- FILTER Magazine

THE DEAD WEATHER
no shelter from the storm
We Love You...Digitally
Hello and welcome to the interactive version of Filter Good Music Guide. We’re
best viewed in full-screen mode, so if you can still see the top of the window, please click
on the Window menu and select Full Screen View (or press Ctrl+L). There you go—that’s
much better isn’t it? [Guide stretches, yawns, scratches something.] Right. If you know the
drill, go ahead and left-click to go forward a page; if you forget, you can always right-click
to go back one. And if all else fails, intrepid traveler, press the Esc key to exit full-screen
and return to a life more humble.
Keep an eye on your cursor. While reading the Guide online, you will notice that there
are links on every page that allow you to discover more about the artists we write about.
Scroll over each page to find the hotlinks, click ’em, and find yourself at the websites of
the artists we cover, the sponsors who help make this happen, and all of the fine places to
go to purchase the records you read about here. Thank you for your support of this thing
we call Filter. Good music, as they say, will prevail.
— Pat McGuire, Editor-in-Chief
Letters, inquiries, randomness: [email protected]
Advertising and such: [email protected]
SUMMER FESTIVALS
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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. While our jobs here
at Filter may not require the same
courage and sacrifice that serving our
country does, thanks to The American
Line, the officially licensed series of
cologne for all five branches of the
military, a small squirt made us smell
a little braver. We’re told the cologne
makes a perfect gift for the U.S. military man or woman on your block, but after a long day of battling publicists
and those annoying CD case stickers, a little Patton-inspired musk never
hurt a music writer…unless you’re a Ruskie. Atten-hut!
>CI=:<J>9:
You can download the Filter Good Music Guide at
goodmusicwillprevail.com. While there, be sure to
check out our back issues, the latest of which features
Silversun Pickups, Grizzly Bear, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and
comedian-actor David Cross. And if you’re heading to
Chicago’s Lollapalooza, Outside Lands in San Francisco,
Seattle’s Bumbershoot or Austin City Limits, keep an
eye out for us. We’ll most certainly be there.
DCI=:L:7
Visit FILTERmagazine.com for music news, MP3s,
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picks, album and concert reviews and the world-famous
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6II=:HI6C9H
Out Now: Filter Issue 36
“Mos Def: The Artistry and the Ecstasy”
It’s more than accurate to deem Mos Def as a
Jack of All Trades—the 35-year-old has already
crossed out rapper, actor, poet and activist from
his life’s to-do list. Filter catches up with Mos on
the streets of TriBeCa, where instead of stressing
over the recent release of his fourth solo album,
The Ecstatic, he’s singing and philosophizing
freely, revealing an extensive knowledge of art and
society that makes him not only intriguing, but wholeheartedly necessary. Also:
Dinosaur Jr. relives the best and worst of times, Jack White’s The Dead Weather
explains why it’s edgier than ordinary super groups, and several artists remember
and reflect on cartoonist Bill Watterson and his revolutionary strip, Calvin
and Hobbes. Plus: Danger Mouse, Sparklehorse and Dark Night of the Soul;
Hockey; Major Lazer; We Were Promised Jetpacks; Those Darlins; Miike Snow;
Tortoise; writers Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida; the art of Wayne White; and an
EndNote by Moby.
8DCI68IJH
[email protected] or 5908 Barton Ave., Los Angeles, CA, 90038
Publishers
Alan Miller & Alan Sartirana
Editor-in-Chief
Pat McGuire
Managing Editor
Patrick Strange
Art Director
Christopher Saltzman
Editorial Interns
Lauren Barbato, Samuel Fanburg,
Lynn Lieu, Joe Shirley
Scribes
Lauren Barbato, Kendah El-Ali,
Matt Elder, Jonathan Falcone,
Samuel Fanburg, Marty Garner,
Lauren Harris, Stephen Humphries,
Kyle Lemmon, Lynn Lieu,
Nevin Martell, Jeremy Moehlmann,
Breanna Murphy, Max Read,
Bernardo Rondeau,
Zach Rosenberg, Joe Shirley,
Jose Vargas
Marketing
Ewan Anderson,
Samantha Barnes, Mike Bell,
Beth Carmellini, Samantha Feld,
Mikela Floyd,
Tristen Joy Gacoscos, Megan Healy,
Max Hellman, Wes Martin,
William Overby, Kyle Rogers,
Ryan Rosales, Eli Thomas,
Connie Tsang, Jose Vargas
Thank You
McGuire family, Bagavagabonds, Wendy
& Sebastian Sartirana, Momma Sartirana,
the Ragsdales, SC/PR Sartiranas, the
Masons, Pete-O, Rey, the Paikos family,
Chelsea & the Rifkins, Shaynee, Wig/
Tamo and the SF crew, Shappsy, Pipe,
Dana Dynamite, Lisa O’Hara, Susana
Loy Rodriguez, Shari Doherty, Robb
Nansel, Pam Ribbeck, Asher Miller,
Rachel Weissman, Alex Dent, Aaron
Morris, Willa Yudell, Mom & Dad
Advertising Inquiries
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West Coast Sales: 323.464.4718
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Filter Good Music Guide is published by Filter
Magazine LLC, 5908 Barton Ave., Los Angeles
CA 90038. Vol. 1, No. 28, August-September
2009. Filter Good Music Guide is not responsible
for anything, including the return or loss of
submissions, or for any damage or other injury to
unsolicited manuscripts or artwork. Any submission of a manuscript or artwork should include
a self-addressed envelope or package of appropriate size, bearing adequate return postage.
© 2009 by Filter Magazine LLC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
FILTER IS PRINTED IN THE USA
FILTERmagazine.com
COVER PHOTO BY SEBASTIAN MLYNARSKI
I=:;>AI:GB6>A76<
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Internet Kills
The Radio Star
#,.0%"*+5
Interested in the latest music hits from Iran? How about the local
hip-hop scene in Australia? If you answered with an emphatic,
“Hell, yeah,” then the new VTech
IS9181 Wi-Fi Internet Radio is
for you. This new gadget is a
radio-listener’s dream: When connecting to any Wi-Fi network,
11,000 radio stations are instantly
available from around the world.
