August Mix Tape
Having fallen behind on this website and unloading great new music to the general public, I decided to throw together a mix tape of a bunch of my favorite new songs. Included are some familiar names who haven't released music in a long long time (Three Mile Pilot, The Vaselines, Versus) as well as a bunch of new bands deserving to become household names. Enjoy.
Sparrow & The Workshop - "Devil Song"
The Acorn - "Slippery When Wet"
Three Mile Pilot - "Days of Wrath"
Unicycle Loves You - "Mirror Mirror"
The Vaselines - "Sex with an X"
Common Prayer - "Us vs Them"
DREAMEND - "Magnesium Light"
Hooray For Earth - "Form" (Oh No Ono remix)
Ghastly City Sleep - "Into The Dark"
Zambri - "Tonight We Fly" (The Divine Comedy cover)
Love Language - "Blue Angel"
Eric Gundel - "Explicit Beverage"
Frances - "Between Us"
Sticklips - "At Least"
The Clientele - "Jerry"
ARMS - "Ooh La La" (Faces cover)
Versus - "Invincible Hero"
Parlovr - "Archy & Mehitabel"
Untied States - "These Dead Birds"
Spiritualized - "Cool Waves" (Live at Radio City Music Hall)
6 Caronas, Chips with Salsa, and a Casual Interview w/ Noel Heroux of Hooray For Earth
Hooray For Earth - "Surrounded By Your Friends (Adrienne Drake remix)"
Hooray For Earth frontman Noel Heroux is nothing at all like Sid Vicious, but the first time I saw him play he smashed his beloved Flying V during the band's grand finale at a Bushwick loft space. Unlike the legendary punk rocker, Heroux's destruction was hardly the product of a of rage, but rather the result of an emotional peak. It was one of those moments where an artist is so filled with excitement that in the heat of the moment they can act without sight of consequence. For Noel, this meant for an energetic finale to a fantastic show, but also to the final notes played on the guitar that felt as much as a connection to as any of his body parts. As the guitar smashed to the ground after being thrown into the air, Heroux's smile hinted towards the type of disappointment seen in a child when his favorite stuffed animal loses an eye during play.
I saw a lot in the personality of Noel Heroux the first time I saw Hooray For Earth play. As typical with loft shows, the sound was pretty terrible, but the band played with the type of passionate joy that makes up for it. For Noel and the rest of Hooray For Earth that particular show was important because that'd be the last time drummer Seth Kasper would perform as part of the band (leaving to join Wild Light).
A month or so later, Hooray For Earth joined a fantastic lineup with Depreciatation Guild, Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers and KiNo at the Bell House as part of a benefit concert organized by yours truly. Another performance leaving a lasting impression, it'd be the start of a blossoming relationship.
Over the course of 2009 and first half of 2010, I have found myself at nearly every Hooray For Earth show to take place in New York. It all began with me as another fan. Upbeat songs like "Heartbeat" and "Take Care" from their debut record were constantly on repeat on my iPod. Something about the combination of the melodic songwriting and drop d tuning made Hooray For Earth truly unique. Live, the songs were even stronger and more passionate during a time when our overload of indie rock is played with an obnoxious feeling of disinterest.
After putting on multiple concerts with Hooray For Earth, I found myself more and more connected to the band. No longer just a fan, a friendship had grown. Noel, Chris, Gary and Joe are a humble group of guys who happen to play music that I love, that keeps getting better and better.
When I started following them as a journalist and fan, I often felt alone in that regard. Everyone else seemed be talking about much "hipper acts" from Brooklyn's lo-fi scene, but now HFE seems to finally getting their chance to shine, with an upcoming tour with Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Surfer Blood, as well as tonight's concert with The Futureheads.
Last Thursday I met up with Noel for an interview. It's a weird thing to interview a friend whose art you admire, and we kept it casual. Over the past month or so I've felt disconnected from music journalism, and I felt that if anyone could revive that passion in me, it's Noel.
As the Caronas kept coming to the table, we talked in a format that was more friendly conversation than interview about Hooray For Earth's upcoming tour. As much as Heroux looks forward to his first tour in which he can safely assume people will turn out for, he doesn't look forward to being apart from his beautiful fiancee Jessica Zambri. The most interesting stop on the tour may come at Jack Rabbits in Jacksonville, where Hooray For Earth stopped on their last tour to play in front of an empty room, matched with a punk band who had created a bonfire behind the venue prior to the show.
Since the first time I saw Hooray For Earth live, most of the songs that were part of their sets back then have been ousted by newer material from their recent ep MOMO. Songs like "Comfortable/Comparable" and "Scaling" have shown the band growing as a band and expanding their boundaries, but at times the fan me and others have a desire to hear the older songs that we have a certain nostalgia for. While Heroux told me that many of the older songs stick out like a sore thumb, "Take Care" could find its way back into setlists, as it did in a recent show in Boston where fans requested it. It is not uncommon for an artist to want to throw away their older material for the new as they develop their style. It is undeniable that Hooray For Earth's best work is still ahead of them as they continue to grow and take chances, but "Surrounded By Your Friends" will always be a great, as will "Take Care."
Knowing Noel Heroux the man I've grown to appreciate Noel Heroux the musician on an even higher level. Tonight's show at Music Hall of Williamsburg opening for Dovecote labelmates The Futureheads will be another glimpse into the bright bright future of Hooray For Earth. Just don't expect a cover of any songs by Kiss (a band Heroux admittedly can't stand).
