Portland

Interview w/ Brent DeBoer – Record Release Show at the Woods Tonight!

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Brent “Fathead” DeBoer, the drummer and backup vocalist for The Dandy Warhols, has had a pretty impressive career. The Dandys have toured with such greats as The Rolling Stones and Tom Petty, and are soon releasing an album of their greatest hits. DeBoer recently stepped out on his own to record a solo album, The Farmer, a melodic collection of acoustic songs, a portion of the proceeds from which are being donated to charity.

DeBoer was kind enough to sit down and have a chat with The Deli Portland regarding David Bowie, the hillbilly folk scene, and tonight’s show at the newest hit venue in Portland, The Woods.

What inspired you for this album The Farmer?

Well, Brian Coates (of The Great Northwest) for sure, and anyone on the committee, dead or alive, that I could imagine listening to it. At the time, I was living in the rock dorm and Brian Coates lived downstairs. He writes melodic, acoustic, trippy, sad songs, and I was tying to do a bunch of songs like his in that way. Then eight years later, when he was recording Zia MaCabe’s (Dandy Warhols’ keyboardist) album, he was recording her. She’d get done at 10:00 p.m, they’d work until then and then I came in, broke out all the old cassettes, and Brian and I would work until six in the morning. But yeah, I’d say the biggest influence would be Brian Coates.

A portion of the proceeds from The Farmer are going to the MS Foundation. Why is that a cause that’s important to you?

My dad has MS, and when I’d recorded this with Coatsie, I didn’t know what I was going to do with it. We put it on and it sounded pretty cool, and we wanted to do something with it that would be different. Most albums, especially something like this, they just come and go and they wouldn’t really matter that much. But I wanted to think of a way for a different audience to hear it, and I started thinking of charity things, and MS was an obvious one, considering my Dad, and the fact that I’d done the MS walk a few times, so we called up the people at the Oregon chapter at the MS Society, so we’re contributing some of the proceeds to fight MS.

What are the highlights of your career so far?

There’s a handful. There’s been a few massive concerts, big shows around the world, but I think the main thing would be just having musical peers show appreciation by coming to your concerts, or mentioning in the press how much they like a certain song or album. Having David Bowie and his band come to see us play a few times made us feel really good. Generally when you start a band, you’re not thinking about fame or money or chicks, you’re just trying to be accepted by your peers in the music world. Even if it’s just some fantasy figure you imagine, that’s what you’re really thinking of. So to have Joe Strummer walk up to me at a festival and ask when we were going on, and tell me he loved the music, or having Bowie come to the show, it makes it easier to sleep at night. It makes it easier to ignore it when you hear some snotty reviewer rag on you – you rest assured that they’re wrong. I care more about Joe Strummer’s opinion than some guy writing for some rag out of Denver who gives us a shitty review.

What’s next for you?

We have the Dandy Warhols greatest hits collection coming out, which we’re calling The Capitol Years, considering the fact that we never really had a collection, or more than one semi-hit. It’s just a collection of songs that had videos, or were sent to radio stations by Capitol Records. There are two bonus tracks, and those are just about done. I’m also recording an album of songs of mine and my friends Bob Harrow and Gamma, who are both from Australia. We’re calling it Immigrant Union. We’re recording it with Greg Williams who produced the album Thirteen Tales for the Dandys. The ultimate dream for Immigrant Union is to tour country music fairs, going overseas, playing the Grand Ole Opry, the Austin City Limits Festival…just that other world of country world of hillbilly folk. It’s a world I don’t know, but I’d really like to. That’s the band that’ll play with me on April 30th, at The Woods. It’s $15, but it’s worth it because the money goes to a good cause.

Brent De Boer’s solo record The Farmer is raising money to fight MS, and is available now on CD Baby.

– Arielle Mullen

Chicago

YAWN Remix

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Ever since SXSW the buzz surrounding YAWN has been unbelievable. It shows you what a solid SXSW performance can do for a band. They have a new video that should be out soon and they have a remix ep coming out shortly as well. We have a sneak peek at the ep with a remix of “Midnite” by German artist Groovehahn. The original version of the track can be found on YAWN’s free self-titled debut ep.

YAWN plays next at Empty Bottle on May 29th with Yourself and The Air.

