Month: July 2011

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FREE MP3s

MP3 At 3PM: Jesse Sykes And The Sweet Hereafter

Marble Son, the fourth album from MAGNET fave Jesse Sykes And The Sweet Hereafter, is out August 2 via the band’s Station Grey label. It’s the first LP the group has done since 2007’s Like, Love, Lust And The Open Halls Of The Soul, and there are good reasons for the gap. Says Sykes, “It took longer than usual to make, but a lot was going on. (Guitarist) Phil (Wandscher) and I broke up after being a couple for 10 years, and I needed some time to triage and convalesce a bit, then see if we could carry on together musically. Also in that window, babies were born, people died, and I got engaged to my new love.” The resulting Marble Son is one of the best albums we’ve heard around the MAGNET office so far this year. Download “Come To Mary” below, and catch the band on a West Coast tour next month.

“Come To Mary” (download):
https://magnetmagazine.com/audio/ComeToMary.mp3

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FREE MP3s MIX TAPE

Last Remaining Pinnacle Makes MAGNET A Mix Tape

A lot of bands say they’re influenced by the Velvet Underground and early Pink Floyd. However, few bands that make this claim actually send you on a timewarp to a slightly more awesome version of the late ‘60s. That’s precisely what Virginia duo Last Remaining Pinnacle does with its latest recording, a split seven-inch with Pan Galactic Straw Boss. We already can’t wait for the next one, this time with Cult Of Dom Keller. The band is the brainchild of Dave Allison, started in 1995 and undergoing numerous transformations and collaborations in the years since, producing more than two dozen releases. The latest incarnation of Last Remaining Pinnacle consists of Allison and guitarist Dave Dembitsky, and they both contributed to the cool mix tape below.

“Students Of The V.U.” (download):
https://magnetmagazine.com/audio/StudentsOfTheVU.mp3

The New York Dolls “Personality Crisis”
Allison: This track kicks off the Dolls’ self-titled debut album, which hit stores the day I was born. The swagger and attitude of this song will never be duplicated. The opening riff and Johansen’s scream get me every time. One of many revolutionary records to come out in the year 1973. Video

Cat Power “Maybe Not”
Dembitsky: This artist is just one of those people who is the real deal. When you see her live, it’s like the sounds just have to come out, like nothing else makes any sense. This song and pretty much all of the tracks on this album are haunting, however this one reaches deep down with that mix of hope and reality and just crushes you. No one sounds like her; many people try, but that feeling is just otherworldly. Video

Turkish Delight “Blue Wing”
Allison: One of Boston’s best bands of the ’90s. This song is based on a poem by Langston Hughes. Turkish Delight were a huge influence on what I thought a band could be, as they really showed me how you could experiment with noise and odd sounds to the fullest extent while still keeping things in the context of a rock ‘n’ roll band. Their album Tommy Bell, which this song appeared on, is essential. Video

Iggy Pop “Sixteen”
Dembitsky: This song is just plain demented!!!  All the raunchy keys and his lyrics—it’s all there. Here is a guy who feels cut off from all the people he sees. Iggy sounds so torn up about whatever it is.  Just plain deranged I guess. The emotion feels so raw and human but also has a “salty” quality to it. Video

Merzbow “Track 2 Untitled (Oersted) (Part 1)”
Allison: This was the first Merzbow track I ever heard. Right away, I found it to be the most thought-provoking recording I’d ever heard. I visualize amazing things in my head every time I listen to this, and to the surprise of most, I actually feel relaxed and at peace while doing so. There’s something incredibly soothing to me about Merzbow’s pulsating noise mayhem. Video

Low “Majesty”
Dembitsky: I am so excited by this new album. All the songs as usual are great and have that quality that only Low can bring to the table. This particular song has a lot of disturbing sound to it. The vocals sound so eerie yet ethereal, and then the guitar kicks in and sounds so heavy to me. The song just builds and builds, and it’s one of the cleanest heavy sounds I have ever heard. Live, this band sounds so amazing; they pull off the stripped-down sound with utter perfection. Video

Brian Eno “Dead Finks Don’t Talk”
Allison: Another one from 1973. Such an amazing combination of traditional sounds and unconventional sounds. I was incredibly drawn to this song when I was a kid, as a friend’s older brother had snatched his mothers copy of Here Come The Warm Jets and come over to borrow my turntable to make a tape of it before his mom found out it was missing. I managed to make a copy of the record for myself as well on a crappy Scotch brand cassette, which I think only added to the experimental dynamic of this track. The sounds at the end of this song are simply priceless. Video

Neil Young “Cortez The Killer”
Dembitsky: I love the soundscape that Neil creates with this song. No one can touch the tone of this guy ever!!! This song is best heard cranked up, coming back from the beach at three or four in the morning with a serious buzz happening, and the wind just flowing all around and you’re with the one you need the most. Pure. Video

Ride “Like A Day Dream”
Allison: I would tape 120 Minutes every Sunday night when I was in high school. Every Monday after school, I’d go over a friend’s house, and we’d watch the tape anticipating what new music we would encounter. I’ll never forget the first time I saw the video for Ride’s “Like A Daydream.” Everything about the song and look of the video impacted me that day. I ran out to the local indie store and found a copy of Smile on cassette and immediately proclaimed them my new favorite band. Video

