New Music: ArpLine - “Travel Book”
mp3: ArpLine - "Parts Unknown"
mp3: ArpLine - "Fold Up Like a Piece of Paper"
A month ago I was trusted with an unmastered copy of one of the releases I've been looking most forward to in 2010, ArpLine's debut Travel Book. Told not to leak to anyone, I kept it to myself like it was a holy grail, no matter how much I wanted to share its awesomeness.
Now Travel Book has been mastered, and that which had already blown my mind became even greater. This is one of those debut records that introduces the band as not one with potential to build on, but as a fully developed superpower. Travel Book comes flying out of the gate with 2 of ArpLine's most accelerated tracks, "Fold Up Like A Piece of Paper" and "Make It Rain." Both have massive potential as hits. Then comes the brilliant, gothy "Parts Unknown"—possibly the finest song on the record— and at this point there is no doubt that the record will maintain brilliance over the entire 10 tracks.
What makes ArpLine so good is that they have created a new sound constructed from an unexpected mix of elements of New Order, Bauhaus, Nine Inch Nails, and possibly Rush. The craft is one full of intricacies that only the finest of musicians can handle.
Tonight ArpLine plays a sold out show at Mercury Lounge with a load of my favorite bands—Oh No Ono, Bear in Heaven, and Jaguar Club. Another show will follow on February 17th at Brooklyn Bowl.
This is just the beginning of what could be one of the finest years of new music I've ever experienced. New albums by Beach House, Spoon, Field Music, The Silent League, Besnard Lakes, Liars and Yeasayer have already rivaled the best releases of 2009 and it's only January. Radiohead, Gorillaz, Motel Motel, Arcade Fire, Modest Mouse, Hooray For Earth, The Walkmen, New Pornographers, Magnetic Fields, and Joanna Newsom are just a few of the amazing artists that have albums scheduled for 2010.
Jonny Leather’s 25 Favorite Albums That I’ve Listened to This Year, based on My Own Personal Taste
When someone has the balls to make a list called "The Best of..." the results are always a very subjective cross-section of their own personal tastes. The best lists are always generated by consensus of a large collective of people well-informed about the subject they're ranking. Music is my oxygen. Without it I suffocate, so I listen to a lot of new music every year. That said, it's all restricted to my tastes, what I have access to/know about, and my moods. Like everyone, I have favorites and I'd like to spread the word about the records I love, but I won't dare call them the best records of the year. It amazes me how so many "Best of 2009" lists completely lack genres, as if to say that indie rock is the ultimate form of music. My favorite records of the year are a variety of rock records. Almost embarrassing that it lacks hip hop, jazz, classical, soul, and other genres, but rock is where I was with my head this year and this isn't a best of list, it's a completely subjective list of my favorite records—a list that probably wouldn't be exactly the same tomorrow.
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Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion
It's gonna be almost everyone's choice for album of the year, and that makes me not want to make it #1, but the fact is that Animal Collective has made an uncompromisingly great record that should withstand the test of time and inspire musicians for many more years.
Best track: My Girls
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Capybara - Try Brother
Why all of the music media missed this one is beyond me. Combining elements of Sufjan, Arcade Fire, Dirty Projectors and many more, the refreshingly diverse Try Brother is easily the year's best debut record.
Best track: Cutaway Kid
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Swan Lake - Enemy Mine
Beast Moans only hinted at what the combination of Krug, Bejar and Mercer would be capable when joined together as indie supergroup Swan Lake. As three of the most talented and unique songwriters in the world, they seem to mesh perfectly, and in the end it's Mercer who shines most brightly with a huge voice that sounds like a really crazy drunk Bowie.
Best track: Peace
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Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
I've said it before and I'll say it again, Phoenix are the best pop band of our time, and it's about time people realized it. "Love Like A Sunset pts 1 & 2" is the perfect centerpiece, pulling a 5:40 second instrumental before eclipsing into pure bliss.
Best track: Love Like A Sunset pt. 1 & 2
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Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
The fully realized masterpiece that Dave Longstreth has hinted at for years, thanks to some of the tightest harmonies ever caught on record.
Best track: Useful Chamber
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Pink Mountaintops - Outside Love
As if Black Mountain's To The Future wasn't great enough, Stephen McBean's other project outdid them.
Best track: Vampire
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Flaming Lips - Embryonic
No one expected this. Just when Wayne Coyne and Flaming Lips had seemingly grown out of their extreme weirdness, they go and release their most bizarre record since becoming indie rock icons.
