Oct 10 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
Oct 12 – Austin, TX @ ACL Official After Show
Oct 13 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Festival
Oct 15 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
Oct 16 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Oct 17 - Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
Oct 19 - Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Theatre
Oct 21 - Boston, MA @ House of Blues
Oct 22 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
Did you see our review of Noah And The Whale in London earlier this year? That show looked fancy, it was accompanied with a short "Heart of Nowhere" film, which I don't know if the band will be displaying that film …
Dare I say it? Ok… a “whale of a good time” was had as Twickenham, London-based quintet Noah and the Whale played the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis. The nattily-clad band (Charlie Fink (vocals, guitar), Tom Hobden (Violin/keys), Matt Owens (bass), Fred Abbott (guitar/keys), and Michael Petulla (drums) came to town in support of their 4th and newest full-length, Heart of Nowhere (Caroline Records), for a spirited 85 min. set that had toes tapping... as well as a winter-like finish.
After tour opener, LA-based singer LP, had to pull out due to a meniscus knee injury, locals Farewell Milwaukee ably filled in with a 30 min. set of pleasant Americana rock, highlighting tracks from their just-released third album Can't Please You, Can't Please Me.
Then, after a short intermission, lights dimmed, intro music cued (a lounge-y version of ‘Also sprach Zarathustra’, AKA the 2001 theme) and the reserved, yet relaxed headliner started with the perfect opening song- ‘Tonight’s the Kind of Night’, then followed it with the title track of the new record.
The band, which once boasted fellow UK-folkie Laura Marling as a member, grew out of the same indie-folk scene as Mumford and Sons, Johnny Flynn, and others, and their sound has continued to evolve through its four releases, sounding more American to these ears.
Vocalist Charlie Fink must have been excited to play as well, as he inadvertently skipped ahead on the setlist to play ‘Give It All Back’ earlier than the rest of the band expected, though caught his mistake after its performance, “I just thought the mood was right for it,” Fink mused. A bouncy ‘“L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.,” (abbreviated as ‘L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.B.O.N.G.’ on the setlist) was an early highlight, Hobden’s violin keeping the heads nodding and feet shuffling in the crowd.
‘Old Joy’ became a crowd chorus sing-a-long “with that Dinkytown soul” which the crowd responded well to, Fink declaring it “the most musical version” heard so far on the tour. A request from a concertgoer in Portland kept ‘2 Atoms in a Molecule’ in the setlist for here as well, and Fink also called out a member in the audience they had met earlier in the day, who coincidentally also happened to be named Noah.
Charlie Fink
The evening’s highlight came late—instead of the Daft Punk cover they’ve been performing at other shows, the band took full advantage of where they were geographically, and dug out a passionate cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘The Man in Me’, from 1970’s “New Morning”, complete with guitar duel soloing, Abbott looking like a Journeyman-era Clapton on guitar. The main set ended with the uplifting ‘5 Years’ Time (Sun Sun Sun)’ and the band would return for the slower but building harmonies of ‘First Days of Spring’, which ended the show inexplicably with the snow machine showering the front of the crowd (when most seemed in no hurry to see any real snow around here).
But, the party wasn’t over yet- the band teased they might head around the corner, to the neighboring Kitty Kat Club to continue on, under the guise of either band name ‘No Underwear’ (a nameplay on their own band’s name as a result of Customs not understanding their UK accent when communicating) or ‘Bullshark’ (named after bassist Owens’ new cowboy boots). A ‘whale of a time’ that kept going into the early hours of the night.
Noah and the Whale at the Varsity Theater, Minneapolis (10/08/13)
For those not living in Minneapolis, the Varsity Theater is possibly my favorite music venue because of its beautiful setup, amazing lights, and friendly staff. My only complaint is that concerts aren't held on the weekend (that's because the weekends are usually booked with wedding receptions or private events). So below are some upcoming Varsity Theater shows:
Playing the last of three Sunday residencies in May at the Palace Theatre, Charlie Fink and company went out with a bang by bringing out the famous voice of Anna Calvi to the stage …
Did you see our review of Noah And The Whale in London earlier this year? That show looked fancy, it was accompanied with a short "Heart of Nowhere" film, which I don't know if the band will be displaying that film on their upcoming tour in the U.S.