Philadelphia

Weekend Warrior, April 30 – May 2

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When Grammar Debate! finished up their sophmore album Broken Heart Deluxe last summer, we don’t think anyone thought that it would take this long for them to celebrate the fruits of their labor, especially when your frontman is at the helm of concert promotion group Village Green Productions. But you’ll finally get your chance to toast their hard work tonight at Kung Fu Necktie, which we’re sure Joe Lekkas and the rest of the crew will be doing – over and over again. And when the band hit the road and toured the Midwest in support of Broken Heart Deluxe, they did it alongside long-time friends Adam & Dave’s Bloodline who will also be joining them on stage this evening. Ever since the release of their album Boycott Classics and the release of their newest single “Come See Come Saw/Living Gets Easy”, Adam & Dave’s Bloodline have been getting plenty of local love!
 
More things to get you out and about this weekend…
 
Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) SAT Mondo Topless Album Release Party, SUN Attia Taylor and Creatures of Prey
 
Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) SAT The Swimmers and East Hundred
 
North Star Bar (2639 Poplar St.) FRI Urban Giants
 
The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) FRI Infinien, SAT Surgeon and Big Terrible,
 
M Room (15 W. Girard Ave.) FRI Tough Shits, Invisible Friends, The Midnight Beat, SAT Psychedelphia
 
The Khyber (56 S. 2nd St.) FRI The Last Barbarian, SAT Kettle Pot Black and Crills Wilson
 
Tritone (1508 South St.) SAT Broad Street Blues
 
World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) FRI Downtown Harvest and Stonethrown

Blockley Pourhouse (3801 Chestnut St.) FRI The Moxy

 
Danger Danger Gallery (5013 Baltimore Ave.) FRI Far-Out Fangtooth
 
Millcreek Tavern (4200 Chester Ave.) FRI Dirt Worshipper and Deathbeds
 
JR’s Bar (2327 S. Croskey St.) FRI Monolith
 
Murph’s Bar (202 E. Girard Ave.) FRI Thee Nosebleeds and Shakey Lyman
 
The Carriage House (myspace.com/onlyonecarriagehouse or email OnlyOneCarriageHouse@gmail.com) FRI The Spooks, The Great Vibration, Far-Out Fangtooth

 

Nashville

Travisfest 2010 & Rocketown’s Last “Old Building” Show

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Saturday night started off right with Travisfest at Rocketown. The 4th annual kid-organized concert was held to assist Travis Morgan, a "Rocketown kid," who was in an accident three years ago that left him in a coma. While he is no longer comatosed, his recovery has been extremely slow, so the concert was organized to raise money to help him with his medical expenses.

Travisfest also happened to be the final show in the Rocketown building, although the occasion didn’t seem to be marred by any melodramatic "last show in the old building" feelings; apparently the new Rocketown location will be bigger and badder than ever before. (More details about TBA).

There was a tremendous turnout, making the benefit for Travis a wild success, and making the whole night a double whammy. I was able to catch several of the bands that played, including Roaming Cloud, Alcina and Goodbye Apathy. The latter two put on particularly compelling performances because their band members are longtime freinds of Travis, and were therefore especially glad to be playing at their friend’s benefit. Travis’s parents were there as well, talking to the countless people who have been inspired by Travis and his unbelievable recovery. While I felt somewhat out of place and in danger of being slammed by a teenager in a mosh pit, I couldn’t help but enjoy the fact that hundreds of kids were wearing the t-shirts sold in Travis’s honor, and found myself wishing I still had money from my parents because hell — who doesn’t love supporting a cause?

Everyone being there to support the Morgans, each other and their friend’s band was the best thing about Saturday night. It was really cool to see so many youth form a community through Rocketown in an effort to care for someone in need. And, might I add, even the way they reacted to the band performances and the music was very supportive and "communal" as well.

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again, the Rocketown crowd will be the Infinity Cat kids in four or five years. The fist pumping, the synchronized sing-alongs and crowd-surfing, the roaring and screaming? All were executed with such vigor that shivers were sent down my spine, and I feared that I was going to be caught in a youth hipster revolt of some sort, lead by Travis’s best friend and lead singer of Goodbye Apathy, Brett Ison. But no – everybody was simply praising Travis Morgan and commemorating the old Rocketown building in the proper way. Speaking of which, everyone brought old pictures and memorabilia to put into a coffin, which will be built into the new location in June. (See above pic).

After witnessing so many teens unite over such a personal issue, I can say that Travisfest 2010 was definitely a grand slam.