On Hooray For Earth's most well known track to date, Heroux sings the words "in the end you're surrounded by your friends." It could sound cheesy, but instead contains a feeling of warmth and honesty, which is yet another reason it makes me happy to say in the end when I'm surrounded by my friends, Noel and Hooray For Earth will be there playing a song.
25 Records from 2010 That Deserve a Listen
2010 has been good to us so far, delivering quite a few music gems in between hidden beneath the piles of mediocre records. Great albums by Liars, LCD Soundsystem, Gorillaz, Shearwater, Tallest Man On Earth and other mainstays have gotten the expected universal praise, but plenty of lesser known bands have slipped through the cracks without the deserved attention for their hard work. Below are 25 of the best records of 2010 so far that have gone generally unnoticed by the music media.
Adrienne Drake - Dullabies
A terribly haunting dance record with similarities to Burial but a sound of its own.
ArpLine - Travel Book
Explosively catchy prog rock.
The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night
An epic album built on big reverby stoner rock that flows perfectly from front to back.
Bluebrain - Soft Power
A wonderfully loud experimental electronic dance record.
Christopher Paul Stelling - The Songs of Christopher Paul Stelling Vol. 1 & 2
A reminder that an acoustic guitar and a voice can still be interesting when the person writing the songs is immensely talented. His incredible fingerpicking playing style will lure you in so his words can invade your soul
Christopher Stelling - "The Ocean Took My Love Away"
Citay - Dream Get Together
Strangely combining folk with big '70s riffs without sounding like a colossal mess
Citay - "Mirror Kisses" (featuring Tune Yards)
Common Prayer - There Is A Mountain
A more adventurous, rustic record from Hopewell frontman Jason Russo
Elaine Lachica- I Think I Can See The Ocean
Her lovely voice shines brightly over a wide-ranging album that seems loungy at times before the ethereal "Rapture" lifts off into swelling post rock.
Extra Life - Made Flesh
Eerie, exhausting experimental rock from Brooklyn.
Extra Life - "Black Hoodie (Pre Album Version)"
Field Music - Measure
Some of the best pop rock harmonies caught on tape in decades combined with excellent xtc-influenced musicianship.
Ghastly City Sleep- Moondrifts
Capable of pulling off epic swells comparative of Mogwai and Radiohead
Download Full Album: Ghastly City Sleep - Moondrifts
Ghastly City Sleep - "Seven (33 Leagues)"
Hooray For Earth - MOMO
How many more times can I rave about this band without it being annoying?
Jesus Makes The Shotgun Sound- DAMNANT QUOD NON INTELLIGUNT
Part Radiohead part Sleepy Time Gorilla Museum with one hell of a band name Jesus Makes The Shotgun Sound has made something that's simultaneously beautiful and menacing
Jesus Makes a Shotgun Sound - "Do Not The Clothes Make the Man"
Judson Claiborne - Time And Temperature
Former Low Skies singer Chris Salveter has a unique emotive voice complimented perfectly by his band's complex brand of alt-country
Judson Claiborne - "Song For Dreaming"
The Loom - Teeth
Elements of Low's mellow slowcore are mixed with chamber pop orchestration to create a magnificent slowburner
Malachai - Ugly Side Of Love
DJ records that flawlessly mix '60s pop-psychedelia, Morricone, and trip-hop are rare enough as it is, but one with a charismatic, scratchy-voiced singer this good are impossible to find
Miles Kurosky - The Desert Of Shallow Effects
He wrote some of the best albums of the last decade with Beulah and then went on hiatus, only to come back with some of the biggest, catchiest tunes he's ever written.
Miles Kurosky - "An Apple For An Apple"
My Gold Mask - A Thousand Voices EP
A guitar and drums duo can still sound fresh when the drummer has a huge voice to thrown on top of tribal beats and sinister, reverb-heavy guitars.
Parenthetical Girls - Privilege, pt. I
Their first in a series of EPs to be released in 2010 is a wonderfully melodramatic affair for anyone whoever wanted to hear a modernized Gene Pitney.
Parenthetical Girls - "Evelyn McHale"
Royal Forest - EP
When they changed their name from Loxsly to Royal Forest, they also bulked up their guitars without losing the Grandaddy-like charm
Sad Red - Elder
Playful, jazzy space-rock that avoids being overly jammy
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Saharan Gazelle Boy - Airplanes Can't
Heartfelt, electronic bedroom recording from a member of the tragically underrated Capybara
Saharan Gazelle Boy - "Something I Wanna Know About You"
Download the full album for only $2 here.
The Silent League - But You've Always Been the Caretaker
Ambitious, beautifully orchestrated and refreshingly original, this should set the standard for chamber pop. Very few bands could ever pull this off this sort of record without just sounding like a terribly cheesy ELO cover band.
The Silent League - "Here's A Star"
Sonoi- Sonoi
A hazy trip that fits right alongside classic Yo La Tengo for slipping into a pleasant coma on rainy days.
Untied States - Instant Everything, Constant Nothing
Yup, those are guitars ripping your insides apart. Untied States has created an adventurous record loaded with angular Denison and Froberg-influenced guitar riffs but less abrasive vocals than that of Jesus Lizard or Hot Snakes.
Yukon Blonde - Yukon Blonde
A throwback to the melodic 70s guitar rock of Thin Lizzy, loaded with catchy harmonies. It's not groundbreaking and Kings of Leon's early records did it better, but it's almost impossible not to love a song like "Babies Don't Like Blue Anymore."
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.