Available for a retail price of
$199.95, VTech’s first home audio
device can also access audio files
from Wi-Fi enabled PCs or Macs,
making it a new music hub for
any tech-geek. The IS9181 comes
equipped with a battery-operated
option, so musical journeys can extend to the farthest corners of the
world, be they the beaches of Thailand, darkest Peru, or even your
own backyard. SAMUEL FANBURG
Sound in the Waves
Michael Phelps is now backing a product that is more socially acceptable than his
previous sponsorship of hand-blown glassware. And rightly so: Surge’s Waterproof
Headphones from H20 Audio are an excellent way to bring your workout
tuneage to the pool or beach. At a reasonable price of $60,
these watertight ear buds won’t leave your wallet hurting.
H20 Audio also carries Amphibx Waterproof Armbands
in three different sizes (to fit any iPod or iPhone) for
another 60 to 80 bucks, a price that includes the Xtreme
ambiance associated with muscle-strapped iPods. And
if your parents never got around to lining up those
swimming lessons for you back in the day, all Amphibx
Armbands float, so they can sub for the orange floaties
you’re always embarrassed to pull out poolside. From
$120 to $140, this waterproof duo is sure to keep you
wet all summer long. JOE SHIRLEY
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4 FILTER GOOD MUSIC GUIDE
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Sony Walkman
XTreme Makeover
Though its name might conjure bittersweet flashbacks of hours spent slaving
over your cassette player creating the perfect mix tape, the Sony X-Series
Walkman is hardly the same clunky monstrosity it was when first
released 30 years ago. Sleek, slender and glazed in an iridescent
black, the updated, touch-screen operated Walkman is Wi-Fi
enabled and embedded with content from YouTube and Slacker
Radio. Yet this is not just a mediocre imitation of the iPod—the
Walkman is the first video MP3 player to offer
built-in digital noise-canceling software, blocking
out ambient noise in every environment (though
it also comes with airport, bus/train and office
modes) to further enhance the listening
experience. A few technological advances
and full-body makeovers later, Sony is still
delivering the Messiah onto music lovers,
albeit digitally. LAUREN BARBATO
The Terror
Vintage Sound
Big things come in small packages…and evidently, they also come in the
color orange. Since the late ’60s, the British amp manufacturer, Orange, has
produced classic rigs for musicians like Oasis,
Black Sabbath, New York Dolls, U2 and PJ
Harvey. After we tried out the Tiny Terror
amp, we can attest that the name says it all.
This small combo produces amazing sound,
tone and volume with only 15 watts. While the
wattage may strike you as small, this boutique
amp impresses users with its powerful vintage
vacuum-tube sound, even out-performing a
50-watt solid state amp in comparison. Not
only do you get amazing sound from this beast,
but you also get the visual pleasure of brightening up your back line with some color. So
instead of spending a fortune on effect pedals,
laser lights and inflatable zombie blow-ups to
get some perfect sound, just get yourself some
Orange. JOSE VARGAS
6 FILTER GOOD MUSIC GUIDE
GOOD MUSIC GUIDE FILTER 7
Mew’s
COPENHAGEN’S…
Guide to Copenhagen, Denmark
MOST ORNATE ARCHITECTURE
BY KYLE LEMMON
If you take a stroll around Christianshavn and the
mid-city, you will see many buildings commissioned by
King Christian IV, the
King of Architectural
Passion. Christianshavn
and Holmen also have
many ambitious modern
buildings like the Black
Diamond (a library and
cultural center). The
mixture of new and old
is well-balanced and
pleasing to behold.
GREATEST OPENFACE SANDWICH
SHOP
Ida Davidsen in Store
Kongensgade. Classical
Danish smørrebrød.
MOST ROMANTIC
SPOT
I love Frederiksberg
Have, a fairly large
park which boasts many
exotic birds that fly
freely from there to the
neighboring Zoo. It has
trickling streams and
small bridges, the perfect place to kiss! There’s
also a really nice modern
restaurant within the
park called Mielcke &
Hurtigkarl; it’s expensive
but worth it if you want
to have a special evening
with someone special.
8 FILTER GOOD MUSIC GUIDE
BEST TOURIST TRAP
Christiania, which is a free haven of hippie communities,
nice venues, restaurants, galleries and a beautiful lake. It
also used to be a place where people could sell pot and
other non-hard drugs without interference from the police,
but that’s all changing now, which is sad because it means
transactions now need to be done in secret, unsafe places.
ARI MARCOPOULOS
MEW IS A BAND STRAIGHT OUT OF A FAIRY TALE. Lead singer and guitarist Jonas Bjerre is a veritable yarn
spinner with a falsetto as high as Jack’s beanstalk and the proggy noodling of guitarist Bo Madsen and drummer Silas
Utke Graae Jørgensen could give even The Little Mermaid the bends. And though the newly christened trio has
finally adjusted to the parting of bassist/founding member Johan Wohlert to concentrate on fatherhood, the Danish
trio’s latest epic doesn’t stint on the storyline department. Of course, titling your long-delayed fifth LP, No More
Stories/Are Told Today/I’m Sorry/They Washed Away//No More Stories/The World Is Grey/I’m Tired/Let’s Wash
Away is just as much a damnation as it is a proclamation. After all, Mew believes in the power of narrative—its stories
are just aggregated for a Web 2.0 audience—and the band’s dreamy tales stick to the insides of your cranial cortex,
Hans Christian Anderson-style. The Guide lent an ear to Bjerre, who spoke about the trio’s fervent love for its hometown of Copenhagen as Mew prepares to say goodbye for a Herculean world tour. Despite a brief hang-up about
the media’s tendency to depict Copenhageners as fairy tale world-inhabitants (ahem), the frontman flies through
our questions about relics of the Viking age, delicious pastry hubs and the glittering capital’s Tivoli Gardens with the
agility and swiftness of a Danish bicyclist.
