reading now. - Inflatable Ferret

JUNE | JULY 2010
VOLUME 2
NO 5
INSIDE
»
»
»
»
IF talks to rock 'n' roll legend Jon Spencer
We look back on the top 10 performances of Bonnaroo
Reviews: Blitzen Trapper, Sleigh Bells, Iron Man 2, and more
80 Minutes of Summer Music
IF STAFF
Editor-in-Chief
James Passarelli
Layout
Kathryn Freund
Featured Writers
David Amidon
James Emerson
Bryant Kitching
John Mulligan
James Passarelli
Angela Toomer
Ryan Waring
Web Design
Greg Ervanian
Rob Schellenberg
Contributions
Michael Passarelli
Ainsley Thedinger
© Copyright 2010 Inflatable Ferret
CONTACT US
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CONTENTS
VOLUME
U II
No. 5
03
Bonnaroo Revisited
Check out John Mulligan’s
picks for top 10 Bonnaroo
performances.
14
07
20
Reviews
Read reviews for new albums
from Blitzen Trapper, Crystal
Castles, Stars, and more.
» PG.13
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PG. 3»
Interview
James Passarelli talks Trash
with Jon Spencer. No blows
were thrown.
Playlist
We cooked up 80 minutes of
hot summer music fresh off
the IF grill.
bonnaroo
2O1OTOP 10 SHOWS
wordS: john mulligan
BONNAROO 2010 proved
once again that it iS
unlike any other.
universal truths are a general
lack of cleanliness, sobriety,
sleep, and sweltering heat. Only
at Bonnaroo can you find both the
incredibly offensive metal shows
of self-proclaimed violent aliens
GWAR and the soulful tunes of
In the alternate reality that R&B legend Stevie Wonder. Only
occurs every June in Manchester, at Bonnaroo are the names of
Tennessee (with a population of stages intentionally confusing
merely 2,000 people that grows to mix people up (Which Stage,
to about 100,000) the only What Stage, This Tent, That
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Tent, The Other Tent). With
a gathering of everyone from
rednecks to hippies to hipsters,
and an unsurprisingly impressive
lineup to boot, Bonnaroo kept
its reputation as one of the best
and biggest festivals in the world
leading up to next year’s tenth
anniversary. IF’s John Mulligan
was there to recap the festival’s
top 10 performances.
bonnaroo 2010 top ten
j
a
y
z
1
After Kanye West’s disastrous
set in 2008 (he showed up four hours
late because he thought he was too
good to play while others were onstage), the Bonnaroo audience has not
taken kindly to tardiness. Fellow rap
giant Jay-Z was careful not to make
the same mistake, and he more than
made up for Kanye’s embarrassment.
After headlining a couple summer festivals, including Coachella earlier this
year and Glastonbury in 2008, Jay-Z
clearly knows what he’s doing. Even his
admittedly inferior tracks off The Blueprint 3 sounded good, with rousing
renditions of “Empire State of Mind,”
“D.O.A.,” and “On to the Next One” featuring spectacular pictures of the New
York skyline on a giant digital screen
and stacked up pulsating speakers.
The best thing about Jay-Z’s performance was how sincerely he seemed
to appreciate his 60,000 patrons, taking several minutes to acknowledge
them. He even brought a girl on stage
to sing her a happy birthday she will
not soon forget. The highlights were
the usual suspects, like “Dirt off Your
Shoulder,” “Big Pimpin’,” and “99 Problems.” Jay-Z continued with one of the
best mash-ups of recent memory,
“Numb/Encore” during which the entire crowd went wild, singing along to
every word. The final track
was “Young Forever,” another track with almost
unanimous audience participation - perhaps
the only crowd
that
waved
more
lighters than cell
phones in this
modern age.
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2
lcd
SOUND
SYSTEM
The powers that be at Bonnaroo
picked a perfect time (2:30 A.M.) for
the electronic rock of James Murphy’s LCD Soundsystem. Only very
late at night can the full effect of the
lights coming from the stage and almost every crowd members’ bodies
show through. LCD began their late
night rave with “Us v Them,” an eight
minute track that seemed to be over
in a heartbeat. Next were “Drunk
Girls,” the first single off their fantastic new album This is Happening, then
their smash hit “Daft Punk is Playing
at My House,” which sounded exponentially catchier than it does through
laptop speakers. Murphy then got the
whole crowd repeating “where are
your friends tonight?” during “All My
Friends.” By playing “Losing My Edge”
in the next to last song of their set,
Murphy and company proved that the
entire basis of that song is a lie. In an
homage to headliner Jay-Z, LCD played
a slower version of “Empire State of
Mind,” with keyboardist Nancy Whang
playing the part of Alicia Keys. That
cover worked seamlessly into “New
York, I Love You but You’re Bringing
Me Down,” after which an exhausted
audience still chanted for more.
