12.sept.2010

BERLIN-MUSIC-WEEK.DE
SHE & HIM
VOLUME TWO
She & Him is Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward. Volume Two is bolstered by rich harmonies, sweet-assugar melodies and Brill Building choruses.
6.–12.SEPT.2010
LET’S WRESTLE
IN THE COURT OF THE
WRESTLING LET’S
“It’s all such impossibly oft-kilter infectious, highenergy personality with laughably loveable lyrics, it’s
like the maddest teenage crush.” — The Big Takeover
STROKE
SONGS FOR CHRIS KNOX
Featuring covers by Jeff Mangum, Jay Reatard, and
Yo La Tengo, all proceeds from this benefit go toward
the recovery of New Zealand legend Chris Knox.
RADAR BROTHERS
THE ILLUSTRATED GARDEN
The Illustrated Garden is the punchiest, most lyrically direct set of songs the band has released to date.
The songs are unmistakably Radar Brothers, but the
new rhythm section (Be Hussey and Stevie Treichel)
often pushes them in unexpected directions.
SPOON
TRANSFERENCE
“Transference is the most exciting album Spoon
has ever made” — Nylon Guys
SHOUT OUT LOUDS
WORK
Produced by Phil Ek (Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses,
The Shins), Work strips away all of the bells and
whistles of previous efforts to showcase the band
doing what they do best, writing and playing pop music that is “nostalgic and angst-ridden, but ultimately
life-affirming.” (Amazon.com)
We get a lot of mail here at the Filter offices—some good, some bad,
some...well, completely unclassifiable. Send us something strange and you
might see it here. There we were, sitting around in disbelief that it’d been
nearly 28 years since one of our favorite singers, Milo Aukerman from
the Descendents, went to college—
and he hadn’t even sent us a single
postcard. Imagine our surprise
when this positively nerdy/beautiful
“Throbblehead” doll of Milo showed
up instead. This limited edition
piece of 1,000 (provided courtesy of
Aggronautix) is going to look great on
the mantle of our “Suburban Home.”
We’re not losers…
IN THE GUIDE
You can download the Filter Good Music Guide at
FILTERmagazine.com. While there, be sure to check
out our back issues, the latest of which features The Swell
Season, Air, Au Revoir Simone, Neil Finn and Kings of
Convenience. And if you’re headed down to Austin for
South by Southwest, be sure to keep your eyes and ears
peeled for us. We sure do get around.
THE
FALL MUSIC/VOODOO EXPERIENCE
#'.©D8ID7:G"CDK:B7:G¿%.
WˆŒ‰DW‹h{Œ…ˆiƒ…„{©d{‚\„„
Kings of Convenience
ON THE WEB
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Out now: FILTER Issue 39—“Over the
Influence: Charlotte Gainsbourg & Beck”
In this issue, FILTER sits down with French
singer-songwriter and actress Charlotte
Gainsbourg and avant-garde pop musician Beck
to discuss the eccentric pair’s collaboration on
Gainsbourg’s IRM, the beauty of discovering
inspiration in the most sterile of places, and why
they admire artists like writer-director Michel
Gondry. Also: Northern soul guru Keb Darge
takes us back to the beginnings of deep funk,
soul and record digging; the retro-sounding pop-rock outfit Dr. Dog opens
up about the challenges and high points of making Shame, Shame; and Jeff
Bridges divulges some personal information about The Dude’s childhood.
Plus: Quintron and Miss Pussycat, Jesca Hoop, Yeasayer, The Besnard
Lakes, Laura Marling, Mumford & Sons, Ted Leo, Noah Baumbach on
Greenberg, and an email-inspired EndNote from Parks and Recreation star
Aziz Ansari. Contact us
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© 2010 by Filter Magazine LLC.
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filter is printed in the usa
FILTERmagazine.com
cover photo by sam jones
THE FILTER MAILBAG
Your Guide to Innovations in Entertainment
Get Innovation Motivation with
the All New Slacker Radio
Let’s face it: BlackBerrys and iPhones are addictive. The constant
zinging of emails, instant messages and Facebook notifications sent
and received at rapid-fire speed make it nearly impossible to keep
your fingers off the keys. And with this updated version of Slacker
Radio, it looks like it’ll be even harder to kick the addiction. The
free, downloadable application not only features more than 100 preprogrammed stations complete with in-depth artist biographies and
album reviews, but also enables BlackBerry and iPhone owners to
create their own personalized playlists with unlimited space and highquality sound. But, perhaps Slacker’s best quality is its latest addition—
the ability to store your favorite tracks directly on your phone, making
the music available for listening even when you’re without Internet
connection. With all this recent innovation motivation, Slacker just
might have to change its name. LAUREN BARBATO
7Digital Leaves the DRM at Home So You Can Roam
A few years ago, we told you about how the 7digital online store allows you to download U.K. releases stateside,
thus solving that little import problem. And now, those rascals over at 7digital have done it again. This time,
they’re finally bringing Blackberry users a high quality mobile music store—from which tracks are delivered
immediately and then a higher quality mp3 is delivered once you have a stable Wi-Fi connection. The store has
an enormous collection of tracks to browse and buy and they’re all DRM-free—so you can play them wherever
and whenever you like ’til the cows come home. The app comes with an easy-on-the-eyes integrated advanced
music player, which will transfer your existing music. Best of all, it’s cheaper than iTunes. Tell that to your jeering
KATE CLIFFEN
iPhone pals.