Anyway, the band is returning to the U.S. in support of their latest album Heart of Nowhere, out in states on September 24th via Caroline Records.
Noah And The Whale On Tour
Sep 27 - Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre
Sep 28 - Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre
Sep 29 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
Oct 01 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
Oct 02 - Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
Oct 03 - Los Angeles, CA @ Avalon
Oct 06 - Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Festival
Oct 08 - Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theatre
Oct 09 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
Oct 10 - St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
Oct 12 - Austin, TX @ ACL Official After Show
Oct 13 - Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Festival
Oct 15 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
Oct 16 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Oct 17 - Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
Oct 19 - Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Theatre
Oct 21 - Boston, MA @ House of Blues
Oct 22 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
Manchester's The 1975 is heading out on the road for their new EP, Music For Cars (out March 4th on Dirty Hit). Expect the band to return to the studios after the US tour to finalize a debut album…
Since we last saw the 1975, they are gearing up for their debut self-titled album, coming out September 3rd on Interscope Records. Leading up to the album is their new single "Sex", which you can stream on Soundcloud.
The Manchester band will be touring the U.S. this October, so we'll be sure to cover their appearance in Minneapolis' Varsity Theater (since we generally really like U.K. bands).
Touring schedule below:
08/23 – Reading / Leeds
08/24 – Reading / Leeds
09/01 – Electric Picnic Festival – Ireland
09/08 – Bestival
09/14 – Shrewsbury Fields Forever – Shresbury
09/15 – Academy – Newcastle
09/16 – Hmv Institute – Birmingham
09/17 – Abc – Glasgow
09/18 – Rockcity – Nottingham
09/20 – Shepherds Bush Empire – London
09/21 – Ritz – Manchester
09/22 – Sugarmill – Stoke
09/23 – Leeds University – Leeds
09/24 – Academy – Oxford
09/25 – Waterfront – Norwich
09/26 – Academy – Bristol
09/28 –Concorde – Brighton
09/30 – Academy – Dublin Ireland
10/01 – Mandella Hall – Belfast
10/05 - Short Mountain Distillery – Woodbury, TN
10/08 – The Sinclair – Cambridge, MA
10/09 – Bowery Ballroom – New York, NY
10/10 – Bowery Ballroom – New York, NY
10/11 – Black Cat – Washington, DC
10/12 – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA
10/13 – The Mod Club - Toronto, Canada
10/15 – A&R Music Bar – Columbus, OH
10/17 – The Midland By Amc – Kansas City, MO
10/18 – Firebird – St. Louis, MO
10/19 – Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL
10/20 – The Rave Bar – Milwaukee, WI
10/21 – Varsity Theater – Minneapolis, MN
10/23 – Marquis Theatre – Denver, CO
10/24 – Kilby Court – Salt Lake City, UT
10/26 – Neumos – Seattle, WA
10/27 – Venue – Vancouver, Canada
10/28 – Doug Fir Lounge – Portland, OR
10/30 – Independent – San Francisco, CA
11/01 – Fonda Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
11/03 – Belly Up Tavern – Solana Beach, CA
11/04 – Club Congress – Tucson, AZ
11/07 – El Sol – Madrid, Spain
11/08 – Razzmatazz (Club Show) – Barcelona, Spain
11/10 - La Maroquinerie – Paris, France
11/11 – Melkweg – Amsterdam, Netherlands
11/12 – Botanique/Orangerie – Brussels, Belgium
11/14 – Luxor – Cologne, Germany
11/15 – Zoom – Frankfurt, Germany
11/18 – Bi Nuu – Berlin, Germany
11/19 – Uebel & Gefährlich – Hamburg, Germany
11/21 – Loppen – Copenhagen, Denmark
11/22 – Debaser Strand – Stockholm, Sweden
11/23 – Parkteatret – Oslo, Norway
11/26 – Hydrozagadka – Warsaw, Poland
11/27 – The Rock Café – Prague, Czech Republic
11/28 – Fluc – Vienna, Austria
This isn't an live album release, who knows, maybe one day it will be packaged as such… but Axs.tv is broadcasting Yellowcard concert live at The Paramount Theater in New York on January 12th (this Saturday).…
It's been ten years since Yellowcard's best known album Ocean Avenue was released, and to honor the occasion, the band is releasing Ocean Avenue Acoustic. In their own words, "We hope that we did justice to the original songs which brought so many of us together. We hope you are somewhere with the windows down screaming your lungs out as you sing along to these new renditions. Thanks for carrying us through the last decade of our lives. Here's to a decade more."