Note: If you’re interested in donating to the Morgan family, send a check to Rocketown and write "Travis Morgan Donation" on the memo line. They’ll take care of the rest. – Erin Manning

NYC

Best of NYC #54: Eskalators – Live at Deli Best of NYC Fest on 05.15

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We continue our "Best of NYC Countdown", covering every day one of the artists that made our Year End Best of NYC list (a chart compiled by a jury comprised of local bloggers, music writers, promoters, record sotre personnel and DJs). Many of the bands in this list will play The Deli’s Best of NYC Fest in Williamsburg in May (6 shows in 3 different venues between the 13 and the 15).

Eskalators are part band and part public performance piece. As if being a ska-influenced band in the Brooklyn indie scene isn’t already enough to raise some eyebrows, the band’s infamous and well-documented subway car performances have grabbed the attention of the Village Voice, the New York Post and Time Out New York. Eskalators formed in 2007 and performed their first show on—yes—an escalator in the Mall of America, and have since gone on to incorporate 18 members, including Williams. On the new record, Cats and Dogs Living Together, the band combines melodic and raw power-pop/punk vocals and power chords, a horn section, and everything from flute and glockenspiel to djembe. The songs are instantly infectious—melodic hooks abound and Williams’s vocals tap into the urgency of 20-something angst. The Eskalators aren’t totally a ska band (and to be fair, not everyone in the band grew up listening to ska); there’s enough pop melody and instrumental variety to push the band into other musical categories, and anyone with an interest in fun, energetic, and well-crafted songs should hop on board and sing along (lyrics are included with the band’s new record for that very purpose). – Bill Dvorak

NYC

The Shake wins free studio time at Stratosphere Sound through The Deli

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As you all should be aware by now, The Deli’s mission is to give local artists free exposure and opportunities. Recently Stratosphere Sound, the Chelsea based recording studio owned by Smashing Pumpkins’ James Iha and Fountains of Wayne’s Adam Schlesinger, gave to The Deli readers the opportunity to win a FULL DAY of free studio time (there will be more, so stay tuned!). We can now announce that the winners of this first studio time giveaway (chosen directly by the Stratosphere Sound’s staff) are alt rockers The Shake – congrats! Stratosphere Sound has a 30% discount on their studio rates for all those who will mention The Deli until the end of September.

Austin

Quiet Company: Songs for Staying In

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I don’t like playing favorites.  Really.  I don’t.  But early on in my time here at The Deli, Quiet Company wowed me with a live showing and has done well to keep a band-sized section of my heart occupied.  QC has been busy lately, recording and mixing their new EP, Songs for Staying In.  Though it debuts officially May 11th, for the last few weeks they’ve been releasing a song and a documentary-style video every Monday, gearing up for the official release.  On top of that, preorders of the EP give you an instant-download of the album with a physical copy of the CD mailed to you on or before release day. 

Magical.

The EP is a solid release, and if you’re familiar with the band—and my earlier review of them—the ground tread here is similar to what they’ve tread before, that is, a strong and smooth sound that dabbles in both the realms of good rock and good pop.  The world where Elton John’s cover of “Pinball Wizard”  happily frolics.  The difference from their earlier work, however, comes from what the band refers to, in the earlier mentioned documentary style videos, as their “Sergeant Pepper phase.”  Bringing in friends and family to round out an extra choir and employing a slew of random instruments from glockenspiels and stylophones to good old fashion whistling, Songs for Staying Inis a release of Quiet Company’s familiar stylings with a bunch of new, exciting and fun stuff you’ve never heard them do before. 

As for the songs themselves, the first track, “How Do You Do It” literally had me singing along with it on my first play through.  It’s hooks are catchy and of all the songs on the album it’s the least experimental, which is good, because it ends up being an all-around solid rock tune.  From there, the style of the album eases up more and more until you get to the end, offering a good variety—a steady shift from solid rock to smoother ballads, think of the album as the downward slope of a rollercoaster—for an EP release, which is refreshing, and gives you something to listen to regardless of what mood you’re in.  The only drawback here is that pulls back on the tonal consistency, though that’s hardly what an EP should be trying to achieve.  All the songs exhibit the excellent crescendo style of song that Quiet Company has always been so good out—songs often starting out small or slow and then building up to a massive wall of sound.  The most frequent recurring instrumentals outside of Quiet Company’s norm is a horn section, which is a welcome compliment to the already piano-heavy music that QC displays.  And perhaps the most exciting surprise is a kazoo breakdown in “Things You Already Know.”  Yes, kazoo breakdown.  It’s as great and fun as you can imagine. 