Every door hides a story, discover them all at onitsukatiger.com
4 filter good music guide
Your Guide to Innovations in Entertainment
Bump Wirelessly with Klipsch
ProMedia 2.1 Speakers
As the purpose of computers has changed from simply being
a way to gather and store information to being the center
of all things entertainment-related, it’s about time other
technologies evolved. Luckily, Klipsch already has. The
speaker-design company has added a slightly more modern
twist to its popular ProMedia 2.1 model that heightens your
computer’s sound quality without the inconvenience of a plugin. Acting as the system’s main power source, the subwoofer
connects into a wall outlet and then the two speakers via wires.
But with no cables needed for the computer, you and your
laptop can roam freely without losing the rich 2.1 sound—as
long as you remain within the wireless range of 30 feet. And
for only $199, you won’t need to sacrifice sound quality for
accessibility again. LAUREN BARBATO
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Tune in Tokyo with the
Nobex Radio Companion
By now, almost everyone has some type of iDevice to listen to
music—even the Baby Boomers are getting hip (…replacements!
We kid.). But just because you’re cruising around town with your
earbuds doesn’t mean that a good ol’ fashioned radio transmitter
is out of style. The Nobex Radio Companion allows you to listen
to thousands of radio stations from the mobile comfort of your
BlackBerry. The program allows you to stream radio stations from
more than 60 countries around the world. You could be munchin’
on some ribs at SXSW while jamming out to tunes from Timbuktu.
For the 21st century music listener, it doesn’t get much sweeter
than that. DANIEL KOHN
6 filter good music guide
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Get Inked (and Drink) with
The Kissaway Trail!
Here is the challenge—for young and old!
The Kissaway Trail is a five-piece band from Odense, Denmark. Known for its dreamy, layered, lush sound, the
band is releasing its second album, Sleep Mountain, this spring—though it is the first to ever hit American shores.
In an effort to bring you, dear reader, closer to these great Danes, the Guide convinced the band members to roll up
their sleeves and let you in on a little Kissaway tattoo giveaway. Hunt ’em down and win a prize!
Your friends,
The Kissaway Trail
1. Rip this page out of the magazine.
2. Keep it with you at all times during the festival.
3. Come find us and bring it to our attention.
4. A drink (and tattoo) will be on us!
Hi SXSW fans, geeks and lovers,
We are The Kissaway Trail from Denmark. You see, Denmark is a country where you need to
choose to engrave at least one tattoo on your body before you turn 20. Right? All five members
in our band have at least one on us somewhere. So, to bring some of our fair Danish traditions
over with us to Austin’s SXSW, we thought to suggest a possible tattoo option for you! It comes
with one challenge though...
EVA EDSJO KONSTANTINOV
We are gifting a sketch of this tattoo to Filter Good Music Guide for this SXSW issue.
We chose to draw a reverb pedal tattoo because of our obsession with the endless possibilities
that it brings to our musical fantasies. We can’t make music without it!
8 filter good music guide
9 filter good music guide
WE SAY
PARTY,
aliya naumoff
WE SAY
By Ken Scrudato
It’s pithy that The xx’s name employs the same sort of
intentional poetic colorlessness as did the name choice
of The Smiths. Indeed, this London threesome similarly
forwards a particular brand of graveyard and teatime
poetry laced with turbulent, bemused sexuality. The
band’s rather astonishing debut is one of those rarest of
birds: a record that is both enthrallingly sexy and almost
unfailingly grey.
Intrigued to peel back a couple of layers of the already
advancing mystique of The xx, we appropriately catch up
with singer-guitarist Oliver Sim in Berlin—a city that
has itself long balanced a devotion to sexual liberty with
a near incessant state of recovery from unimaginable
tragedy. Sim is without guile, and, as somewhat expected,
affably impenetrable.
“We’re not particularly loud, in your face people,”
Sim reveals. We’d guessed that, yes.
“But I don’t think we’re depressives,” he’s quick
to defend. “We don’t just slip around frowning all the
time. I think the general mood of our music is a crosssection of some of our favorite songs.”
Much has been made of The xx’s ability to
incorporate the slinkier virtues of R&B into their
songs’ decaying-factory atmospherics. Make no
10 filter good music guide
mistake, nothing they do would be easily confused
with Beyoncé or Usher. Instead, they evince an
overarching languid sensuality, perhaps akin to the
feelings of a soldier (an Englishman, of course)
making love to his girl one last night before going
off to war.
The British press has been enthusiastically labeling
The xx as the future of music. But, truth be told, on
its self-titled LP, the band lightly tread a couple of
well-worn paths—not necessarily a criticism. “Intro,”
with its minimalist, distantly echoing guitar riff, could
easily be introducing an Interpol record. And songs
like “Crystalised” and “Heart Skipped a Beat” don’t
exactly hide affection for early New Order, with their
mix of sanguinely libidinous beats and mournful,
trebly bass riffs.
But hoping to also be enlightened to perhaps
a glorious catalog of obscure Northern soul gems,
we press Mr. Sim to open up about his band’s actual
influences. We get nothing of the sort.
“Lauryn Hill’s ‘The Ex Factor’ is one of the most
heartbreaking songs lyrically,” Sim offers. “And another
good one, which we covered, Womack and Womack’s
‘Teardrops’—I love the contradiction, in that it’s an
upbeat dance song that sounds great in a club, but it’s
got really sad lyrics.”