Not sure if this upcoming tour will be all acoustic (like their acoustic tour in 2008), but you can find out this October:
Oct 08 House of Blues - Anaheim, CA
Oct 09 Slim'sSan Francisco, CA
Oct 10 Knitting Factory Concert House - Reno, NV
Oct 12 Burns Arena - St George, UT
Oct 13 The Complex - Salt Lake City, UT
Oct 15 The Black Sheep - Colorado Springs, CO
Oct 17 People's Court - Des Moines, IA
Oct 18 Varsity Theater - Minneapolis, MN
Oct 20 Majestic Theatre - Madison, WI
Oct 21 The Rave - Milwaukee, WI
Oct 22 House of Blues - Chicago, IL
Oct 23 St. Andrews Hall - Detroit, MI
Oct 25 House of Blues - Cleveland - Cleveland, OH
Oct 26 Town BallroomBuffalo, NY
Oct 27 Phoenix Concert Theatre - Toronto, ON
Oct 29 Webster Theatre - Hartford, CT
Oct 30 Paradise Rock Club - Boston, MA
Nov 01 Stone Pony - Asbury Park, NJ
Nov 02 Irving Plaza - New York, NY
Nov 03 Theatre of the Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA
Nov 05 Amos Southend - Charlotte, NC
Nov 07 Rocketown - Nashville, TN
Nov 08 Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
Nov 09 House of Blues - New Orleans, LA
Nov 11 Emo's - Austin, TX
Nov 12 House of Blues - Houston, TX
Nov 13 House of Blues - Dallas, TX
Nov 15 The Marquee - Phoenix, AZ
Nov 16 Hard Rock Cafe - Las Vegas, NV
Nov 18 House of Blues - Los Angeles, CA
I got a little preview of the Atlas Genius live act on Sunday (06/02 at the Aloft Hotel in Minneapolis), when the band held an acoustic set, which also meant that I got a preview of their audience. Both Sunday and last night .…
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. (aka Detroit duo of Josh Epstein and Daniel Zott) recently just dropped a GoldenboyZ Remix of "If You Didn't See Me (Then You Weren't On The Dancefloor)" on Soundcloud. Be sure to check out their new album The Speed of Things, coming out October 8th on Warner Bros. Record.
Most of these dates below are under the "Ones to Watch" tour, with Atlas Genius!
08/24 The LC Pavillion/Summerfest-Columbus, OH
08/31 WARMfest- Indianapolis, IN
09/24 Bogart's- Cincinnati, OH*
09/25 Pabst Theater- Milwaukee, WI*
09/26 Varsity Theater- Minneapolis, MN*
09/28 High Noon Saloon - Madison, WI
09/29 Mojo's - Columbia, MO
10/01 House of Blues- Chicago, IL*
10/02 House of Blues- Cleveland, OH*
10/04 Danforth Music Hall- Toronto, ON*
10/05 Cabaret Mile-End - Montreal, Canada
10/06 Port City - Portland, ME
10/08 House of Blues- Boston, MA*
10/10 Irving Plaza- New York, NY*
10/11 Irving Plaza- New York, NY*
10/12 Theatre of the Living Arts- Philadelphia, PA*
10/13 The Fillmore/Silver Spring- Silver Spring, MD*
11/01 House of Blues- Anaheim, CA*
11/06 The Wiltern- Los Angeles, CA*
11/07 The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA
11/09 Crystal Ballroom- Portland, OR*
11/10 Venue- Vancouver, BC*
11/11 Neptune Theatre- Seattle, WA*
The retro-soul sounds of Ugandan-born Englishman Michael Kiwanuka performing at the afterparty in First Avenue’s Mainroom proved to be the perfect nightcap to a music-filled Saturday in Minneapolis. …
Communion is a club night, formed in London in 2006 by musicians Ben Lovett (Mumford & Sons), Kevin Jones (Bear’s Den), and producer Ian Grimble (Manic Street Preachers, Travis, Beautiful South). Apparently this is no long stationary - as they are taking the club throughout various cities in the month of October. This new 2013 show will feature Rubblebucket, Roadkill Ghost Choir, Willy Mason, 4 On the Floor, Australian duo Yacht Club DJs and lots more. Just to give you an idea, bands like Michael Kiwanuka, Daughter, Gotye, and Ben Howard, have all emerged from Communion, so it's definitely worth watching these upcoming bands.