BEST BICYCLE SHOP
There is an abundance of bicycle shops in Copenhagen.
A famous bike is the Christiania-Bike, which has a large
compartment in front, big enough to bike your kids
around or a large quantity of groceries. Traditionally,
you had those made by order in Christiania but I think
you can get them everywhere now.
MOST INTERESTING ATTRACTION AT TIVOLI
GARDENS
I don’t like rides very much. It’s not that I’m scared
to go on them; I just don’t have fun with that sort of
thing. They have really nice concerts at Tivoli, though,
classical pieces in their concert hall and modern artists
on the big outdoor stage. The park itself is very old
and still has a sense of old Copenhagen about it. It’s
a nice place to wander around if you can stand all the
drunk people. I would go there on a weekday rather
than the weekend.
SHADIEST AREA
Years ago I would have said the outskirts of Copenhagen
but now I suppose it could be the Nørrebro area, which
has had a relatively high amount of gang shootings
lately due to an ongoing feud between various drug
lords. Istedgade is an interesting street; it runs from
Copenhagen Central Train Station all the way up to
where Vesterbro meets Frederiksberg, starting out as a
seedy mix of prostitutes and sex shops and ending up a
mix of cool bars and nice restaurants.
BEST PASTRY SHOP
Either it’s Lagkagehuset in Christianshavn, or La Glace,
which is in the center of Copenhagen.
BEST LIVE MUSIC CLUB
I would say Vega (the big hall) in Vesterbro.
BEST SUBURB WITHIN THE FINGERPLANEN
Hellerup, where the beach is lively all summer and the
ice cream melts before you finish eating it. But maybe I
feel that way because that’s where I grew up.
BEST RELIC OF THE VIKING AGE
That would have to be the Sun Carriage, an ancient
golden figurine showing a horse carrying the sun.
MOST MISUNDERSTOOD ASPECT
60 Minutes recently made a “portrait” of Copenhagen
in which we were shown to be a small-minded people
living in a fairy tale world, having absolutely no idea
what went on in the rest of the world. Several interviews
were conducted, many of them with German tourists
for some reason; a pretty irresponsible piece of journalism if you ask me, but at least it was kinda funny.
MOST PRETENTIOUS LOCALE
The restaurant NoMa in Holmen is a very modern,
exclusive place, recently voted the 3rd best restaurant in
the world. It’s very expensive and it’s hard to get a table
unless you reserve it months in advance. But it’s actually
pretty amazing food! F
GOOD MUSIC GUIDE FILTER 9
THE STONE ROSES
A Better Time for a Second Coming
BY NEVIN MARTELL
The Stone Roses are considered one of the best British bands of the ’80s and ’90s, and their eponymous debut
record is thought to be one of the best albums ever, bar none. This is not journalistic hyperbole. It’s fact. If you
don’t believe me, just ask Morrissey, Peter Hook or Richard Ashcroft and they’ll confirm it—that is, right before
they ask you why you were so stupid to ask something so elemental in the first place.
Even though the U.K. foursome crashed and burned after warring with its record label, recording a subpar
sophomore album, and squabbling amongst itself, The Stone Roses will always be classic. The thing about
the Roses was that they weren’t just a band, they were a movement. They spearheaded the Madchester scene
alongside the Happy Mondays, Inspiral Carpets and The Charlatans, helping make the northwest English city
of Manchester ground zero for all things cool for the decade to come. Without them, there would have been no
Oasis, Kasabian or The Verve.
When The Stone Roses arrived in 1989, it was rightfully hailed by the Anglo press as a masterpiece. Twenty years
later, its considerable luster has not dimmed. If anything, it’s grown brighter as musicians continue to praise it as
an influential cornerstone to modern British rock. To commemorate its 20th anniversary, singer Ian Brown, guitarist
John Squire, bassist Gary Mounfield (known to his drinking buddies as simply “Mani”) and drummer Alan John
Wren (called “Reni” by his pals) have re-released the album, bolstering it with a host of demos, B-sides, rare singles,
videos and other unreleased gems. The Guide finds Mani at his Manchester home, “fending off” the inevitable Roses
reunion questions and talking about why they decided to put those lemons on the album cover.
When you were making the debut record, did
you ever think that it would become the icon
that it is today?
We had high hopes for it and we pinned our colors to
the mast with it, but for it to still be revered 20 years
down the line is the stuff of dreams.
What’s it like listening to it now?
When I go out DJ-ing, people demand I play songs
off it; I still think they sound real fresh. Oftentimes,
people make records that when you listen to them years
later they sound really tacky. It’s so weird that this first
album of ours still sounds like it could’ve been made
today; there’s something magical about that.
Do you ever find yourself playing these songs
while practicing?
Weirdly enough, last summer Primal Scream played
at the same festival in Spain as Ian Brown. I ended up
getting onstage and played three Roses songs with him
with no rehearsals or nothing. The notes are in there
for life; you never forget them.
What’s the deal with the lemons on the album
cover?
It was an international call to arms. I met a guy who had
10 FILTER GOOD MUSIC GUIDE
been in the 1968 Paris student riots and he told us that
they used lemons to negate the effects of tear gas. Since
we were revolutionary-spirited guys, we thought we’d
put it on the album cover as a cryptic message for the
supporters of the Republican movement in England
who wanted to do away with the monarchy and the
establishment.
And what is an “Elephant Stone”?
I don’t have a fucking clue, my friend. A big pile of
elephant shit? I don’t know.
Is there anything else from this era from the
Roses that still hasn’t been released?
I’ve got a bag full of cassette tapes in the cellar that
have strange versions of songs with different bass lines
and different guitar hooks on them. It would be interesting to see what I’ve collected to see if there’s any
worthwhile stuff there.
How many times during the course of doing
press for this album do you expect the inevitable reunion question?
Every interview, mate. It’s good that people would
even consider wanting to bloody pay money to see us.
It would be great to do it and write the last chapter of
the book where the good guy gets the girl at the end,
instead of how it really finished. I don’t know if it’s
going to work, because people might be busy doing
their own thing. It’s like James Bond though, you can
never say “never.”