Mind you, the band’s debut bears little resemblance
to the glossily produced chart-fare Sim has just ticked
off. Rather, Jamie Smith’s spare production—desolate,
chilly but also somehow piercingly erotic—focuses the
attention on what genuinely does set The xx apart: the
doomed, romantic, soul-inflected vocal duets of Sim
and Romy Madley Croft.
But if the fans are the truest measure (and they
usually are), the band’s emotional frankness seems to be
making its mark on a new generation of wounded souls.
Like those aforementioned Smiths, The xx have already
begun to amass their own little army of outsiders.
“A lot of people come up asking me to explain my
lyrics,” Sim divulges, “but I wouldn’t want to disappoint
anyone. Some of my favorite songs I’ve sort of connected
to my own experiences. And if the person that wrote
those lyrics explained them and it didn’t match what
I thought them to be, I would think it would be quite
heartbreaking.”
Not that The xx don’t want to break your heart,
mind you. They’re just hoping to have a little time with
you on the dance floor first.
DIE
The history of artistic expression is littered with
humanity’s desperate attempts to convey both
the mysteries of sensuality and the depths of our
despairing. Here, we look at some of the musical
precursors to The xx, those that have found their
way to our pain by feeding our appetite for
pleasure—or, quite possibly, the other way around.
A CERTAIN RATIO
Described by the Tony Wilson character in 24 Hour
Party People as “Joy Division, but better dressed.”
Over wicked punk-funk dance grooves they spat
disdainful tales of post-industrial social decay.
Paradigm Moment: In “Shack Up,” Jeremy Kerr
sneers, “We can talk about the wedding ceremony/
and I know it’s just a phony.”
PREFAB SPROUT
Made shimmering, often uplifting and lascivious pop
songs with lyrics positing human relationships as a
frozen, hope-robbed wasteland. Coldplay copped
their aesthetic, replacing the sex with sulking.
Paradigm Moment: In “Desire As,” Paddy
McAloon icily conveys to a lover, “I’ve got six things
on my mind/You’re no longer one of them.” Ouch.
PORTISHEAD
Took the sexually charged Bristol dub-club beats
model and piled on Beth Gibbons’ devastatingly
anguished meditations on loneliness and isolation.
Paradigm Moment: In “Roads,” Gibbons abjectly
intones, “We’ve got a war to fight/I’ve got nobody
on my side.”
SUEDE
On a good night, Brett Anderson could out-strut
even Jagger. But behind all the trash glamour were
wasted tales of tenement alienation and smack
addiction.
Paradigm Moment: In “The Wild Ones,” Anderson
begs with Byronic poetic desperation, “But, oh, if you
stay, I’ll chase the rainblown fields away.”
BILLIE HOLLIDAY
She was the sexiest singer of her time, but there was
always the sadness.
Paradigm Moment: In “Billie’s Blues,” Lady Day
concedes, “I ain’t good looking/and my hair ain’t
curled.” Crushing. F
11 filter good music guide
By Kyle MacKinnel + Photos by Sam Jones
Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward insist they are doing
their best to keep things organic these days. So far, it
seems to be the healthiest way to go. However, despite
the fact that Deschanel famously keeps vegan (she was
even a celebrity judge for the Top Chef Masters vegan
challenge), diet likely has little to do with this. Naturally,
the two kindred spirits that make up She & Him are
referring to the way they approach that thing which
silences any notions of two stars promoting an image or
parading around their larger-than-life back-stories. Of
course, they’re talking about the music.
There is, however, a certain tango to freeing up
time when you already have a job. At any one moment,
both Deschanel and Ward can hold claim to at least a few.
The former is a bona fide movie star, having appeared
in such varied films as Elf, The Assassination of Jesse
James by the Coward Robert Ford, and last year’s (500)
Days of Summer (the soundtrack to which She & Him
contributed a song). The latter is a highly acclaimed solo
artist in his own right, with six albums under his belt,
and represents one quarter of the recently formed indie
supergroup, Monsters of Folk.
“It happens when it happens, like a baby that’s
ready to be born,” Deschanel says of choosing a time
to make She & Him’s newest child and second album,
Volume Two. “Exactly,” Ward echoes. When speaking
to these two, even over the phone, it becomes clear
that they are a perfect match. The conversation itself
takes on a certain vibrato. Both Deschanel and Ward
constantly seek out and genuinely value the other’s
opinion, which is practically a moot point because
they tend to agree on nearly everything. Additionally,
the band’s dynamic is well defined and suits its needs
ideally. She writes all of the songs—to be sure, that is
the words and the music—while Him is responsible for
the production and arrangement. In terms of making
records, theirs is a romance built to last. In a word, they
are complementary.
››
12 filter good music guide
good music guide filter 13
Deschanel: The Carter Family.
Ward: We happen to like a lot of the same songwriting,
but something we discovered in the making of the first
record is that we also love the same kind of production,
and that made [recording both records] go so smoothly.
It’s not a question of how; it’s just a question of when.
You know, ‘When are we going to get together and do
this stuff at last?’ It’s a very, very simple process.
Was there some sort of inciting event that inspired
you to get together again and begin making
Volume Two?
Deschanel: I think it just happened because I had a
bunch of songs. What would you say, Matt?
Ward: It’s hard to say. Whenever I see Zooey, we are
playing music or recording. And when we’re not doing
that, we’re talking to each other about when’s the
next time we can get together in the studio. Because
of our schedules, it doesn’t mean, “Let’s schedule this
tomorrow;” sometimes it means, “Let’s schedule this in
the first part of spring” or something.
audience, which you don’t with a film. I always missed
that, which is why I would perform live as much as I
could when I wasn’t doing movies.