What's cool is that students and radio patrons will be given a discount on tickets… more details on their website.
COMMUNION PRESENTS TOUR DATES
October 1 New York, NY Rockwood Music Hall
October 2 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda’s
October 3 Washington, DC Black Cat
October 8 Bloomington, IN Bluebird Theater
October 9 Louisville, KY Zanzibar
October 10 Nashville, TN High Watt
October 15 Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theater
October 16 Madison, WI Frequency
October 17 Rock Island, IL Daytrotter
I've been writing about Noah and the Whale since 2008, so you should already be familiar with the Brit-folk group.
The band announced their fourth album, Heart of Nowhere …
I've never been to a concert that felt like a five-course meal. Noah and the Whale did that and more.
Playing the last of three Sunday residencies in May at the Palace Theatre, Charlie Fink and company went out with a bang by bringing out the famous voice of Anna Calvi to the stage for their second set!
It definitely got the crowd on its feet.
The evening started with a quick thirty minute set from the band, followed by the screening of the short film "Heart of Nowhere". After a quick break the band rocked hard bringing Calvi to the stage, four-set orchestra in back, and dueling guitar solos. Noah and the Whale finished their main set with "5 Years Time" and "Life Goes On", which got everyone was dancing. For the two-song encore, they ended the set with a Daft Punk cover as requested by a fan from Seattle outside the gig.
The only thing I missed from this set, was Laura Marling. Charlie Fink is a mastermind along with his entire band. I got a chance to interview the gang at the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis about five years ago, and I'll always remember the quote from bassist saying, "If Tom Waits ask me to play bass for I'd think about." (Noah and the Whale are massive Tom Waits fans).
Noah and the Whale is the total package. Truly inspirational how sophisticated the band has gotten from plays, to films, to live sets, they can do it all.
Thank you Charlie and the gang! Long live the Nuclear Toads*!
* Noah and the Whale's original band name.
Noah and the Whale at Palace Theatre, London (05/19/13)
I won't give any spoilers, but if you stay for the closing credits, you'll hear The National's song, "The Rains Of Castamere". The song was performed by Bronn and company at a tavern at the beginning of the episode. .…
This week on W♥M Radio: John.
NEWS: THIS WEEK IN DEATH
Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman was killed due to an alcohol-related cirrhosis (which is an alcoholic liver disease due to years of drinking), a coroner has confirmed. Hanneman died May 2nd, cause of death was revealed by Slayer's official statement: "While he had his health struggles over the years, including the recent Necrotizing fasciitis infection that devastated his well-being, Jeff and those close to him were not aware of the true extent of his liver condition until the last days of his life. Contrary to some reports, Jeff was not on a transplant list at the time of his passing, or at any time prior to that. In fact, by all accounts, it appeared that he had been improving – he was excited and looking forward to working on a new record."
Mac Daddy (Chris Kelly) passed away May 1st, due to drug overdose in Atlanta (according to TMZ). Kelly was one half of the popular 90s duo Kris Kross, who was famous for their hits "Jump" and "I Miss the Bus" - and for wearing their clothes backwards. Kelly was 34 years old.