Best track: Evil
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Deleted Scenes - Birdseed Shirt
Diverse, desperate, and genuine—Birdseed Shirt is a rock record with a soul and humanity, during a time where humanity gets lost behind effects or sounds forced.
Best track: Fake IDs
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Hooray For Earth - Momo EP
Just a hint of what's to come, Hooray For Earth has worked out the ideas of their earlier releases and created their own unique sound that is able to combine loud and heavy with poppy and danceable.
Best track: Get Home
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Bear in Heaven - Beast Rest Forth Mouth
A psychedelic headtrip unlike any I've ever heard before.
Best track: Ultimate Satisfaction
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Built to Spill - There is No Enemy
All it takes is that opening riff to let you know that this is Built to Spill's best album in 10 years. It's a return to form for one of the indie rock's elite bands.
Best track: Aisle 13
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Loxsly - Tomorrow's Fossils
If Flaming Lips got too weird for you, Loxsly may be able to fulfill the need for Soft Bulletin-era Lips. Not many bands can debut with a concept album. Fully developed at the starting line, Loxsly's not like many other bands.
Best track: As The Constellation's Arms Uncurled
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The Veils - Sun Gangs
You feel every word that Finn Andrews sings, because he delivers them with the type of intensity that can rip your soul to shreds.
Best track: Sit Down By The Fire
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Harlem Shakes - Technicolor Dream
Harlem Shakes first and most likely last full length is a fun, uplifting record about change.
Best track: TFO
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The Antlers - Hospice
A big sweeping record filled with emotional despair.
Best track: Sylvia
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The Big Pink - A Brief History of Love
Sure, The Jesus & Mary Chain chain did it first, then Black Rebel Motorcycle Club picked up the torch, but A Brief History of Love is about as big and wonderful as anything either of those bands have released.
Best track: Velvet
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Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers - A Fish Hook An Open Eye
Shilpa Ray has quickly emerged as the best female vocalist in New York City with brutally honest lyrics that come from a much darker dirtier place than her peers.
Best track: What The Fuck Was I Thinking
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Wild Beasts - Two Lovers
An album full of spinning webs of vocal theatrics.
Best track: This Is Our Lot
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We Were Promised Jetpacks - These Four Walls
Every second feels genuinely passionate and filled with immediacy.
Best track: It's Thunder and It's Lightning -
Foreign Born - Person to Person
A sophomore record that actually improves upon the debut in all the right ways.
Best track: Vacationing People
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Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer
The 2nd of 2 Spencer Krug related albums to make this list just goes to show how prolific of a songwriter he's become.
Best track: Nightingale/December Song -
Dappled Cities - Zounds
Could be heard as the Australian brother of Wild Beasts.
Best track: The Night Is Young At Heart
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Islands - Vapours
They ditched the strings for synths, and when doing so Nick Diamonds returned to a more upbeat place. It's the closest thing he's done to that now legendary Unicorns record.
Best track: EOL
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Wye Oak - The Knot
With The Knot, Wye Oak filled out their stripped-down bass and guitar duo sound and let the guitar scream a bit louder.
Best track: Take It In
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John Vanderslice - Romanian Names
After 6 overlooked gems, veteran songwriter John Vanderslice signed to Dead Oceans and released the rest record of his career.
Best track: Too Much Time
Honorable Mentions:
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Loney, Dear - Dear John
Best track: I Was Only Going Out
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DeVries - Death to God
Best track: What A Wasted Life
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Kurt Vile - Childish Prodigy
Best track: Freak Train
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Pains of Being Pure at Heart - s/t
Best track: You Adult Friction
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Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Up From Below
Best track: Up From Below
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Dan Deacon - Bromst
Best track: Snookered
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
Best track: Skeletons
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Marissa Nadler - Little Hells
Best track: Ghosts & Lovers
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Mew - No more stories Are told today I'm sorry They washed away No
Best track: Repeaterbeater
Jonny Leather’s 25 Favorite Live Performances of 2009
I spend about 75% of my nights at concerts, watching bands I already love but also catching bands I've never heard before. A million things can go wrong with a performance, but when everything clicks a live performance can be a spiritually transcendent experience. A lot of factors beyond the performers control play into the experience. If you're in a crappy mood, tired, or in the mood for something different, in all likeliness you'll hate what you're seeing. When a band can somehow overcome all of these elements fighting against them, something magical happens, and that's why I spend so much time watching live performances. I'm not claiming that the following 25 performances were the best of the year, but they definitely were my favorite thanks to a mix of underlying circumstances, emotional states, and mostly great bands.