Do either of you have any favorite tracks on
Volume Two?
Ward: The first song that comes to mind is the first
song that’s on the record. It’s called “Thieves,” and that
song is unlike any other She & Him song because we
had the advantage of playing it live on our last tour.
That was a special recording for me.
Deschanel: I love that song. I picked up a guitar
and I wrote it really quickly. I always feel like there’s
something to be said for songs that write themselves. I
felt like it was meant to be. There was no pulling a piano
out of a pond. It felt like it had velocity immediately. It’s
hard for me to pick because I have a connection to all of
them, but the third song on the record is called “Don’t
Look Back.” I got this baby grand piano at a thrift store,
and it was the first song I wrote on that piano. It feels
special to me in that way.
“Zooey is a relentless hit-maker, and I am very fortunate.”
—M. Ward
Can you each walk me through your respective
processes?
Deschanel: I usually write on piano—sometimes on
guitar. I have two pianos [laughs]. I usually come up
with a melody that I like—a chord progression and
a melody first—and then I try to find a theme, so to
speak; something that I want to say that can also be
said in a concise way. Then I write it, record it, make
demos and I send them up to Matt and Matt does…
dot dot dot…
Ward: I listen to the demos over and over again. I
listen to her demos the same way that I listen to my
own demos, and that’s basically a process of letting your
imagination fill in the blanks of what you’re not hearing,
which eventually turns into the production of the song.
If you listen closely enough to a demo, it sort of tells you
where it wants to go. I just try to stay out of the way. And
then pretty soon, voila, you have a record.
Zooey, it’s been said that you were tentative about
giving Matt [Ward] your songs in the first place.
Is this true?
Deschanel: Well, he’s ridiculously talented, and he kept
asking me to hear my songs. I was at the point where I
wanted to send them, but I was like, “What if he hates
them?” Luckily, he liked them—thank goodness—and
it has been such an incredible experience getting to
work with Matt.
Ward: The feeling is mutual. I was nervous too, because
I didn’t know what to expect entering into this brand
14 filter good music guide
new situation. But once I heard the demos, I just knew
this was going to be an incredible project.
You make it sound so simple.
Ward: It really is, isn’t it, Zooey?
Deschanel: It’s kind of simple, ’cause it’s fun.
What were the ensuing conversations like?
Deschanel: It was really cool, because a lot of my
favorite songs were favorite songs of Matt’s. I can pretty
much guarantee you that if Matt has a record that
he loves, I will like it. It made it that much easier to
communicate. On Volume One, we talked a lot about
Phil Spector…
Ward: Brian Wilson’s always good.
Zooey, could you compare the feeling of doing an
important scene in a movie to getting onstage for
a show?
Deschanel: Film acting is a lot of pressure, but you
can always do it again. Both are taking advantage of a
moment, so to speak, so in either situation you’ve got
to live it. Onstage, there’s electricity with the audience.
There’s an exchange where you really get to feel your
Zooey, you’ve taken more liberties with vocal
harmonizing on this album. How were you
inspired in this way?
Deschanel: I had a little interview with Brian Wilson
maybe a year and a half ago, and I had all these
questions for him; sort of simple questions. He inspired
me to do certain things—technical things—in terms
of layering harmonies. I’ve always been pretty into
harmony, and I felt like I’d gotten a little bit better at it.
One of the songs I had sent Matt [“If You Can’t Sleep”]
I had actually written on ukulele, but then I recorded
all of these vocal harmonies and took the ukulele out. It
was just a cappella when I sent it to Matt, and we ended
up recording it that way.
Are there any plans for She & Him moving
forward? Do you know when you’ll get to work
on Volume Three?
Deschanel: We just like to keep it organic. We don’t
ever want it to feel like something forced, wouldn’t you
say, Matt?
Ward: Yeah, we’re not really listening when any sort
of label or management says, “This is what you need
to do.” I think it’s safe to say that Zooey and I just react
to our instincts and impulses. I can tell you that I’m
already very excited about Volume Three, even though
we know absolutely nothing about it.
Deschanel: Me too. I’ve written a couple of songs that
could be on Volume Three…
Ward: Definitely. She is a relentless hit-maker, and I
am very fortunate. F
good music guide filter 15
Midlake’s
Guide to Denton, Texas
By Kyle Lemmon
Best Bowling Alley
University Lanes. There’s just something right about a
pitcher of beer, tater tots and 12 frames of bowling.
Freshest Fruit & Vegetable Stand
Cupboard Natural Foods. The fruits and veggies are
always fresh and I’m a big fan of the café and salad bar.
The people there are lovely and I feel healthy simply
walking the aisles.
Most Charming Neighborhood
Outside of my own, I would say the town square. It’s a
thriving area filled with lofts, restaurants, bars, cafés,
shops and more. If I could live in the historic courthouse located in the center of the square, I would.
Best Place to Escape Your Troubles for a While
Dan’s Silver Leaf. There’s always a friend there, and if
not, whiskey and/or a mariachi band is sure to suffice.
Best Part About the Chestnut Tree Garden
Tea Room
Let me count the ways…but as to not take up too much
space, I’ll go with the chicken salad sandwich on beer
wheat bread with potato soup.
Most Memorable Spot
Little Chapel in the Woods located on the University
of North Texas campus. I proposed to my wife there.
Luckily (for me), she said “yes.”