Looking back, what do you think the legacy of
the Roses is today?
We showed bands like The Verve and Oasis that if
we can do it, then so can they. If four lads from the
dirty streets of Manchester can succeed, that should
give anyone else a heart full of soul to get up and do
it themselves.
Which band was the worst Stone Roses rip-off?
They’re nice kids and I don’t want to sound like I’m
dissing them, but The Bluetones are pretty close,
aren’t they?
How do you feel about The Stone Roses’
second and final album, Second Coming?
People were too quick to judge it, but I do think it is a
bit flabby. We let John Squire indulge his Jimmy Page
fantasies a bit too much. But we have some good songs
on it, like “Ten Storey Love Song”—it sounds old, like
it wouldn’t be out of place on the first album.
Do you think you’ll ever give the deluxe
reissue treatment to Second Coming?
I don’t want to open up that can of worms. Geffen
might want to do it though—just so they can finally
earn back some of the millions they spent on it! F
GOOD MUSIC GUIDE FILTER 11
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GOOD MUSIC GUIDE FILTER 13
12 FILTER GOOD MUSIC GUIDE
JACK WHITE MAY BE IN A BORDELLO SUITE
atop Gramercy Park, but his mind is many miles (and
years) away. Specifically, he’s in Detroit, almost two decades ago, recalling the various bands he’s played in,
and responding to the charge that his new band, The
Dead Weather, is a supergroup.
“All these new bands just have more attention on
them,” he says, his voice picking up speed with conviction. “This is the same thing, just on an amplified
level.” What’s causing this amplification is that White
is no longer an unknown kid from southwest Detroit
with a flare for the blues and a penchant for rigid color
schemes—he is a proper rock star. And where there
was formerly a ragtag pool of musicians to choose from,
there is now The Kills’ lead singer Alison Mosshart,
Queens of the Stone Age keyboardist Dean Fertita,
and frequent White collaborator, Jack Lawrence, affectionately known as “Little Jack” or “LJ.” “Those
things were working, it’s just that only 50 or 100 people
knew about it, got it, or dug it. It’s nice to be able to put
things out and more people can give it a chance, which
is the most you can ask for as an artist.”
Mosshart, seated next to White on the sofa, arcs
her neck to swoop her bangs out of her face, sends up
a plume of smoke from her Marlboro menthol, and
deadpans, “I prefer super-duper-group.”
Coming from a conferred rock star like White,
such a sentiment may seem like posturing, but there is
something inherently generous and genuine about him.
He is cautious to fill the dead air of conversations, to
answer any question regardless of how many times he’s
been asked it that day, and a desire to preach the gospel
14 FILTER GOOD MUSIC GUIDE
of his latest project. That someone so successful continues to be excited about music is not only heartening, it’s
what we want from the rock stars we’ve made. Mosshart is at once a foil and ally of White, correcting his
grammar during the interview and gently ribbing him
when the discussion charts serious territory.
Part of White’s renewed enthusiasm may have to
do with his ever-evolving role in the band; he has both
expanded and reduced his post, acting as producer
on Horehound, but relegating himself to behind the
drum kit. Though Mosshart’s role in the band is solely
as vocalist, White joins her on several songs, and at
times it’s difficult to discern when one voice starts
and the other ends. “I’ve had that with every project,”
White says, nodding vigorously when the similarity is
brought up. “It’s my sense of mimicry of where we are
in a [recording] situation. Like when Alicia Keys and I
recorded the [James Bond theme] song, you can’t tell
who’s singing.”
The effect is disorienting, and yet by dispensing
with the gender of the narrator, a deeper, clearer
understanding of the action in the song is reached.
“I think it’s always good to make people rethink their
ideas about anything, and if you can do it about something as enormous as gender, I think you’re really
getting somewhere,” White says. “I’ve written a lot
of songs as the female character talking to a man. It’s
great when you can blatantly say it out loud.” Thus,
The Dead Weather plays a type of gothic blues rock,
with a clear adversary declared in each song and a
steady stream of guitar-spiked venom directed at the
amorphous “you.”
The fact that the two singers sound so similar may
also have to do with the immediate connection they felt
upon hearing one another’s voices within the context of
other bands. Mosshart recalls precisely where she was
the first time she heard White’s voice; her Kills’ bandmate Jamie Hince sat her down and played her The
White Stripes. “I responded to him vocally, because
he has an amazing voice. I love people who write lyrics that blow your mind.” White had a similarly aweinspiring experience. After a friend suggested he check
out The Kills at a festival they were both playing, he
immediately recognized a kindred spirit in the boy-girl
duo playing dirty blues rock. “It’s like when the cast of
all the munchkins showed up in The Wizard of Oz, and
they said, ‘Oh look, there’s other people like me.’ When
I saw The Kills I thought, ‘That’s me.’”
Though White may not make his voice heard for
the first several minutes of The Dead Weather’s debut, his presence is known. On the first few seconds
of the album opener “60 Feet Tall,” there is a skittering across the drum kit, the sound of drumstick sliding over metal that conveys all the electricity White
is known for. Though a dirtier brand of blues than
White has played of late, it’s somehow a purer distillation of emotion. White credits “Cut Like a Buffalo,” a shouty, skanking stutter of a song that relies
on the similarities between Mosshart and White’s
voices, with having re-energized him as a songwriter.
That’s not to say that The Dead Weather is a return to
form for White and his bluesy roots. The band pushes
genre limits throughout—“3 Birds” might be all four
members’ first foray into jazz grooves, and it’s admit-
tedly the first instrumental song White has put on
any album. Elsewhere, the obscure Dylan track “New
Pony” gets demolished and remodeled, with Mosshart
on lead vocals and the band as her bellowing choir.
There is something about The Dead Weather that
has the tobacco-stained feel of acts of yore. On the final
day of the Kills-Raconteurs tour this past year, Mosshart, White and Lawrence decided that what their tourbattered bodies required was to sing themselves hoarse.