25. Paul Holmes (solo) @ Bell House
Opening band, Fugitive Souls were forced to cancel an hour before they were supposed to play after arriving to Bell House to find out that all of their gear had been stolen from their truck earlier in the day. Paul Holmes was at the venue to see friends Hooray For Earth and play a couple songs with them, but I was somehow able to convince him to play a solo set. With no time to prepare and no real plan when he took stage, Holmes played an incredible stripped down set that let his powerful voice shine.
24. Animal Collective @ Prospect Park
The combination of Animal Collective's bizarre electronic psychedelia and laying on a grassy hill staring at the stars with my biggest crush made for an unforgettable experience. I couldn't tell you what songs were played, or much about their actual performance, but I can tell you that I loved every second.
23. My Bloody Valentine @ All Points West
To watch a bunch of angry Tool fans cry for mercy during the earthshaking "You Made Me Realise," made it worth sludging through a day's worth of mud which led me me throwing away a pair of sneakers.
22. Grandchildren/Rad Racket @ Death By Audio
I was ready to leave but decided to wait to see if Grandchildren was an good. As soon as they played a song, I knew I wasn't going anywhere. And then they switched instruments and a member or two and played another set as Rad Racket. I was blown away.
21. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros @ Bowery Ballroom
I had no idea what I was in store for, but was instantly convinced Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros will be stars in no time.
Read my full review for NY Press here.
20. Phoenix @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Best pop rock band of our time.
19. Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers @ Bell House
Raw, energetic, and talented, Shilpa Ray is the frontwoman this city has been lacking.
18. Pete & The Pirates @ Bell House
About a half hour after this performance my life totally fell apart, but while the Pete & The Pirates played I was still on cloud nine.
17. Hooray For Earth @ Bell House
There's probably not a band I've seen more than Hooray For Earth this year, so picking one performance is hard, but with Paul Holmes joining them for this one, I think it was my favorite.
16. Harlem Shakes @ Southpaw
A triumphant return after a long hiatus.
15. The Walkmen @ Central Park
Best band in NY. Hamilton Leitheuser sang with an extra level of intensity that day.
14. Motel Motel @ Bell House
A perfect birthday isn't complete without a live set by my favorite unknown local band.
13. Echo & The Bunnymen @ All Points West
Playing most of the best songs they ever wrote, McCulloch and the Bunnymen informed the Coldplay fans what great British rock is all about.
12. Tallest Man on Earth @ Bowery Ballroom
How can one man with an acoustic guitar have such an incredible stage presence?
11. Thee Oh Sees @ Bell House
The perfect garage rock band, Thee Oh Sees' John Dwyer displays a connection with his guitar like no other I've ever seen.
10. The Dears @ Bell House and Bowery Ballroom
Two nights in a row, I got to be present for the religious experience that was The Dears' opening number, "Saviours." Singer Murray Lightburn emerged in the crowd singing with soul-moving emotional depth, connecting with every person in the crowd.
9. The Drums @ The Annex
This performance singlehandedly got me out of a nasty funk, and put a smile on my face ten miles long.
8. Deleted Scenes @ Cake Shop
Grizzly Bear and Beach House might've played outside to a giant crowd earlier in the day, but Deleted Scenes played the best set of the day hours later in front of a very very small crowd.
7. Bling Kong @ Bell House
I somehow convinced this band to reunite just because it was my birthday, and although one member came down with swine flu hours before the set they pulled it off.
6. Unicycle Loves You @ Union Hall
After being struck by terrible misfortune in my life less than a day earlier, I nearly broke down when Unicycle Loves You dedicated future hit "Justine" to me.
5. HOLAS @ Bell House
How did I get an Indiana-based duo to drive across country to make their live debut? Well, the drummer just happened to be my older brother and it was my birthday.
4. Paul & The Patients @ The Studio
I still don't know what it was about that made performance so much better than other PATP shows but there was just an extra intensity in every guitar riff, every drum beat, and especially Paul Holmes' emotionally driven vocals.
3. Music Tapes @ Bell House
Julian Koster makes his concerts into something much more than a live music experience. They are imaginative events that are incredibly hard to describe. Amre Klimchak wrote a perfect description of the night here.