Best Reason to Stay in Denton
My mayoral campaign in 2014. Just kidding, 2012.
Best Place for Live Jazz
DENTON’s…
The notion of a thorny sophomore record-making process is de rigueur in rock mythology, but not much ink has been
spilled over the misfortunes of creating a third release. Just over two years ago, Midlake arrived home in Denton,
Texas, their heads still spinning from the cyclonic success of their fawned-over breakthrough second LP, The Trials of
Van Occupanther. When it was time to get back to work, inspiration just didn’t come as easily. Three years seem like
an almost interminable amount of time to wait for Midlake’s return while the band wrote, re-wrote, and mulled over
Occupanther’s dark, trad-folk successor, The Courage of Others. The result, however, is worth the wait.
Through it all, singer-songwriter Tim Smith, guitarists Eric Pulido and Eric Nichelson, drummer McKenzie
Smith and bassist Paul Alexander remain the homegrown Denton boys who met as jazz studies majors at the
University of North Texas. That domestic tradition continues apace with this new renaissance-fair rock LP, which was
recorded in a cramped office building two blocks down the street from Denton’s Courthouse-on-the-Square. Here,
we let Pulido [above, second from right] give us the rundown on Denton, one of America’s emergent hot spots for
indie music. During the stroll down Main Street, the Midlaker tells us a little bit about the renowned Chestnut Tree
Garden Tea Room, his “mayoral campaign” and where to sate your gun fever.
Best Hole-in-the-Wall Restaurant
La Sabrosita. Not only is it a great place for authentic
Mexican dining, it’s the perfect opportunity to brush
up on your Spanish.
Prime Example of the Art and Music Scene
NX35 Music Conferette (March 11-14). It began as
a day show at SXSW showcasing Denton bands, and
although it’s only in its second year being held in
Denton, the festival embodies Denton’s community
and arts element.
Best Record Store
Recycled Books, Records and CDs. With three
stories of books, music and shag carpet, you’d be
hard pressed to find a better store in the country.
16 filter good music guide
GreenHouse Restaurant and Bar. It has live jazz on
Mondays and Thursdays and a seared ahi tuna that
touches my soul. Basically, it’s a good choice for anyone.
Top Feature over the Other Cities in North
Texas’ Golden Triangle
We have the mall that holds the namesake “Golden
Triangle Mall.” And yes, there is an El Chico
[Mexican Restaurant] located inside.
Best Shop to Buy Gear
McBride Music and Pawn.
Best Gun Shop
See “Best Shop to Buy Gear.”
Best Site for a Renaissance Faire
[Midlake singer] Tim Smith’s backyard. He also has plenty
of antique furniture if you’re into that sort of thing. F
good music guide filter 17
performances by
Bachelorette Bang Bang Eche
David Dallas Die! Die! Die! Gin Wigmore
Kerretta Kingston Lawrence Arabia Mr Sicc
Miho Wada Steriogram Surf City Ruby Suns Young Sid
NZ SHOWCASE /
4 BANDS /
MARCH 18 /
6 - 8 PM
For further details check www.outwardsoundnz.com or follow us at www.twitter.com/newzealandmusic
16 filter good music guide
good music guide filter 17
One-Liners:
a miniature take on selected Filter Magazine reviews
.............................................................................................................................
(Go to FILTERmagazine.com or pick up Filter Magazine’s Winter Issue for full reviews of these albums)
Was Not Was
Pick of the Litter: 1980-2010 91%
MICRO WERKS
These R&B-techno-hip-hop-pop-rockjazz-disco brothers blueprinted the
sound of the future way back in the
’80s, when Was Not Was still was.
Jónsi
82%
Go
XL
The Sigur Rós frontman delivers what’s
expected: an otherworldly soundscape
that lifts you miles from the frozen
Icelandic ground.
Elvis Presley
89%
On Stage: Legacy Edition
RCA/LEGACY
Post-heartthrob/movie star decade yet
pre-gun-toting fat years, this reissue
captures the magic of The King’s Vegas
performances in ’69 and ’70.
Broken Bells
81%
Broken Bells
COLUMBIA
The latest collab from Danger Mouse
and Shins leader James Mercer proves
that when opposites attract, beautiful
things can happen.
Titus Andronicus
87%
The Monitor
XL
How to kick ass: 1. Name band after
ass-kicking hero of bloodiest tragedy
ever. 2. Name album after original asskicking ironclad warship. 3. Go!
The Whigs
80%
In the Dark
ATO
These Southern boys clean-up just a
little too nice and forget punk is always
better with a little dirt on it.
Xiu Xiu
77%
Dear God, I Hate Myself
KILL ROCK STARS
Dear Xiu Xiu, all the prayers in the
world won’t save this album from lo-fi
purgatory. Amen.
Love is All
Two Thousand and Ten Injuries 85%
POLYVINYL
Propulsive, manic Swedish rhythms
woven with art gallery funk and blistering
bubblegum energy = 2010 infamy.
Josh Rouse
76%
El Turista
YEP ROC
With vocals much too delicate for Latin
rhythms, this turista should just come on
back home.
Tindersticks
84%
Falling Down a Mountain
CONSTELLATION
Tindersticks haven’t taken a fall but
instead reached the summit of their
sound; for these orchestral Brits, the
eighth time’s the charm.
20 filter good music guide
FILTER
ALBUM
RATINGS
Shout Out Louds
83%
Work
MERGE
With the pop outfit’s usually
overpowering synthesizers toned down
to a whisper, a name change (or round
of Red Bull) might be in order.