The message behind the release, like the band itself, is love, and it definitely comes through well. Even in the song “Jezebel or ‘A Song About My Friend and That Whore He Dated.’”  And a band that can make a title like that about love, well that should be a band you want to listen to.  Basically, if you like what Quiet Company’s been doing for the last two albums, you should really enjoy this, and if what they’ve been putting out hasn’t really done it for you, there might be something on here to sway your mind.

All in all, Songs for Staying In is a solid EP release from a great band.  It takes a lot of fun chances with its self and offers a wide variety of music for the money, and while it doesn’t reinvent the band, it certainly treads some new territory and gives a lot of stuff we haven’t heard from them before while refining and sharpening what they already have.  Quiet Company is celebrating the EP release May 7th at Encore alongside The Black and White Years and The Rocketboys.  611 Red River. Doors open at 8pm, show starts at 9pm.  Songs for Staying In available for ‘preorder’ now with official release May 11th.

–Mitchell Mazurek

 

NYC

Diehard CD review and new video

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There seems to be a trend of late that we certainly won’t complain about: local NYC/Brooklyn bands channeling earnest 90s music styles to match the Doc Martens and grandmother-inspired floral prints seen on the streets of Williamsburg. After a positive review from Pitchfork for their track, “Future Tense,” local band Diehard couldn’t be blamed if they were to perhaps act like they have it all sorted, but this power pop four-piece offers no hint of pretension on their Oh So Premier EP.
After the minimal-to-layered buildup of the opening track, the record kicks into higher gear with “Was I Wrong?,” a playful Velocity Girl-like singsong of regret that can’t help but bring on a smile. “Future Tense,” a haunting I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One-evoking track manages to honor that quintessential record while also offering a new breath of youthful beats and lyrical beauty. We can easily imagine it as a worthy track to follow “Damage,”  yet it holds its own in the sincere indie rock department.
“Cool Kids”, the final track on the EP, is a beach friendly take on harmony and happenstance. “We’re all down/We’re around” makes us want to meet them at the benches in front of Bouton Hall for an afternoon of youthful time wasting.
Oh So Premier may do its fair share of conjuring up the past, but it also marks an enjoyable present and promising future for Diehard. – Lora Grillo for StereoactiveNYC.com

Chicago

Edible Audible Picnic

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Yesterday the line-up for this year’s Edible Audible Picnic was announced and the theme seems to play heavily to fans of electro-pop. Featuring bands like Thrill Jockey’s High Places and Javelin, Solvent, The Juan Maclean and Dosh and much more, the Jay Pritzker Pavilion will be bouncing all summer. The Chicago acts performing this year are The Cool Kids (6/14), Green Velvet aka Cajmere (7/3), Chicago Hip Hop — All Headz on Deck (7/24), A Grape Dope (7/26), All City Affairs (8/23), Future Rock (8/30), and Orchard Lounge (9/4).

Everyday throughout the summer between June 1 and September 21, visitors can find free concerts on the stage of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion as part of the On Stage at Noon series, along with family programs and open rehearsals of the acclaimed Grant Park Music Festival.

Philadelphia

Paul Collins Beat at M Room April 30

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Paul Collins’ legendary early band The Nerves continue to be worshipped by new generations of hipsters and music lovers worldwide. And when the rock icon who has been going strong since 1974 comes into Philly tonight, he’ll be playing with three up-and-coming bands who easily embody the free spirit that his band encompassed so many years ago. Every performance of Tough Shits is fueled by a timeless garage rock swing mentality that has the crowd moving along to the beat. And since the band has been hard at work recording a new LP, they might just have some new material to unveil. In the wake of Dark Horse & the Carousels, The Invisible Friends have emerged to provide a barrage of lo-fi ballads like “Pulling Weight” and “No One Son”. Rounding out this lineup The Midnight Beat who take 2010 back to the early 70’s rock sound where guitar twanging ballads own the beat of the night while sounding like Iggy Pop jamming out to Chuck Berry. M Room, 15 W. Girard Ave., 9pm, $10, 21+ – Bill McThrill