ENGLAND DREAMING
Brody (Georgia) and Jess (California) are in the UK this month. I am setting up some shows for them, these are the ones Brody requested:
May 15th Diiv @ Heaven (London) (Canceled)
May 15th Lucy Rose at Junction, Cambridge
May 19th Noah and The Whale @ Palace Theater (London)
May 20th On An On @ Cargo (London)
Notes: London and Cambridge are nowhere near each other (it is about 50 miles apart, you need to take a train or a coach/bus). Good luck!
Also: Great Escape Festival (mamacolive.com/thegreatescape) - May 16-May 18 in Brighton. They wanted to attend one UK music festival, and this one is it (most of the major ones, Glastonbury, Reading are probably sold out and logistically not within reach). Festival tickets for Great Escape are now sold out. Headliners are: Bastille (Saturday), Billy Bragg (Friday), and Everything Everything (Thursday). Plus one million other smaller support acts.
SPRING NEVER CAME, WE'RE STILL IN WINTER
Month of April was incredibly busy for shows - the last week, John was at these events:
05/14 Limp Bizkit at Varsity
05/14 Joshua Radin at Dakota Jazz Club
05/15 Star Trek: Into Darkness
05/15 Presets/Dragonette at First Ave
05/17 Shout Out Louds and Haerts at Varsity Theater
05/17 Youth Lagoon at 7th Street
SONG OF THE SHOW
"Don't Swallow the Cap" is the new lead single from the forthcoming National's album, Trouble Will Find Me (May 20th, 2013 via 4AD Records).
--
W♥M Radio is available on iTunes, please subscribe!
Where we last left the British folk band, Noah And The Whale, I had noted that this band was very new, based on the fact that their name was taken from the 2005 film, Noah Baumbach's The Squid and the .…
I've been writing about Noah and the Whale since 2008, so you should already be familiar with the Brit-folk group.
The band announced their fourth album, Heart of Nowhere, out May 6th, 2013. Just recently (March 20th), the band played the first single, "There Will Come A Time", on Radio One.
Singer/guitarist Charlie Fink will also be releasing some short film with the new album. This is not a surprise, since he's dabbed in films since The First Days of Spring. The screening of the film of Heart of Nowhere will see its first screening along with the album's release in May.
Follow the band as they tour through England:
04/27 BOURNEMOUTH, O2 Academy
04/28 LONDON, Palace Theatre*
05/01 BEXHILL, De La Warr Pavillion
05/02 LIVERPOOL, Sound City (Headlining)
05/04 WARWICK, Arts Centre
05/05 LONDON, Palace Theatre*
05/12 LONDON, Palace Theatre*
05/13 MANCHESTER, Opera House
05/19 LONDON, Palace Theatre*
05/23 HAY, Hay-On-Wye Festival
08/11 WILDERNESS FESTIVAL (Headlining)
It was only recently that I found out that Said the Whale was the third act on the Stars and Milo Greene show at First Avenue on March 26th (next Tuesday). It should be noted that Minneapolis will be the last date on Said the Whale's touring with fellow Canadian Stars.
The last time I saw this Juno Award-winner band at the now-defunct 400 Bar, they were in the progress of writing and showing off new songs. I am predicting they'll be doing those new (and newer) songs next Tuesday, mixing in some songs from their previous record, Little Mountain.
March 22 Majestic Theatre Detroit, MI
March 23 Metro Chicago, IL
March 25 Turner Hall Milwaukee, WI
March 26 First Avenue Minneapolis, MN
You know, the minute I hit the publish button for How to Dress Well, I got an email about a new remixed song by How to Dress Well for Polly Scattergood's "Wanderlust". Since I like Mute Records, I'm adding this to the 'whale'/well article.
The EP will also feature a remix by Charli XCX as well as the album mix. The Wanderlust EP will out April 2nd.
You can listen to the original album mix of the song on soundcloud.com (free download).
Look for her full length album, Arrows, on June 18th, 2013, on Mute.
“…you could barely wipe the smiles off our dials. Thank you Splendour for anticipating our every whim, and fulfilling them. A truly unforgettable weekend.” Groupie
SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS - the annual, ephemeral city of sounds that exists solely for sweet music and good times will transform Woodfordia, near Woodford, south east Queensland from Friday 29 to Sunday 31 July.