Growing
73%
Pumps
VICE
The reckless speed-rushes and warbling
electronics only make us grow tired.
91-100%
81-90%
71-80%
61-70%
below 60%
8
8
8
8
8
a great album
above par, below genius
respectable, but flawed
not in my CD player
please God, tell us why
Music,
etc.
...........................................................................................................................
BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB
85%
Beat the Devil’s Tattoo
Abstract Dragon/Vagrant
With Howl five years past, BRMC is
looking to strike a balance between the
band’s finest hour and some forward-thinking musical
evolution. Beat the Devil’s Tattoo perpetuates the
outfit’s signature Gothic, balls-to-the-wall-guitar drone,
but where 2007’s Baby 81 ignored its nearly flawless
predecessor, the newest offering embraces it, marrying
grainy guitar fuzz with Howl-esque Americana romp
and stomp. It’s no leap forward, but surely no step
backward either. KENNY McGUANE
THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH
86%
The Wild Hunt Dead Oceans
With a strange, uncharacteristic voice
that may attract many for the same
reasons it repulses some (and it’s those in the latter
set that truly miss out), The Tallest Man on Earth
serves lesson number one in field recordings and
folk: that the surface should never be the sole selling
point. While his latest may not be as triumphant
as his debut LP, Shallow Grave, The Wild Hunt is
a worthy effort indeed. Underneath his boots of
Spanish leather, Swede Kristian Matsson’s tightly
wound creek-bed tales declare Americana a universal
language. BREANNA MURPHY
BEN SOLLEE AND DANIEL MARTIN
MOORE
88%
Dear Companion
Sub Pop
Ben Sollee (one-time Béla Fleck
comrade) and Daniel M. Moore might’ve well had
me at “Dear Companion”—the album’s wild blaze of
an introductory track that provides ignition for the
inspired, stormy folk ahead. The remainder of the debut
effort from the pair of Kentuckians burns slowly and
evenly, boldly refusing to wane in the dawn of one of
the longest and coldest stretches of days ahead. This is
one painfully beautiful record. BREANNA MURPHY
BIG AUDIO DYNAMITE
85%
This Is Big Audio Dynamite
[reissue]
Legacy As Mick Jones’ escape hatch from The
Clash, Big Audio Dynamite’s ingenious debut marked
the final break from punk’s seething ethos towards a
more philosophic approach to Thatcherite miseries. An
even now almost unimaginable collision of punk, funk,
hip-hop and film sound bites, tracks like “Medicine
22 filter good music guide
Show” and “E = MC2” still stand up as powerful
meditations on social injustice. And, the explosive
“Bottom Line” once again reminds us that you can dance
your fucking ass off while vigorously shouting down
the man. This is your call to arms. KEN SCRUDATO
dvd
Weeds: Season Five 74%
Lions Gate
Weeds, what has happened
to ye? What started out as
a cash crop of smart, sticky
green has grown browner and
duller with age. And with Season Five, we’re
entering into schwag territory. The Botwins are
as dysfunctional as ever—and that’s the problem.
Any semblance of a family clinging to its quest for
function has vanished, but instead of embracing
their free spirits and fully enveloping these farout caricatures, the cast is still playing to the
same old “woe is me, how did I get into another
one of these nutty predicaments?” routines. Take
two hits—nah, just pass. SHANE LEDFORD
SHARON jones & THE DAP-KINGS
82%
I Learned the Hard Way
Daptone
For those of us who grew up in
households filled with the sounds
of Motown, Atlantic and Stax, there is something
supremely comforting about Sharon Jones and the DapKings’ old-fashioned, soul-funk charm. I Learned the
Hard Way is another memorable trip in their way-back
machine brimming with neo-classics, like the slinking
groover “Money” and the stately torch ballad “If You
Call.” Listening to it is like experiencing a piece of living
history—a warm reminder of the heydays of Aretha,
Gladys and The Staples Sisters. NEVIN MARTELL
JOHNNY CASH
American VI: Ain’t No Grave 89%
American/Lost Highway
Johnny Cash’s final album opens on a
portentous but hopeful note: “There ain’t
no grave/can hold my body down.” Comprised of tracks
recorded with Rick Rubin right up until Cash’s death in
late 2003, American VI is a fitting send-off for the Man
in Black. The covers are impeccably chosen and range
from Queen Lili’uokalani’s traditional Hawaiian farewell
“Aloha Oe” to Tom Paxton’s questing “Can’t Help but
Wonder Where I’m Bound.” However, it’s Cash’s lone
original, the sparsely sketched “1 Corinthians: 15:55,”
that shines the brightest. NEVIN MARTELL
dvd
Fantastic Mr. Fox
87%
20th Century Fox
Last year, GQ hailed Mr. Fox
as No.4 on its “Best Dressed”
list. Impressive, considering
he isn’t even real—but
the canadae sure has style.