2. Your Vegas & Fugitive Souls @ Ronald McDonald House
It's not often you get to see a bunch of rockers play "Old MacDonald" while little kids climb up onto their laps and sing along. This was completely unforgettable.
1. Zambri @ 88 Palace
After dragging myself through a long day where I battled severe depression and a menacing hangover, I went home and took a nap, waking up just in time to run to 88 Palace (a performance space inside the Chinatown Mall). It's amazing I even made it to the venue, but was totally worth it when a quarter way through their set, Zambri dedicated their set to me. It's not every day I have a set dedicated to me. It was incredibly heartwarming, and the actual music performance was also amazing.
Hooray For Earth on Amplified
As forthebeat reports, the good folks at ABC News have a new Hooray for Earth feature on Amplified. ABC News anchorman Dan Harris interviewed the band about their history, and even played a little tambourine for them. And keep a close eye out for a few of my photos that made their way into the montage!
Your New Favorite Band: Hooray For Earth
Hooray For Earth
From: New York/Boston
RIFYL: Mew, My Bloody Valentine, Early Magnetic Fields
mp3: Hooray For Earth - Surrounded By Your Friends (Miádis Remix)
By now you're probably sick of hearing me talk about Hooray For Earth, but I'm not quite done yet. Today the band released a 5 song EP exclusively on emusic. MOMO is undoubtedly the best and most diverse collection of music Hooray For Earth has ever recorded. If you frequent this site, then you may already be familiar with the heartwarming "Surrounded By Your Friends," the experimental psych freak out of "Scaling," and the heavy primal burst of "Form," which all debuted on this website in earlier forms. The brand new tracks are just as great. "Comfortable, Comfortable" features the most riff-heavy song Noel Heroux has written for Hooray For Earth, while also remaining one of the catchiest. And finally, part Animal Collective atmosphere/part Magnetic Fields playful-fuzz/part 70s stadium rock, "Get Home" could be the best of the pack.
Expect 2010 to be a breakout year for the quartet with a new full length record coming early in the year.
Read emusic's interview with Hooray For Earth here. And be sure to check out the record, which is definitely one of the best of the year.
Also check out the brand new, awesomely freaky video for MOMO opener "Surrounded By Your Friends," which debuted on 17 Dots today.
"Surrounded By Your Friends" by Hooray For Earth from Mathematical Park on Vimeo.
MP3: Hooray For Earth - “Scaling”
Hooray For Earth has yet again released another new song that breaks away from everything you thought you knew about them. "Scaling" is a frightening wall of sound that creates a horrifying atmosphere that resembles the soundtrack to my recent fever dreams.
MP3: Hooray For Earth - “Surrounded By Your Friends”
Another new Hooray For Earth song has leaked. This time it's "Surrounded By Your Friends" which is much lighter than the noisy "Form" that leaked a month ago. "Surrounded by Your Friends" is a feel good pop song, containing a really beautiful warmth, thanks to it's sincerity. I don't say this often, but this would be a really great song for a cool Prom.
Hooray For Earth - "Surrounded By Your Friends"
Catch Hooray For Earth at the CMJ Whitesmith Party onTuesday, October 20th at Crash Mansion.
MP3 Exclusive: Hooray For Earth - “Form”
JONNYLEATHER.com is proud to offer an exclusive free download of "Form" a brand new single by Boston/Brooklyn's Hooray For Earth. The band is hard at work on their next record, but in the meantime decided to release "Form" which will not be on the next album, but is definitely deserving to be heard.
In the past I have drawn a comparison between Hooray For Earth and Torche, and "Form" has that same heavy but melodic sound that initially brought out that comparison. It is probably the heaviest song in the Hooray For Earth catalog, and it's that My Bloody Valentine Isn't Anything style of heavy, with a layer of Shields-like buzzing guitars that cut through with a slow but loud intensity. Despite the bit of My Bloody Valentine influence showing itself here, it's nothing like the stream of cookie cutter bands riding the current shoegaze trend. Thankfully ,you will not find Hooray For Earth on stage anytime soon, dressed in black with Bob Dylan hair and black sunglasses, staring at the floor, playing one chord, while an impressive pedal setup does all the work.