The eleventh SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS event will see 81 acts giving their splendiferous best across three stages.
COLDPLAY (only Australian show) * KANYE WEST (only Australian show) * JANE’S ADDICTION * THE HIVES * PULP * THE LIVING END * THE MARS VOLTA * REGINA SPEKTOR (only 2011 show…anywhere) * BLISS N ESO * PNAU * MOGWAI (only Australian show) * DJ SHADOW * GLASVEGAS * THE GRATES * DEVENDRA BANHART AND THE GROGS* MODEST MOUSE * THE MIDDLE EAST * KAISER CHIEFS * JAMES BLAKE * KELE * THE VINES * ELBOW * ESKIMO JOE * NOAH AND THE WHALE * CHILDREN COLLIDE * THIEVERY CORPORATION * CUT COPY * ISOBEL CAMPBELL AND MARK LANEGAN * BLUEJUICE * THE KILLS * BLACK JOE LEWIS & THE HONEYBEARS (featuring THE RELATIVES) * ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI * FOSTER THE PEOPLE * THE PANICS * FRIENDLY FIRES * JEBEDIAH * THE VACCINES * GOMEZ * BOY AND BEAR * GOTYE * DOES IT OFFEND YOU, YEAH? * CLOUD CONTROL * MONA * SPARKADIA * WARPAINT * MUSCLES (Live) * FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS * THEJEZABELS * DRAPHT * BRITISH SEA POWER * TIM & JEAN * LEADER CHEETAH * GROUPLOVE * SEEKER LOVER KEEPER * YELLE * KIMBRA * PHRASE * OH MERCY * DANANANANAYKROYD * THE BLACK SEEDS * MARQUES TOLIVER * THE HOLIDAYS * GHOUL * LIAM FINN * THE HERD * YOUNG THE GIANT * GUINEAFOWL * HUNGRY KIDS OF HUNGARY * JINJA SAFARI * WILD BEASTS * ILLY * CUT OFF YOUR HANDS * GARETH LIDDIARD * ALPINE * WORLD’S END PRESS * MOSMAN ALDER * LANIE LANE
Did you catch that Saturn car commercial? That song is by England's Noah and the Whale. They seem...
Where we last left the British folk band, Noah And The Whale, I had noted that this band was very new, based on the fact that their name was taken from the 2005 film, Noah Baumbach's The Squid and the Whale. I also felt that their songwriters are based on things in life: love, happiness, and death.
So let's catch up to see how far they've come since that Saturn car commercial. Since their release of their debut album, Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down,
after a string of hit singles. The band found themselves doing all the
festival gigs (Leeds, Glasto, V), which probably help boost their
record to #5 on the UK album charts. Let's just put it this way, 2008's
been a fantastic year for Noah and the Whale.
Unfortunately, their promotional push did not carry over to the states when they released this announcement:
It is with no little remorse and disappointment that we are
compelled to cancel these dates. These words are being typed in the
studio as we make progress on the next Noah and the Whale album.
Instead, the band headed back into the studio to work on their sophomore, (appropriately at the time) named The First Days of Spring. Which really brings us to the album being officially release in the US, this Tuesday, October 6th on Cherrytree Records. I got a chance to listen to the album over the weekend in my car.
Immediately, you'll notice the first thing that free download song,
"The First Days Of Spring", brings in a sense of wide open space. The
lyrics sounds more like reading a book, trying to describe this feeling
of nature and life.
The spring song is followed by "Our Window", with the same nature
theme, about looking at the stars through a window. This is such a
departure from their themes from the first album. Another departure
seems to be in the backup singers department - there are not any on the
new album.
I thought I read somewhere that The First Days Of Spring
is "more electric", I don't really think is the case. There are
electric guitars, as heard on such song as "My Broken Heart", but I
wouldn't exactly put this against any rock album. This is a folky album, especially with some acoustics and fiddles andsuch mild and gentle vocals. In fact, what rock
album features a very nice instrumental break?
The most upbeat (and possibly will make a great single), is
"Love Of An Orchestra". It doesn't sound anything like the rest of the
album, but I think that's why people might be drawn to the song.