Fantastic Mr. Fox is Wes Anderson’s fulfilling
take on Roald Dahl’s book, and the film revolves
around the crafty yet endearing Mr. Fox. Fans of
Anderson need not be wary; despite leaving his
comfort zone, Anderson keeps in tune with his
classic style—from the twee soundtrack to the
subtle wit. With this release, expect something
quite…fantastic. KATE CLIFFEN
TORO Y MOI
83%
Causers of This
Carpark
The first of two full-lengths to be
released this year by South Carolina’s
laptop symphonist Toro Y Moi, Causers of This is a
remarkably confident suite of pop gems. Over gelatinous
rhythms, washed-out synths and pointillist guitars, Chaz
Bundick’s dream-time vocals suggest Panda Bear gone
R&B. Closing with a bit of gaudy, high ’80s bubblegum,
Causers of This is a bold introduction to a promising
newcomer. BERNARDO RONDEAU
book
The WIRE Primers: A Guide
88%
to Modern Music
Verso
Avant-garde publication The
Wire boasts its breadth of
musical knowledge in this
selection of articles from the magazine’s “The
Primers” column. Compiled and designed with
a bare-boned aesthetic, chapters are divided
into key yet esoteric movements, including No
Wave, Tropicalia and dubstep, and highlight
artists as vast in sound as Sonic Youth and
Fela Kuti. Complete with in-depth analyses of
each genre’s significant albums, the collection
is a prime resource for the most devoted (and
open-mined) audiophile. LAUREN BARBATO
THE LIVING SISTERS
76%
Love to Live
VANGUARD
The Living Sisters (The Bird &
The Bee’s Inara George, Lavender
Diamond’s Becky Stark and singer Eleni Mandell)
take the doo-wop gospel harmonies of The Andrew
Sisters in the ’40s and add a spoonful of folk, a pitch
of country and a whole lotta sugar. Although the
super group’s vocals blend well across genres, too
much sweetness, as in opener “How are you Doing,”
seems saccharine. But not all is lost in Love to Live.
“You Make Me Blue” has just the right amount of
sugar, and the melancholic “Cradle” is a good vehicle
for female harmonics. LYNN LIEU
JAMES PANTS
83%
Seven Seals Stones Throw
James Pants can conjure space music
with the best of them, and his new
album, Seven Seals, is a squirming bag of Barrett-era
smiles, to be sure. It’s excellent mood music for an
Ethiopian restaurant in low Jupiter orbit, or maybe
a funky nightmare musical that you wish you could
remember in the morning. Whatever it is, tape your
rusting Virtual Boy to your head, engage the child
locks and crank it. LOREN POIN
SEABEAR
84%
We Built a Fire
Morr Music
If Iron & Wine, Sufjan Stevens and
Wilco had a sordid love-child, you’d
have Seabear’s sophomore album, We Built a Fire.
The melodic virtuosity is definitely a welcome
change to the drab tunes haunting the indie scene
today. Although the lyrics are slightly repetitive,
the hypnotic rhythms more than make up for it,
transporting the listener to a world void of the 9-to-5
mundane. LAUREN NOVIK
video game
KORG DS-10 Plus 89%
DS
XSEED
Music nerds loved the KORG
DS-10 release back in 2008,
and XSEED has managed to
make it even more complicated by adding more
analog (4), drum synthesizers (8) and available
tracks (12). There’s also real-time editing, so you
really can be a party-on-the-go. This is no game,
it’s a mean machine! ZACH ROSENBERG
ROCKY VOTOLATO
79%
True Devotion Barsuk
Upon his eighth solo album, it’s clear
now that Rocky Votolato was most
successful during the beginning of his solo career,
adeptly navigating the murky waters of whiskey binges
and thoughtful self-examination. (Note: one should
probably avoid mixing the two.) But, where to now?
The Seattle native retraces his previous ventures here—
enigmatic stories, broken guitar strings and all—still
rendering a brooding, emotional hell worth revisiting, if
only every once in a while. BREANNA MURPHY
JOANNA NEWSOM
87%
Have One On Me
Drag City
Thanks to Newsom’s love-it-or-hate-it
voice, a creaky eggshell of a thing that
splits the difference between crone and infant, some
people will pass this one over without even listening.
But, it’s their loss. Neither as rough-hewn as her debut,
nor as baroque as the five-track, hour-long Ys, Have One
On Me is Newsom at her best: precious without being
cloying, subtle without being indecipherable, beautifully
written and sweetly played. This is good enough to turn
even the biggest haters into fans. MAX READ
MULATU ASTATKE
75%
Mulatu Steps Ahead
Strut
Mulatu Astatke’s got new fans to deal
with. Whether from the rice-cooker
psych-funk of last year’s Heliocentrics collaboration
or either of his recent retrospectives, the Ethio-jazz
originator’s new Steps Ahead is his most high-profile
yet. Still, “Radcliffe” begins the record in prayerful
formlessness, eight minutes of trumpet suspended by
miasmic chimes and elemental percussion. Even when
things get lively, as on the simpering “Mulatu’s Mood,”
the band unfortunately retains their cool—celestial, sly
and smooth jazz-y. Brrr. CLAYTON PURDOM
THE BIRD AND THE BEE
84%
Interpreting the Masters Vol. 1:
A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates
Blue Note Volume 1 represents a then-and-now
in pop music, a genre once inspired by soul and now
consumed by dance. The Bird and the Bee don’t so
much recreate Hall & Oates as they modernize them,
taking the strictly adhered-to hooks and coating
them in shimmering synth lines. “Sarah Smile” still
retains the smooth R&B sensibility, but the harderhitting beats paired with Inara George’s airy vocals
on “Rich Girl” deepens the irony on this sunny
classic. LAUREN BARBATO
ALOHA
81%
Home Acres
Polyvinyl
Aloha’s fifth LP is named after a quiet
suburb in Rochester, New York, but the
practiced indie-rock foursome isn’t settling on the front
porch just yet. The U.S. band thankfully shifts some
of its focus from post-rock accruements (marimba,
vibraphone, synthesizer) to an inviting, pop-oriented
palette. Cale Parks (Passion Pit, White Williams) still
beats his skins like a madman, but vocalist-guitaristkeyboardist Tony Cavallario’s mellifluous delivery
elevates tracks like “Moonless March,” “Cold Storage,”
and “Blackout.” KYLE LEMMON
24 filter good music guide
book
FRENCHY BROUILLETTE
& MATTHEW RANDAZZO
Mr. New Orleans: The Life
of a Big Easy Underworld
85%
Legend
Phoenix
Before the Saints became New
Orleans’ biggest fish, there
was Frenchy Brouillette. The self-described
“Mr. New Orleans” takes a trip down memory
lane, tracing his life of sin in the Big Easy.