Saturday Oct. 3rd: Good For You’s Good For Me 1 Year Anniversary Party
Back in October 2008, I organized my first charity concert. It was at Union Hall, and a little unknown band named Motel Motel headlined, along with Intermissions, the GoStation, and Tropic of Nelson. There was never any intention to turn the charity concert into a full on series, but then it happened and felt so good to give back to the world no matter how little I had to offer, so GOOD FOR YOU'S GOOD FOR ME was born, and I continued along organizing concerts nearly every month to raise money for a variety of charities, from an orphanage in Nairobi to a girl in need of a liver transplant to an organization for the deaf.
It's been a year now, and I've been lucky enough to have great performers like The Forms, Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers, Your Vegas, Essie Jain, The Silent League, Frances and many others all involved.
So in celebration of a great year, I've organized a really special free concert event to take place on October 3rd at Bell House from noon to 6pm.
I've been lucky enough to bring back some of my favorite performers from the last year to play very special sets:
5:15 - BLING KONG (reunited for 1 day only)
4:30 - MOTEL MOTEL
3:45 - ARMS
3:00 - NOEL HEROUX (of Hooray for Earth) + PAUL HOLMES (of Paul & the Patients)
2:30 - HOLAS
1:45 - IVANA XL
1:00 - GRUB ANIMAL
12:00 - Doors
and special guests
Grub Animal - "Day Brings New Love"
Paul Holmes - "Tiny Red Light"
Hooray For Earth - "Surrounded By Your Friends (Miádis Remix)"
MP3: Hooray For Earth - “Surrounded By Your Friends (Miádis Remix)”
Hooray For Earth - Surrounded By Your Friends (Miádis Remix)
And yes, that is a keytar solo!
Video: Hooray For Earth (w/ Paul Holmes & Zambri) - “Be My Baby”
Last time I saw Hooray for Earth, they were joined on stage by Paul Holmes and Zambri for a really fun rendition of "Be My Baby"
Magnetic Fields + Voxtrot + NIN + Nirvana + Joy Division + Guided By Voices = Hooray For Earth?
Hooray For Earth
Public Assembly, 5.27.09
Reading some of the other things the press has said about Hooray For Earth, it could be really hard to pin down what the Boston/NYC quartet sounds like.
NPR describes them by saying "With an ear for both '80s-inspired synth pop and contemporary indie rock sensibilities, Hooray For Earth falls somewhere between The Magnetic Fields and Voxtrot."
Bostonist says "With their self-titled debut, the members of Hooray For Earth sought a middle ground between Nine Inch Nail’s industrial thrash and the grunge force of Nirvana."
And RCRD LBL says "Think Joy Division + Guided By Voices + a lot of narcoleptic visions."
These are three pretty different descriptions of the same band. Which of these views is correct? Well, I don't really get the Magnetic Fields reference, but all three publications seem to catch a piece of what Hooray For Earth is all about. With their guitars tuned down to the bottom-most levels, Hooray For Earth takes well-crafted pop songs and turns them into something unique. I can't help but think of Torche when I hear Hooray For Earth. Not that these bands really sound alike, but at times their low tuning and songwriting philosophies cross similar paths. Torche has drawn attention for their heavy focus on melody and pop hooks, despite being a powerful metal band along the lined of The Melvins.
It's that same understanding of melody that shows through in Hooray For Earth's songwriting. Songs like "How Are You Here" and "Carefree" are instantly catchy, despite containing an onslaught of crunchy guitars and pounding drums. This is exactly one of the things that made Kurt Cobain and Nirvana so special. No matter how heavy or in your face the music is, Hooray For Earth never loses the ability to hook you with a catchy melody.
Along with the combo of bass, guitar and drums, synths play a major role in giving HFE their signature sound, filling space with an atmospheric touch, and at times providing a layered effect not dissimilar to backing vocals, as with the excellent "Take Care."
Live, Hooray For Earth is just as refreshing as they are on record. On Wednesday night at Public Assembly, they proved it once again. Unlike a majority of New York's local bands, HFE plays with an infectious energy, like a band truly having their way with their instruments, rather than just standing still and fiddling with them. It's sort of like Hooray For Earth is an experienced man having sex in the heat of passion—not overthinking, but knowing exactly what their doing—while many other bands may can convey the image of lacking the passion, despite possessing the experience and knowledge of the female anatomy.
With a full length and EP to their credit, Hooray For Earth has begun to work on their sophomore full length, and if their previous releases are any indication, it'll be something to really look forward to.
For Wednesday's gig, Hooray For Earth was joined by a trio of strong local acts—Appomattox, Radical Dads, and Zambri—all of which are most definitely worth checking out.
