com

#8 Nada Surf

Location: NY, NY
Genre: Indie Pop
# of members: 3
Fun Fact: Reached moderate MTV fame in the mid 1990's with "Popular"
Track to hear: Blonde on Blonde
Status: Supporting This Weight is a Gift, released in 2005.
link: www.myspace.com/nadasurf

#7 Sondre Lerche

Location: Norway
Genre: Singer/Songwriter
Sound: Ranging from radio friendly to lounge and jazzy
# of members: 1
Fun Fact: He finished his first oustanding LP, Faces Down, before he was legally able to drink in America.
Track To Hear: On the Tower
Status: New Album, Phantom Punch, expected February 2007
Link: www.myspace.com/sondrelerche

#6 Maps and Atlases

Location: Chicago, Illinois
Genre:Math Rock
Sound: Extremely intricate and chaotic in a very organizational way
# of members: 4
Label: Unsigned
Fun Fact:The band was featured in a PBR advertisement in The Onion.
Track to Hear: Every Place is a House
Link:www.mapsandatlases.org

#5 Spinto Band

Location: Delaware
genre: indie pop
# of members: 7
Fun Fact: The band started after a member found lyrics on a crackerjack box in his attic written by his relative, Roy Spinto.
Track to Hear: Oh Mandy
Status: Supporting Nice and Nicely Done, released in 2005.
Link: www.myspace.com/thespintoband

#4 Final Fantasy

Location: Canada
Genre: Classical Indie?
Label: Tomlab
# of members: 1 (Owen Pallett)
Fun Fact: Owen co-wrote the strings parts on Arcade Fire's Funeral
Track to Hear: Arctic Circle
Status: He is supporting He Poos Clouds, released in 2006.
link: http://www.reidtaheny.com/ff/read.html

#3 Death From Above 1979

location: Toronto
genre: rock/punk
label: Vice
# of members: 2
Fun fact: Although a good band, these guys are pricks and I wish them no luck in their future endeavors.
Track to Hear: Romantic Rights
Status: Deceased
Link: www.myspace.com/deathfromabove1979

#2 Mobius Band

Location: Brooklyn
Genre: Electro
Label: Ghostly International
# of members: 3
Fun Fact:
Track to Hear: I Had A Good Year
Status: Supporting their latest album, The Loving Sounds Of Static, released in 2005.
Link: www.mobiusband.com

#1 Girl Talk

Location: Pittsburgh
Genre: Top 40 mash-up
Label: Illegal Art
# of members: 1
Fun Fact: Gregg Gillis leads a double life as a DJ and as a biomedical engineer.
Track to Hear: Bounce That
Status: Supporting his latest album, Night Ripper, released in 2006.
Link: www.myspace.com/girltalkmusic