“We were shadows of our former selves,” Mosshart says
of how The Dead Weather was born. The experience
was so productive, a 7-inch was produced, and the
group planned to reconvene as soon as time allowed.
Like Dylan and The Band did in Woodstock’s “Big
Pink,” The Dead Weather hunkered down in Tennessee
on White’s farm, availing themselves of his studio, living
communally and writing frequently. The band sequestered there for three weeks this past winter, following a
break in The Kills’ tour. “Speed was probably the biggest thing,” Fertita says of the difference between his
QOTSA experiences and The Dead Weather. “We did a
song a day, and had a record done in three weeks. And
we like it—we didn’t obsess over things too much. The
important thing was to keep moving.”
With a full U.S. tour announced, keeping moving
seems to be the band’s foremost priority. In the process, they plan to do a fair amount of paying their dues,
working out the logistics of White being behind the kit,
and coming up with an answer to the supergroup question. Is “side project” a term they’re more comfortable
with? “If this is a side project,” White drawls, “it feels
really, really good.” F
GOOD MUSIC GUIDE FILTER 15
IN SEARCH
OF THE PERFECT
SANDWICH
Making Noise with Adam Goldberg
BY MATT ELDER
Adam Goldberg likes to keep things cordial—borderline too inviting at times—like pretending our phone interview is
happening in the flesh. “I’m pretending that you’re on the front porch, and we’re actually having a face-to-face,” he
says in a surprisingly chipper voice, far from the manic-depressive he plays in his new film (UNTITLED). “Did I mention
I’m not wearing a shirt?”
That’s it for proper introductions. Giving the scowl he famously sports in photographs a rest when he’s got feet up and
hair down—this is, after all, the guy who managed to squeeze a few laughs out of a Matthew McConaughey movie and work
the comedy sideshow angles on both Entourage and Friends—Goldberg welcomes roles that run outside the limelight, just
as he loves hiding behind the camera in the director’s chair and recording music with his band, LANDy.
In (UNTITLED), Goldberg plays Adrian Jacobs, an avant-garde composer more concerned with making noise
than with creating anything audibly digestible. In Adrian’s words, “Harmony is a capitalist’s plot to sell pianos,” and he
breaks enough glass, pops enough bubble wrap, tears enough paper and kicks enough buckets to actually back up
that line of thought. In search of an audience, Adrian becomes intertwined with the equally ridiculous world of high
art culture, where he realizes his own mirrored absurdities and uses the blistering sound of silence as a weapon of
backlash. Take that, you artsy-fartsies.
Are the characters in (UNTITLED) almost
willing to martyr themselves for their cause,
treating their art like a sort of cultural war?
If you go to any place that is creatively involved, there
is a vestibule where that seems to be the only frame of
reference. There’s a place you can reach where it’s less
about the thing you’re creating, and more about the
mission. I’ll always remember that for all the flack Los
Angeles gets about its cultural vacuousness and self-importance, there was something about the fashion world
in New York City that just made me laugh a little bit.
If you’re incredibly passionate about something that
isn’t going to cure cancer or raise money for children
or something, there’s always a way to step back from it
where it seems a little bit silly.
So why does your character, Adrian, have a
hard time relating to two worlds that basically
16 FILTER GOOD MUSIC GUIDE
share the same mission?
Adrian’s completely capable of sitting at the same table
where these two worlds overlap. But once he sees what
it is he’s creating alongside those preposterous pieces of
art—whether a Post-it or tack on the wall—it’s in many
ways the equivalent of what he’s doing with his own
compositions. And he hates himself for it. I’ve always
seen those worlds as one thing. Movies for me are selfcontained. They emphasize all of the artistic muscles as
series of photographs with storytelling—which is also
music. But I’ve always felt that film is the perfect meal.
The perfect sandwich.
Adrian says, “It doesn’t matter what gets
noticed today; my work will matter long after
I’m dead.” Does the rock and roll myth—that
the greatest thing a musician can do is die—
carry over into the classical world?
Adrian is kind of an absurd character for someone
taking their “art” so seriously, but I can relate to the
idea that no one will like me when I’m alive but I’m
hoping everyone is going to like me when I’m dead.
But I’m also still convinced that they’re going to create
some sort of immortality serum before I die. There
have been films I’ve made where it just really feels like
a life or death situation, quite literally. I remember in
my first movie [Scotch and Milk] I’d spent so much
time in the editing room that I had no other frame
of reference. I remember literally scratching something—not quite a will, but an “if something happens
to me,” like I get hit by a car or incapacitated in some
fashion, “I need this cut to be the final movie.”
Music tends to find us early in our lives, rather
than us finding it. What found you?
I had this cool babysitter that used to have a “Death
to Disco/Disco Sucks” T-shirt, so I knew I wasn’t supposed to be into disco.
And you’ll be sporting one of those on the
cover of the album you’re working on?
Nah. On this next record I’m just going to do some
home recordings and then go into the studio; not take
seven years this time around. In fact, if any of your
readers would like a Pro Tools setup, let me know;
I’m downsizing. For now, I’ve just been dealing with
some spinal compression between rehearsals, probably
nothing more than your average 38-year-old, except it’s
searing pain. It’s a young man’s job to do all that lifting,
cable routing and guitar strapping. I just kept telling
myself Bob Pollard [of Guided By Voices] did it. Bob
Pollard did it. Bob Pollard did it. And then someone
reminded me that Bob Pollard was completely drunk
when he used to do it. F
GOOD MUSIC GUIDE FILTER 17
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%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
(Go to FILTERmagazine.com or pick up Filter Magazine’s Summer Issue for full reviews of these albums)
BEASTIE BOYS
94%
Ill Communication [reissue]
CAPITOL
Yeah, it’s long and confusing, but its
boyish virtuosity makes it essential
listening for both young and old.
SUNSET RUBDOWN
80%
Dragonslayer
JAGJAGUWAR
In the end, Spencer Krug’s songwriting
puts a smile on your face, despite your
willingness to give it up.