3
STEVIE wonder
At the front end of one of the better one-two headlining punches Bonnaroo has ever had, Stevie Wonder—
sixty years young—proved that he’s
definitely still got it. Getting the crowd
into it right away, Wonder started
with “Did I Hear You Say You Love
Me.” A couple songs later, Wonder
went into the Greatest Hits portion of
the evening with “Uptight (Everything’s
Alright),” “For Once in My Life,” “Higher
Ground,” (which reminded the audience that, despite the Red Hot Chili
Peppers brillant cover, but the original
reigns supreme) and “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing.” Later, Wonder went
into superb covers of Parliament’s
“Give Up the Funk” and “I Heard it
Through the Grapvine” (popularized
by Marvin Gaye). If his set wasn’t funky
enough already, Wonder removed all
doubt and brought it home with “Superstition”, and he closed his set appropriately with “A Time 2 Love,” leaving the crowd infatuated with every
minute of his performance.
bonnaroo 2010 top ten
4
cont.
deadmau5
After Jay-Z’s set on Saturday
night, the Bonnaroo audience was in
for a much different, faster type of
dancing when trance act Deadmau5
graced This Tent. Appearing with his
trademark mouse mask (this night it
was white), Deadmau5 got the crowd
dancing fast right away. Standing behind a V-shaped monitor of different
colors and patterns that he seemed
to control with his every movement,
Deadmau5 rocked This Tent until well
after 4 AM. His famous buildups led
his avid listeners and newcomers alike
in frenzy. The longest, albeit most satisfying, build up occurred when Deadmau5’s mask changed colors as an
electronic voice repeated “sometimes
I start complicated,” along with a repeating uhn-tiss beat, until the bass
exploded perfectly in time with a spectacular light display as it appeared
Deadmau5 was losing control of his
monitors while the beat shook the
very ground, keeping the perpetually
tired crowd up well past their bedtime.
5
damian marley
& NAS
In
the
boiling
pot that
is Tennessee
in the summer,
Damian Marley
and Nas were the
first main headliner to perform
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late Friday afternoon. Fresh off the
release of their collaborative album,
Distant Relatives, Marley and Nas
started with said record’s opening
track “As We Enter.” Alternating between tracks from each artist’s solo
work and their work together, they
kept the crowd guessing what might
come next. Some of Nas’ highlights
were “Hip Hop is Dead,” in which he
screamed “FUCK THE RADIO” several times during the chorus and “Got
Yourself a Gun.” Marley received his
fair share of crowd participation of
his own with “Welcome to Jamrock,”
where thousands sang along to the
lyrics “out in the streets, they call it
muuuurdeeer.” Nas and Marley came
together once again to perform “Road
to Zion” off Marley’s debut album,
Welcome to Jamrock. One of the finer
covers of the festival occurred after
Damian Marley asked the crowd, “are
there any Bob Marley fans in the audience?” Shockingly enough, there were,
and Marley faithfully sang one of his father’s best: “Could You Be Loved.”
6
tenaciouS D
Perhaps the only act to explicitly incorporate comedy into a routine
outside the Comedy Tent at Bonnaroo, Jack Black’s Tenacious D put on
one of the more enjoyable shows of
the weekend Friday night at the What
Stage. After an introduction by Conan
O’Brien promising a set that would
“change your lives,” and, “be the greatest performance in the history of entertainment,” Tenacious D delivered.
Their set was hilarious and rocking,
featuring a break-up caused by Black
apparently replacing his band mate
Kyle in The Pick of Destiny 2, with comedian Kevin James after an onstage
phone call. They got back together immediately though and played “Kyle Quit
the Band.” Soon after, the devil made
an appearance and Tenacious D had
to guitar solo him back to hell, leading
perfectly into their song about fighting
the devil “Tribute.” Other highlights included sexually themed songs “Kielbasa,” and “Fuck Her Gently.” As apparently covers were a requirement for
anyone performing at the What Stage
this year, Tenacious D obliged with an
excellent version of “Pinball Wizard.”
They closed out their set with “Double
Team,” leaving the crowd eager for the
release of The Pick of Destiny 2, hopefully without
Kevin James.
7
the
flaming
lipS
One of the
main headliners
at Bonnaroo 2010, the
Flaming Lips would have
made it a lot higher on this list if not
for a disappointing, acoustic version of
“Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt.
1,” which robbed the song of everything that makes it great. That song
aside, however, their set was hardly a
disappointment, featuring all the confetti, giant balloons, and human sized
hamster balls that fans have come
to expect from a Lips shows. The set
was split up into Flaming Lips songs
in the first half, and a complete performance of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of
the Moon in the second. Wayne Coyne
pulled out songs from all over their
repertoire in the first half, including
“She Don’t Use Jelly,” “The W.A.N.D.,”
bonnaroo 2010 top ten
10
and “Do You Realize?”. As for the Dark
Side of the Moon performance, it was
decidedly more enjoyable than the studio version, which did not exactly get
rave reviews.
