The Avett Brothers, Gibson Guitar Studios & The Garage, London.
They’ve already conquered their home nation back west and now, with their checked shirts and straggly beards in tow, North Carolina’s The Avett Brothers are here, tasked with taking the UK too. Perhaps it’s too big of a request for a band that are in the capital for just two nights – the first of which being a competition winners gig for Q Magazine at the Gibson Guitar Studios, the second a sold-out show at Highbury’s 700 capacity The Garage – however, Scott and Seth Avett’s profile has slowly been growing this side of the pond in anticipation of the European release of their major label debut I and Love and You, produced by none other than Rick Rubin.
So, Them Crooked Vultures are holed up making their second album. This is one of the funniest things i’ve seen in a while.
Californian five-piece Rogue Wave haven’t had the easiest of rides over the course of their eight year existence. Whilst touring their second album Descended Like Vultures in 2006 drummer Pat Spurgeon was diagnosed with kidney failure, for which he had to receive regular dialysis whilst on the road. Then, in December 2007 former bass player Evan Farrell died in an apartment fire. After touring their third album Asleep At Heaven’s Gate – an album on which the strains put on the band hung heavy – just as you felt the band deserved a slice of good fortune, singer Zach Rogue slipped two discs in his neck, leaving him bedbound for three months.
Upon recovery, as a reaction to lying near-stationary for almost 90 days Rogue started writing songs that were altogether more physical, songs “which you could move your body to.” It is these songs that make up the band’s fourth album, Permalight.
As detailed a week or so ago (here), The National are a mere two months away from releasing the follow up to 2007’s Boxer. Up until recently there was little from High Violet to get stuck into – despite the fact that the band have been playing Runaway live for almost a year now – but with the group’s appearance on U.S talk show Late Nigh With Jimmy Fallon yesterday that all changed.
So here it is, a stop-you-in-your-tracks rendition of High Violet’s opening track Terrible Love. It’s not a massive departure from the sound we heard on Boxer – chiming guitars, propulsive rhythms, huge swells of crashing brilliance – however it would appear that everything has been turned up a notch or two.
It says a lot about James Mercer that just as his day job – playing frontman for indie kings The Shins – starts to gather some serious speed off the back of 2007’s Wincing The Night Away that he decides to pursue a side project. Even a half decent Shins album would likely see them cash in on the years of good will critics and fans have bestowed upon them.
Not a man to do to things by halves, Mercer’s extracurricular activity see’s him team up with one of the world’s most in demand producers Brian Burton (aka Danger Mouse, the tall half of Gnarls Barkley and creator of the Beatles/Jay Z mash-up The Grey Album).
If you don’t have The National in your life, you simply aren’t living yet. It is due to their mind boggling brilliance that the announcement of their new release High Violet has got me just a tad excited.
Released here in the UK on May 10th and internationally on May 11th, High Violet will be the band’s fifth album proper and after 2007’s Boxer – a bold, beautiful, brilliant record – anticipation here is sky high.
They have put a number of videos from the recording process up on their website. No tracks available yet but as soon as they are, you can find them here. To tide you over until then, here’s one of many, many highlights from Boxer.
The National – Fake Empire
So it turns out that quite a few of you were interested in Kings of Leon’s interview with Spin Magazine, especially when Caleb opened up about the new record (see here).
For those of you in the States you may have seen this already, but for the benefit of those that haven’t here are some scans of the entire interview, in which the band candidly discuss selling out, The Grammy’s and Eddie Vedder not liking Only The By The Night. The quality isn’t 100% i’m afraid but it’s easy enough to read. Click on the image to get them full size, or save em and zoom in. Whatever.
Also, the band’s live show is getting alot of love on the comments, so for your listening pleasure here is the gorgeous Arizona live at Glastonbury 2008. Listen, and thank me later.
Kings of Leon – Arizona Live (right click)
On Monday WTGR favourites Mumford & Sons stopped by BBC Radio 1 to play both their new single The Cave and a rather brilliant version of Vampire Weekend’s Cousins for the ever wonderful Sara Cox. Sticking to form, it starts off rather slowly before kicking into overdrive upon the age-old command of an enthusiastic “1,2,3,4!!”.
The band were on fine form, and the extended interview and both performances can also be heard here.
This is already the second time The Sons have been featured in Duck & Cover. For a truly mesmeric version of Not In Nottingham from Disney’s Robin Hood, click here.
There is almost no denying that 2009 belonged to Kings of Leon. They dominated festival bills around the world and their fourth album Only By The Night – released at the back end of 2008 – has sold over four million copies in the UK and US alone.
The follow up to it will therefore be one of the most hotly anticipated records of the year. Despite the Followill’s claiming they were to take a six-month break after completing the OBTN tour, in a (fairly) recent interview with Spin Magazine, Caleb gave us an intriguing glimpse into the sound of the new record, as well as a potential title.
“…I think we’re going to call it Come Around Sundown. So far it’s some of the saddest country songs you’ve ever heard, but mixed with some of the hippest melodies we’ve ever done. It’s beat driven and heavy, but then there’ll be a country song that’ll tear your heart out. And no pop.” – Caleb Followill.
It’s certain that the boys became more than a little freaked at how big they became, interestingly saying that they became more successful than they wanted to be. The country aspect of the new record could be a fascinating. An early tune of theirs Wicker Chair – from 2003’s Holy Roller Novocaine EP – had a thick country vibe to it and sounded great, Caleb’s voice would certainly suit the detour.
By delving into their distant past, could we be listening to the future of Kings of Leon?
For the entire Spin interview, click here.
Kings of Leon – Wicker Chair (right click)
And seeing as i’m feeling generous, here’s a barnstorming live version of Molly’s Chambers. You know, back when they played it real fast like.
You gotta love them, you really do. I recently selected Nada Surf’s 2002 album Let Go as one of indie-pop’s brightest hidden gems, and yesterday, as if on cue they released details of their upcoming release If I Had a Hi Fi, due out on June 9th.
Roping in a collection of esteemed friends – including Martin Wenk (Calexico), Phil Peterson (Kay Kay and the Weathered Underground), Joe McGinty (Losers Lounge, Psychedelic Furs) and Holly Miranda – the band have recorded an album of rather unusual covers. I’m not usually a great fan of the covers album idea, however something here feels right. Almost natural.
The choice of songs is clever. I could almost guarantee that a lot of Nada Surf fans will not have heard at least half of the songs on the record.
Here is the first ‘single’ from if I had a hi fi: Electrocution, originally by Bill Fox.
What do you think? I kinda like it.