MOBY
90%
Wait for Me
LITTLE IDIOT/MUTE
Like a Lynchian vision, it’s mysterious and
disconsolate, but its unwavering humanity
brings Moby back to form.
YACHT
78%
See Mystery Lights
DFA
This glitch-fest is filled with cult
references and positive reinforcement.
“Join us”? Um, no thanks, we don’t
drink the Kool-Aid.
CASS MCCOMBS
89%
Catacombs
DOMINO
Simple melodies burn deep, clearing
uplifting and haunting paths for more
intense soul searching.
DEER TICK
74%
Born on Flag Day
PARTISAN
While some country singers use lo-fi to
great effect, this doesn’t have the chops
to do the same.
TOM BROSSEAU
84%
Posthumous Success
FATCAT
For this minimalist folkster who’s now
shifting syles, the slightest static shock
seems electrifying.
Now available for the first
time in the U.S. on High Definition
Blu-ray and DVD!
SON VOLT
72%
Central American Dust
ROUNDER
This is the sound of a band settling for
generic fiddle and purrs of pedal-steel
guitar. Oh, how far we have fallen…
SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE
84%
Luminous Night
DRAG CITY
While far-out sitar playing may seem
phony coming from a white guy in
California, his classic roots keep him
settled on solid ground.
Presenting their triumphant
homecoming in July 2007 at
the London O2 Arena in front of
17,000 fans.
FILTER
ALBUM
RATINGS
AWOL ONE & FACTOR
68%
Owl Hours
FAKE FOUR
Despite a coterie of collaborators, when
it comes to Owl Hours, you’re better off
sleeping in.
91-100% 8
81-90% 8
71-80% 8
61-70% 8
Below 60% 8
a great album
above par, below genius
respectable, but flawed
not in my CD player
please God, tell us why
With behind-the-scenes
extras, including a second angle
of the whole concert, footage
of the soundcheck, a short film
made backstage and the live
visuals from several songs.
AVAILABLE AT
7.14 ON DVD AND BLU-RAY
20 FILTER GOOD MUSIC GUIDE
APLIN
- TOM CH
THE FIERY FURNACES
77%
I’m Going Away
THRILL JOCKEY
Although better in theory, it’s a decent
read. But don’t worry, this is one book
you’ll be able to put down.
WILCO
87%
Wilco (The Album)
NONESUCH
Wilco’s aging maturity is only natural;
besides, the worst thing elder rock stars
can do is behave like they’re still 25.
REGINA SPEKTOR
82%
far
SIRE
Although a leap out from previous work,
collaborations preserve the dramatis
personae that earned her the adjective,
“Spektorian.”
MOMENT
DOWN
O
G
O
T
S GOT
E
“THIS HA OST MEMORABL
AS THE M LIFE.”
2007
RE
I
T
JULY 21,
N
,
A
E
N
E
R
Y
A
OF M
, THE O2
Bjh^X!ZiX#
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
YO LA TENGO
87%
Popular Songs
MATADOR
Just because Yo La Tengo crafts comfortable,
cozy songs sweetly sung in close voices
doesn’t mean they’re complacent. Sure, Popular Songs doesn’t
quite go to the lengths of past YLT double-LPs (the spiraling
Gainsbourg strings and jagged electricity of opener “Here
to Fall” notwithstanding). But, less is always plenty in the
able hands of this nimble trio. Stepping back into the darker
corners of 2000’s And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside
Out, this is a record of dim moods and somber elegance and
showcases a little bit of everything we’ve come to love about
Yo La Tengo. BERNARDO RONDEAU
MOUNT EERIE
82%
Wind’s Poem
P/W ELVERUM & SUN
Phil Elverum’s series of releases have
joyfully ventured into unusual formats—
book, instrumental versions of past albums—and now
his music takes a dark, beautiful step off the path.
Wind’s Poem puts Elverum’s lo-fi folk into the sonic
sphere of rattling radiator pipes, low fizz and warm
vibrations. His voice is as naïve as ever, yet Wind’s
Poem churns like nothing from his past, providing a
therapeutic musical massage. JONATHAN FALCONE
DIVISION DAY
85%
Visitation
DANGERBIRD
They call it “post-industrial blackened
romantigaze.” It’s a fair try at describing
an album that lyrically tackles nightmares, devils and
death itself, while the mood remains voyeuristic,
introverted and calm. Rohner Segnitz’s steady, consistent
delivery is often hidden behind cascading walls of sound,
softening the dark visions with grand aural gestures (see
“Malachite” and “My Prisoner”). It may soften the blow,
but adds to the weight: this is a serious record. And
seriously good. JEREMY MOEHLMANN
A.A. BONDY
80%
When the Devil’s Loose
FAT POSSUM
After the straight-shot Americana folkery
of his debut, the follow-up from former
Verbena frontman Scott Bondy (that’s A.A. to you, buster)
diverts the route a bit, rendering him more like a nomadic
traveler who’s uprooted everything lain in the past. The
slow-and-steady example of “False River” proves this is not
an entirely foolish move, allowing Bondy’s raw vocal lilts all
the room they need, while still carrying the weight of the
Devil following hot on his tracks. BREANNA MURPHY
22 FILTER GOOD MUSIC GUIDE
YkY
Robot Chicken:
86%
Star Wars Episode II
TURNER
Continuing Robot Chicken’s
maligning of the Star Wars series
on Adult Swim comes Robot
Chicken: Star Wars Episode II.