Looking back at 50 years of stories, which
include encounters with legendary prosecutor
Jim Garrison, the JFK assassination and the
notorious former Governor Edwin Edwards,
Brouillette gives outsiders a glimpse of what
it is like to be in one of the country’s most
notorious crime families. DANIEL KOHN
DIOS
82%
We are Dios Buddyhead
Dios has been fucking with you since
2004, when the band changed names
three times. But where 2004 Dios (pre-malos) was
all Cali-pop and Beach Boys shimmer, now they’ve
got some clever song titles (“don b efray du die”) and
repetitive psych-soundscapes that become hypnotic and
even horrifying the more you listen. On “No is Wrong,”
Dios even confesses, “While you believe in me…I like
to fuck with you.” Thanks, dudes. CARRIE TUCKER
STRONG ARM STEADY
In Search of Stoney Jackson 84%
Stones Throw
Give a man a beat and he’ll rap for a
day. Give three men their pick of two
hundred Madlib beats and a guest roster of hip-hop
stalwarts and you’ve got Strong Arm Steady. Solid,
workmanlike rhymes abound, but a shortage of mindblowing moments is tempered by the absence of
mediocrity. There’s room for improvement—just not
enough to pass this up. JEREMY MOEHLMANN
JIMI HENDRIX
93%
Valleys of Neptune
LEGACY
If rock and roll taught me anything,
it’s that greedy hands love to touch the
Hendrix legacy. Remasters, reissues and compilations
bearing the guitar god’s name showed me the meaning
of capitalism, and the almighty dollar almost stretched
three albums’ worth of material beyond their threshold.
So, with the promise of 12 fully-completed, untainted
studio recordings that have otherwise gone unheard by
the public (and even the most inventive of bootleggers),
Valleys of Neptune arrives with considerable significance
to all things guitar-worthy. MATT ELDER
good music guide filter 25
dvd
Dr. Who: The Complete
83%
Series BBC Video
Dr. Who has been a staple
in the British television diet
since its first season way back
in 1963. In the long-running
series’ most previous incarnation (before the
arrival of actor Matt Smith), the iconic sci-fi
sitcom enjoyed a resurgence of popularity—
and quality screenwriting—in David Tennant,
who played one of the most lovable and quirky
doctors since the series’ inception. Collected
here are four specials that constitute a hearty
farewell to Tennant and a testament to the
power of high concept science fiction with
low budget special effects. ERIK NOWLAN
Jakob Dylan
87%
Women and Country
Columbia
Jakob Dylan delves further into
Americana on his second full-length
album, Women and Country. Horns that seem fit
for New Orleans’ French Quarter open up “Lend
a Hand,” while “Everybody’s Hurting” features a
fiddle reminiscent of the classic sound Dylan’s father
perfected during the Basement Tapes period. With
T-Bone Burnett at the helm, Women will assuredly
make the younger Dylan a favorite of roots radio
stations that dig his dad as well. DANIEL KOHN
Photos: Per Eide, Nancy Bundt
ARCHIE BRONSON OUTFIT
82%
Coconut
Domino
The tautly angular, bristly tunes on
Archie Bronson Outfit’s breakout
Derdang, Derdang were carried along by syncopated,
albeit jerky, rhythms. On Coconut, the group softens
the sharp edges and buffers the beats; the end result
is like going from high contrast black-and-white
to eye-popping Technicolor. Vocals are no longer
sung in desperate, vein-straining gasps, but now
exist as FX-drenched dollops of melody. Opener
“Magnetic Warrior” splits the difference between
the churn of raw jangle and effervescent grooves,
while “Chunk” is a convincing slab of Eno-warped
Talking Heads mutant-pop. BERNARDO RONDEAU
NORWAY ROCKS
Norway is more than stunning
fjords and mountains
No other country in the world hosts more
independent festivals and concerts featuring
both up-and-coming and established artists
from Norway and abroad.
Win a trip for two to Norway
You can now win a trip for two to Norway, and
experience magnificent nature and festival life.
All you have to do is: Join us on Twitter
http://twitter.com/VisitnorwayUSA,
send us a direct message with the code
NORWAYROCKS—and you are eligible to
win two roundtrip tickets to Norway with
Continental Airlines.
26 filter good music guide
Continental offers daily service
to Oslo, Norway
NORWAY
POWERED BY NATURE
www.visitnorway.com/us
spy
Kubrik $94
www.spyoptic.com
NOOKA
Nickelodeon SpongeBob SquarePants
Watches $175-275 www.nooka.com
cole haan
Rood & Haan Tote $595
www.colehaan.com
American rag
Dress $29
www.macys.com
cole haan
Air Brandon Cropped Chukka $228
www.colehaan.com
28 filter good music guide
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