Broadcast “Papercuts”
Dembitsky: I was so shook up when I heard Trish Keenan had died. I always wanted to see them live but never got the chance. The sounds on the record are amazing dark and mechanical; they conjure some of the best parts of the ’60s sound. That whole sci-fi aspect is mixed with what I think is one of the best drummers around—that guy is just sick!!! One of the best bands for setting a mood with lush textures and electronic goodness. Video

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GUEST EDITOR

From The Desk Of The Ladybug Transistor: Darren Hanlon And The Movies

The Ladybug Transistor formed in Brooklyn in 1995, and frontman Gary Olson has been the band’s sole constant member. Clutching Stems (Merge) is the group’s seventh album and the first to be made following the 2007 asthma-related death of drummer San Fadyl. Since, the band’s lineup has solidified behind Olson, featuring Kyle Forester, Julia Rydholm, Mark Dzula, Eric Farber and Michael O’Neill. The Ladybug Transistor will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our brand new Q&A with Olson.

Gary Olson speaks with Darren Hanlon about Australian cinema, spaghetti-Westerns and Eli Wallach.

Olson: So we’re in the land of of all of the great spaghetti-Westerns. A lot of those Leone pictures were shot in Almería, Spain, just down south of here. Would you consider a visit to Eli Wallach‘s (Hanlon’s favorite actor) old stomping grounds?
Hanlon: Oh man, I’d love to. Can’t believe this is where it all went down. He was nearly killed a couple of times making The Good, The Bad And The Ugly, you know?
Really? Well I guess “safety officer” was a job yet to be invented back then. What happened?
The scene where he cuts his handcuffs on the train track. That was a real train. And no stunt doubles. Leone asked him to raise his head so the camera could see him better. If he had’ve, he would’ve been decapitated by the train step. And then there’s him being hand tied on a galloping horse. That was all real.
Gee. Eli still loves working. Do you reckon it’s been the key to his longevity?
That, and I’m guessing they grey coloured shake he always seems to be drinking when I visit him. Maybe it’s liquid life-force. He says the key to his long life is happiness. He has a framed personalised letter from Tennesse Williams that says something like, “Eli has the ability to piss everyone off, as he’s found the key to eternal happy.”
That’s sweet. He was a real Brooklyn boy and attended Erasmus Hall High School, which is near my place. Some other noted Erasmus alumni are Neil Diamond, Bobby Fischer, Marky Ramone, Mickey Spillane, Barbra Streisand and Mae West.
Wow. Is that why you’re such an overachiever? Is there a plaque there anywhere saying the Gary Olson Auditorium?
I actually attended Midwood, which is where Woody Allen went to high school, but it’s amazing to think of the variety of ghosts roaming the halls of Erasmus.
Yeah, they might all get together at night in the gymnasium and have parties, like in The Shining. Could you imagine Marky Ramone playing chess with Bobby Fischer?
Or Barbra Streisand dueting with Neil Diamond.
They’re not dead yet.
Either is Marky Ramone for that matter. We’re getting ahead of ourselves. I really love the video you made for “I Wish That I Was Beautiful For You.” It’s such a wonderful tribute to Ditmas Park and Marlborough Road. Eli is truly a man of the stage, and his performance is so expressive, even though the majority of the clip has no dialogue. We’re you nervous in your scene together?
Yeah, so nervous. And I can’t watch it now. Plus I look ill from being awake the whole night before with anxiety. He kept saying just pretend we’re having a conversation, and I said that’s what I’m trying to do! He was very complimentary.
I think it’s sweet. The Australian film industry seems to have gotten a slow start. There was not much commercially available in the USA until the ’70s with Picnic At Hanging Rock, etc. Why did it take so long to peak? Were you getting a lot of imports down there?
It was strong in the beginning. We’re even credited with having the world’s first feature: Ned Kelly. Not the Heath Ledger version. They’ve only salvaged a few minutes of it. More bits pop up now and again. I think someone found another canister from it at a dump a few years back. So yeah, the scene had a lull for a few years. But the ’70s were actually very productive. That’s when the whole Ozploitation thing was going on. And other films must have been shown somewhere in the U.S., as I know Tarantino was inspired by all of that stuff when he saw it. He loved Man From Hong Kong—Australian kung fu! They even fight on Ayers Rock.
Is it named after Kevin Ayers?
Very good mate.
But seriously, that film’s a bit racist right?
Well…
Moving on. Do you have a Hanging Rock theory of your own?
You mean what happened to the girls? Hmm. It could have been a clever tourism ploy. Good way of getting people to visit your geographical site: Stage a gothic mystery! The few times I’ve been there there’s always someone calling out “Miranda!”
I just read Errol Flynn is from Tasmania?!
Yes, I always think of him when I drive past Hobart Hospital where he was born.
In your opinion what’s the most essential Australian film and the most underrated?
I always say Wake In Fright. And that’s made by a Canadian. In 1971. I don’t think anyone has captured the outback condition before or since. The feeling of being imprisoned by open space. In fact I think it was called Outback in the U.S. or U.K. Australians hated it when it came out—too close to the bone for most. It’s challenging and pretty disturbing and looks so beautiful. And then the director went on to make First Blood and Weekend At Bernie’s!
Really?! You are a frequent houseguest of mine. My landlord refers to you as Russell Crowe. I imagine this happens a lot. Have you ever taken advantage of the resemblance?
Just recently on the U.S. tour, we were at a food co-op somewhere in Montana, and the lady serving us was going on about it, so I said I was his brother. She was like, “Really?” And I said, “Yeah, we don’t see him much. He lives in L.A. and N.Y. a lot. But he tries to come home for Christmas.”
Oh no
Shelley Short, my bandmate who I was traveling with, said the woman went mental when I walked out and and got her colleagues to go out to take a look at Russell Crowe’s brother.
I’m working on a screenplay for Cocktail 2: Down Under and would like to cast you in the Tom Cruise roll. What are your conditions for accepting?
That would be great. And we’d set it in the outback. A cocktail bar that only sells beer. Yeah! This is great. We send the Tom Cruise character to the land of Wake In Fright and see how long he survives with all his tiny umbrellas and fancy shaker tricks.
We’ve been on tour now for a week and are often sharing hotel rooms. Would you consider doing a new Odd Couple series with me?
Yeah, of course. Ernie And Bert The Movie. That means you’re the uptight one, I guess.
And you’re messy and wear a lot of stripey T-shirts. You are off to Krakow tomorrow. Are you planning to brush up on your Polish cinema?
I’m hoping Mr. Polanski will be there to greet me at the airport.