Chock full of pop-culture references, ranging from
Prince to Free Willy to GEICO commercials, there
is no lull in the action as satirical scenes from all the
Stars Wars films make their way into the mix. And,
with the voice talents of Stars Wars actors Billy
Dee Williams and Carrie Fischer, there’s no way
even George Lucas could pass on this delightful
treat. SAMUEL FANBURG
FELIX DA HOUSECAT
73%
He Was King
NETTWERK
Felix returns with a further slab of
stylized electro pop that doesn’t shake any
bombastic trees or rip out revelations. There are, however,
plenty of great undulating synth lines and boogie beats, and
the album is best in dance floor mode. Songs be damned,
when cuts and edits flitter about like Donna Summer
having nightmares in analogue, this pumps; when they
don’t, the album is forgettable. JONATHAN FALCONE
THE DODOS
83%
Time to Die
FRENCHKISS
Just when we thought drums and strings
were good enough, Time to Die proves
that, despite the name, The Dodos are neither extinct
nor dying. With new nest-mate Keaton Snyder on
electric vibraphone, the trio’s sound is fuller and a bit
more advanced. From the melodic structure of “Fables”
to the lyrical genius of “Two Medicines” to the chaotic
undertones of “This is Business,” the band retains all of
its trademarks, but thickens the sauce with a little more
vibration. Sure, it’s an adaptation, but these birds are
still looking to evolve. LYNN LIEU
OS MUTANTES
78%
Haih or Amortecedor
ANTIWhat’s bizarre about the ultrainfluential Brazilian psych rockers’ first
new release in 35 years isn’t the sprawling arrangements
or the gaggle of unconventional instruments or even the
political lyrics sung em Português, though each of those
familiar motifs are present. No, what’s truly shocking
here is how conventional the record seems as it shifts
from psychedelia into various Latin genres with ease.
Even so, they cram enough tempo and genre changes to
make even of Montreal giddy. MARTY GARNER
Wdd`
LAUREN DUKOFF
88%
Family
CHRONICLE
There’s something inherently
glamorous about photographing
musicians—even when it’s
new age woodsman Devendra
Banhart. What started out as innocent snapshots
taken by Lauren Dukoff while Banhart and she
wandered the streets of Los Angeles as teenagers
gradually transformed into Dukoff’s documenting
her circle of creative friends. Family presents
spontaneous glimpses into music’s vibrant
eccentricity, further enhanced by Dukoff’s penchant
for 35-mm—a breath of air as crisp as Dukoff’s color
palate and sensibility. LAUREN BARBATO
DAPPLED CITIES
80%
Zounds
DANGERBIRD
While this band of Aussies’ American
debut began life in 2007 on the left-hand
side of the English-speaking world, its second coming
has certainly found standing room where they previously
hoped to conquer. This go-round is sure to break
previous comparisons to The Shins, and instead, replace
it with a Western hipster’s point of view highlighted by
all its audible pleasures. Danceable, ambient synths and
equal doses of lyrics with and without syllables: this is
art-pop that has done its homework. MATT ELDER
Wdd`
JASON BITNER
Cassette From My Ex 85%
ST. MARTIN’S
One item that can never be
forgotten from a relationship is the
mix tape constructed to perfectly
capture the love shared through music. In order
to relive these moments, Jason Bitner assembled
Cassette from My Ex, an anthology of notable
cassettes created for ex-lovers by music journalists,
authors and musicians. Deeply reflective and
comical, the cassettes included contain track listings
along with brief overviews of the relationships that
inspired them. Until now, there has never been
a better way to remember old lovers—of other
people. SAMUEL FANBURG
J. TILLMAN
86%
Year in the Kingdom
WESTERN VINYL
Tillman’s latest release is unique among
albums by drummers: It doesn’t feature
24 FILTER GOOD MUSIC GUIDE
drums. Instead, the Fleet Foxes sticksman employs
an acoustic guitar, cello and dulcimer for a minimalist
record that could have been a chart topper in the
1600s. Foxes fans will relish “There is No Good in
Me,” in which Tillman’s penitent voice melts into
what sounds like a processional march by a cathedral
choir. But it’s the celestial title track that lingers like an
angel’s vapor trail. STEPHEN HUMPHRIES
k^YZd\VbZ
The Beatles: Rock Band 82%
360, PS3, WII
MTV GAMES
Rock Band hasn’t really given
us anything new since its
inception. The Beatles: Rock
Band has one lonely innovation: players will
have to three-part-harmonize to score maximum
points. The in-game art style is colorful and a
treat to watch, but doesn’t affect gameplay. Paul
McCartney and Ringo Starr’s involvement and
approval of the 45 Beatles tracks is a great step,
but Rock Band is still Rock Band. You’re either a
Beatles fan, or…well… ZACH ROSENBERG
PORT O’BRIEN
89%
Threadbare
TBD
Last year, Van Pierszalowski and
crew were lost at sea, musing over
isolation and looking forward to better days docked at
harbor. It seems they’ve found land for their sea legs,
regaining footing with a more profound focus from
Cambria Goodwin, whose vocals nod toward Régine
Chassagne’s sadness and the haunting of Victoria
Legrand. Goodwin and Pierszalowski are perfect
narrators for the new, dark and hollow places that
Port O’Brien has settled—still a bit lost, but ready for
further exploration. BREANNA MURPHY
hooks—Vapors, the third full-length album from this
quirky Canadian band, forms a sugary sound that’s
almost too hard to swallow. Commencing loud and
fast, Vapors’ first half guises itself as a synth-happy
dance record before switching to a darker, more
pensive tone on “Tender Torture,” which leads into the
lulling “Shining” and “Everything is Under Control.”