Personally, I think the band's grown in the short time they've been
together. It should be interesting to see where they band is at, in
say, "five years time".
PS, just prior to the album's release in the UK, drummer and brother
Doug Fink, announced that he will be leaving the band to pursue a
career in medicine. Good for him. I suspect if the music-thing doesn't
work out for, Charlie Fink, he can always pursue film, as he's made the
film version of "The First Days Of Spring". If you were thinking it's a
documentary or maybe a "live" concert, it's not, it looks vibrant and
artsy. You can check out the trailer on vimeo yourself.
I believe the film is made available on DVD on the first limited pressing of The First Days of Spring, which is selling for only $10 on amazon (or $12 on insound.com).
09/30/08 Doug Fir (FREE SHOW) Portland, OR 10/02/08 Amoeba Music (Instore) San Francisco, California 10/02/08 Pop Scene at 330 Ritch San Francisco, CA 10/04/08 Detour Festival Los Angeles, CA 10/06/08 Spaceland (FREE SHOW) Los Angeles, CA 10/11/08 Barfly - GONZO ON TOUR Birmingham 10/19/08 Students Union Loughborough 10/20/08 Zodiac Oxford 10/21/08 The Duchess York 10/22/08 The Cockpit Leeds 10/24/08 Fat Sams Dundee 10/25/08 The Arches Glasgow 10/26/08 Liquid Rooms Edinburgh 10/27/08 Academy 3 *SOLD OUT* Manchester 10/28/08 Whelans Dublin 10/29/08 The Limelight Belfast 10/31/08 MTV Liverpool Music Week @ Bumper Liverpool 11/01/08 Recue Rooms Nottingham 11/02/08 Phoenix Exeter 11/03/08 Wedgewood Rooms Portsmouth 11/04/08 Waterfront Norwich 11/06/08 Koko *SOLD OUT* London 11/07/08 Concorde 2 Brighton 11/08/08 Kasbah Coventry 11/09/08 Thekla *SOLD OUT* Bristol 11/10/08 Junction Cambridge 11/11/08 Glee Club Birmingham 11/12/08 Leadmill Sheffield 11/13/08 The Old Fire Station Bournemouth
Did you catch that Saturn car commercial? That song is by England's Noah and the Whale. They seem to be blowing up with a ton of sold-out pre-ticket sales of their UK shows.... so be sure to get there early for the free shows they're doing here in the states.
A little information about the band: their name was taken from the film The Squid and the Whale and its director, Noah Baumbach, so I think this is a very new band (since I think the film was released only a few years ago).
Their debut album, Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down, was released in the US on September 16th on Cherry Tree Records. UK fans were already enjoying their album last August from major-label, Mercury.
Even before the Saturn commercial, I already had "5 Years Time" picked out as the song of choice because it's such a "fun, fun, fun" song. The lyrics seem pretty simple (about love and friendship and being happy), but I reckon it's the happy melodies that you'll like. Also, is that a ukulele or a fiddle that I hear?
Most of their songs seem to be about love (and happiness) and death (and happiness?). The songs about love and happiness sound upbeat. Songs like "Give a Little Love" sound almost hippy-ish, "if you give a little love, you can get a little love of your own."
"Shape of my Heart" is about masking your love: "if there's any love in me, Don't let it show/if there's any love in me, don't let it grow." Come on, you know singer Charlie Fink is full of love and warmth.
My second favorite song is the almost-science song, "Atoms in a Molecule". It's a love song, what else?
"If love is just a game How come I've never won? I guess maybe it's possible I might be playing it wrong"
I think perhaps the most unhappy song here is the closing song, "Hold My Hand As I'm Lowered". It's a "dead" slow song. I might hazard a guess that the title is referencing being lowered in a coffin? The song seems to be about growing old and reaching the end.
I love their lyrics and song melodies, but if you're in a depressing mood, then I would suggest listening to any Smiths album.
Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down is available now and you can find the album at most record stores. See them on tour!
Trivia: Interestingly enough, Laura Marling was one time a member of Noah and the Whale, before venturing off as a solo artist.
Recent Comments