Video and another photo after the jump.

Continue reading “From The Desk Of The Ladybug Transistor: Darren Hanlon And The Movies”
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LIVE REVIEWS

Live Review: Mountain Man, Philadelphia, PA, July 25, 2011

It was rather fitting that Vermont trio Mountain Man performed at the First Unitarian Church the night a much-needed rainstorm brought some relief from the triple-digit heat that’s been scorching the city of Philadelphia for the past few weeks. As the rain washed away the layer of grime that sticks to everything when it’s oppressively hot and humid, the lovely female voices that filled the church’s side chapel came as a breath of fresh air to a music scene that seems to have all but forgotten the artform of unaccompanied vocal harmonies. With songs that appear to be inspired by old sailor tunes and Southern hymns, Mountain Man creates a sound that feels familiar but is also unlike anything else that’s out today—factors that are reflected in the band’s unfussy live act.

Fans squeezed into the tiny chapel, all slightly damp after waiting in the rain for the doors to open, and Molly Sarle, Alexandra Sauser-Monnig and Amelia Meath (also sporting wet hair and clothes) casually began the show with a spectacular rendition of “Honeybee” without even pausing to find their first notes. The performance continued in the same effortless-sounding vein as the band stunned the audience with slightly re-worked versions of songs from debut album Made The Harbor, along with a few well-chosen covers. Standout songs included “Animal Tracks,” “Sewee Sewee” and “River,” as well as “Babylon,” a nun-like round that was befitting of the show’s church setting.

The set, like the album, was overwhelmingly a capella, with each girl displaying her versatility by sharing duties on lead vocals as well as both high and low harmonies. Occasionally, Sarle or Sauser-Monnig would strum or fingerpick an acoustic guitar, but the instrumental aspect was never a focus of the act and instead was used merely to add to each song almost as a whim. In today’s age, when it’s easy to hide behind veils of loop pedals and special effects, it’s truly inspiring to see a band brave enough to lay it out bare and talented enough to do it perfectly.

What was especially unique about this performance was its warmth and intimacy, as the girls joked around with each other about eighth-grade diary entries and dreams about Marilyn Manson, paused to say “God bless you” to a fan who sneezed and giggled between songs. Even a mistake on guitar (punctuated by a frustrated “Fuuuuck!” from Sarle), which would have been a glaringly awkward blunder at any other show, only added to the band’s down-to-earth vibe. The set felt less like a performance and more like the audience was sitting in on a hang-out session between three best friends, who were singing together solely for the joy of it, with no rock-star pretence to spoil the mood. We in the audience felt included in the love, too, when the band ended the set by engaging us in a three-part round, leaving the stage to blend in with the crowd.

—Emily Costantino

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VIDEOS

Film At 11: Black Lips

In June, Black Lips issued their sixth album via Vice Records, and it marked the first time the Atlanta flower punks didn’t self-produce one of their releases. The 16-track Arabia Mountain features nine songs produced by Mark Ronson (Adele, Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse), with the remainder being recorded with Lockett Pundt (Deerhunter). Black Lips kicked off an East Coast tour tonight in Charlotte, N.C. Catch them when they come to your town, download mp3s of Ronson-produced Arabia Mountain tracks “New Direction” and “Modern Art,” and watch the Jake Burghart-directed video for “New Direction” below.

http://vimeo.com/26259316