Yet by hopping between sounds, Islands loses its
musical footing by the album’s hazy end, failing to
find the cohesion to turn a few interesting songs into a
great album. LAUREN BARBATO
YkY
Anvil! The Story of Anvil 93%
VH1
Anvil! The Story of Anvil is more
than just a documentary about a
couple of relatively obscure rockers
in their 50s who inspired bands
like Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax back in the
early 1980s. It’s a must-see look into the deep
yet complex friendship between frontman Steve
“Lips” Kudlow and drummer Robb Reiner, who
both managed to keep their dreams of making
it as rock stars alive for more than 30 years. An
instant classic. MIKE BELL
FOOL’S GOLD
88%
Fool’s Gold
IAMSOUND
Fool’s Gold is like 12 beardos playing
bongos and West African-style guitar
while singing in Hebrew. But like most people, I
would rather stab myself in the face than admit I listen
to “jam bands.” So instead, I’m going to call them a
“Mediterranean dance group” and pretend that their
blissful, sunny jam sessions are something else entirely;
otherwise, I’d have to buy a Hacky Sack—or worse, stop
listening to such a great album. MAX READ
LE LOUP
87%
Family
HARDLY ART
Like first watching a movie on an old
black-and-white TV and then seeing
it in an IMAX theatre with the sound cranked up, Le
Loup’s sweeping sophomore set, Family, is a great leap
forward for the D.C. fivesome. Mashing up hypnotic
chants, beguiling banjo licks, head-spinning melodies
and sonic tomfoolery, these 11 cinematic songs are the
pseudo-psychedelic soundtrack to a most wonderful
dream. And the dream they’ve conjured is so good that
you never want to wake up. NEVIN MARTELL
WILD BEASTS
79%
Two Dancers
DOMINO
Though it lacks the exuberance of their
2008 debut, Wild Beasts’ sophomore
LP, Two Dancers, is not without its charms. The pingpong harmonies and the hip-shaking rhythms have
been replaced with contemplative melodies and lulling
vocals perfect for the late-night crowd. This works on
the entrancing “We Still Got the Taste Dancing on Our
Tongues” and the atmospheric title track, but ultimately,
you find yourself yearning for some energy and electricity
to kick-start the after party. NEVIN MARTELL
ISLANDS
81%
Vapors
ANTIAn homage to indie pop with lovelorn
lyrics, echoing refrains and melodic
GOOD MUSIC GUIDE FILTER 25
SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO
76%
Temporary Pleasure
WICHITA
Temporary pleasure on overdrive: lead
single “Audacity of Huge” combines
SMD’s trademark quirkiness and a killer vocal by
Chris Keating of Yeasayer into one monster club track.
Several other collaborations are successful (including
Jamie Lidell on “Off the Map” and Young Fathers on
“Turn Up the Dial”) but not mind-blowing. Efforts
here lack urgency and a necessity to blow the doors
off the club apparent on previous releases. Coming
from the duo who created “Animal House” (to this day
the most played track in my iTunes by far), I’m a little
underwhelmed. JEREMY MOEHLMANN
YkY
The Mighty Boosh
92%
BBC
The U.K. cult classic has been
gaining a resurgence of popularity
Stateside ever since it began airing
on the Adult Swim network. Now,
with the release of the first season from the
original BBC series, The Mighty Boosh is staking
its claim as a bona fide contender. With hilarious
story arcs, off-the-cuff sing-alongs and footage
not yet seen on American television, this is
the first of three must-have comedy tromps.
America, meet Vincent Noir and Howard (Small
Eyes) Moon. ERIK NOWLAN
THE NOISETTES
76%
Wild Young Hearts
MERCURY
The Noisettes shift gears on Wild Young
Hearts, thrusting full-speed unexpectedly
into waves of retro-soul and disco-pop. Sometimes it
feels like a sappy 1970s prom soundtrack with tardy beats
and lyrics like, “I’ll never forget you/They said we’d never
make it/My sweet joy/Always remember me” in “Never
Forget You.” Overall, it’s a moody pop album. The trio
establishes catchy lyrics and feet-tapping rhythms, but
the words are plain and the beats sound too familiar to
reach dance ecstasy. LYNN LIEU
DANIEL MERRIWEATHER
75%
Love & War
J
Merriweather’s soulful whiteboy image
will surely evoke hesitant first reactions
amongst us stubborn music elitists—and it should. But the
charm of the Mark Ronson-produced Love & War hides
in the small print of its linear notes. With powerhouse
groove-royalists The Dap-Kings (of Sharon Jones and
Amy Winehouse’s fame) backing Merriweather’s pipes,
the production is clean, orchestration is meticulous, and
the bass is loose with no shortage of funk. As far as Daniel
goes? We can take him or leave him. MATT ELDER
26 FILTER GOOD MUSIC GUIDE
WILLIE NELSON
84%
American Classic
BLUE NOTE
Willie Nelson releases about four or
five records per year, ranging from
reggae to countrypolitan and most things in between,
and he’s always felt comfortable and welcome in places
where he doesn’t seem to belong. American Classic, his
first record of jazz standards since 1978’s mega-selling
Stardust, is par for the course. The familiar tenor slips
in easily with the woozy horns and smooth pianos,
sounding confident and at ease—appropriate for the
king of cool. MARTY GARNER
BRENDAN BENSON
69%
My Old, Familiar Friend
ATO
Taking a break from his residency
in The Raconteurs, Benson returns
to his Old, Familiar status as solo musician for the
first time since 2005’s Alternative to Love. Gone is
the crunchy, assertive pop of “Spit It Out,” replaced
instead with a sunnier, annoyingly adolescent
indecision over all matters in love. He fesses up to as
much in lead track “A Whole Lot Better,” but I can’t
keep up with where his head’s at every second—and
don’t care to. BREANNA MURPHY
YkY
Arnold Schwarzenegger
85%
DVD Collection
LIONSGATE
Somewhere between being an
over-flexed Mr. Universe and
an under-performing governor,
Arnold Schwarzenegger was the hardestworking action star around. Collected here
are four of his more popular, albeit at times
less savory, high-energy flicks. Terminator 2 is
still commendable for its special effects and
Total Recall is eye-candy for any self-respecting
sci-fi-action geek. As for the other inclusions,
The Running Man is nowhere near as exciting
as you remember it, and besides the laughable
homoerotic rubdown in its beginning, Red Heat
is a complete dud. ERIK NOWLAN
GENERAL ELEKTRIKS
82%
Good City for Dreamers
QUANNUM
If an artist can pull together off-thewall, bizarre creativity without being
a pretentious artiste, and at the same time, have an
organic, emotional accessibility without being twee,
kudos to him. Herve (or “RV”) Salter’s project, General
Elektriks, is a vintage that should sound as if it’s all over
the place, but the sum of its weird parts always seems
to add up to something much more than its seemingly
schizophrenic whole. KENDAH EL-ALI
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