8
kingS of leon
As a no-brainer rule at festivals,
bands have to give the audience their
very best songs; otherwise the audience could leave for something better. Kings of Leon understood this,
and chose to leave out a number of
songs off their lackluster 2008 album
Only By the Night. To start off, the
Kings played one of the better tracks
off their new album, “Crawl.” Then
they brought out their vastly superior
old stuff with “Taper Jean Girl” from
Aha Shake Heartbreak which had the
crowd singing “uh-huh, say hey” right
along with frontman Anthony Caleb
Followill. “Charmer” was another excellent song, in which Followill was
able to hit the seemingly impossible
high notes each time. What followed
was possibly the most appropriate
cover of the festival, a great rendition
of Pixies “Where is My Mind?” The
crowd, meanwhile, asked itself that
same question.
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9
phoenix
One of the few bands to
play at Bonnaroo in both 2009 and
2010, Phoenix graduated from the
comparatively small That Tent to the
much larger Which Stage on the final day in 2010. They opened their
set the way they opened their latest
album, with the fantastic track “Lisztomania”, followed by one of their better,
pre-Wolfgang Amadeus tracks “Long
Distance Call.” Frontman Thomas
Mars did his damnedest to make sure
the crowd was into it throughout the
show, constantly egging them on with
his French charm. Phoenix played
the entirety of Wolfgang Amadeus
Phoenix, with a few others mixed in,
including “Run Run Run,” a fine track
off Alphabetical. After Phoenix closed
with the wildly popular “1901”, the
crowd managed to convince the band
to come out for an encore…which only
consisted of the main riff from “1901”
as Mars repeated “falling, falling, falling, falling, falliiiiinnng!” But no one
seemed to be complaining.
cont.
DAWES
A true 2010 festival dark
horse, California foursome Dawes
found itself at the intimate Troo Music Lounge. The lounge is a relatively
quaint setting under a tent adjacent
to the Which Stage, where no more
than a hundred people showed up for
Dawes. But those who came did not
regret it, as they were treated to an
excellent folk rock set reminiscent of
Delta Spirit. Songs like “When My Time
Comes” and “Love is All I Am” feature
beautiful harmonies and folk riffs that
were sure to make the crowd move.
With all of one album to their name,
Dawes look to bring their humble folk
rock to the rest of the world through
relentless touring. And don’t be surprised if you see them on a main stage
in the following years.
MUSIC REVIEWS
Stars
The Five Ghosts
(Soft Revolution Records)
STARS OFTEN FINDS ITSELF
marginalized in the category of
light, indie pop. Lately, there is
certainly no shortage of indie pop
music out there being overplayed by
scenester girls and boys. One could
argue, then, that the mission of
Stars should be to distinguish itself
from the mass of other indie bands
whispering their vocals, doing away
with the guitar, and going heavy on
the piano. Montreal-based Stars
had their commercial breakthrough
with 2005 album Set Yourself on
Fire and further gained respect in
2007 with In Our Bedroom After
the War through the popular single
“Take Me to the Riot.” They still,
however, have yet to distinguish
themselves from bands like The New
Pornographers, Mates of State, or
Broken Social Scene. Of course, the
band’s members are also members
of fellow Canadian band (Broken
Social Scene), and Social Scene
member Andrew Whiteman makes
an appearance on the album, so
it would make sense that the two
bands would have a similar sound.
To an untrained ear, indie pop all
kind of sounds the same, the catchy
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sort of tunes that often appear in
ITunes commercials or independent
film trailers. So, Stars task is to
make a unique record that isn’t
just background music, but a piece
of art, and a complete and unified
album, not just some cutesy songs
that sound good together. Which
brings us to their newest album.
Stars released The Five Ghosts
on their own, brand-new Soft
Revolution Records label in Canada
(Vagrant released it worldwide).
The first song, “Dead Hearts” is
probably the highlight of the record,
with a conversation between Torquil
Campbell and Amy Millan. The song
is call-and-response in style, and it
hints at what the rest of the record
will be like: questions and answers
about death and the possibility of
life afterward. The heavy, haunting
(literally) subject matter is a contrast
to the light, carefree sound for which
Stars are known. The beauty of the
record is that they never answer
these lofty questions about life and
death, even to the record’s end,
the most poignant song yet, called
“Winter Bones.” Still, despite the
lyrical heaviness, the album has a
light, ethereal airiness that saves it
from being weighed down so much
that it’s unlistenable. This paradox:
light sound versus dark lyrics, lends
a lot of depth and a melancholy irony
to the record.
At times, the album falls a little
flat, aligning itself too closely with
the indie pop label, and the sound
becomes predictable and repetitive,
like in the second track, “Wasted
Daylight.” At other times, the album is
refreshing and surprising, like in the
single, “Fixed.” This song is Stars at
their best. Not only is it catchy, but it
asks a lot of the aforementioned lofty
questions, and gives us Stars’ view
of death—inevitable and undefined-“It’s the one thing you can count on:
we all end floating away.” However,
the album’s major flaw is that it
never really reaches a climax. It
doesn’t grow much, evolve, or reach
the same heights it achieves with
its opening track. It’s a good album,
but it fizzles out. It doesn’t engage
the listener, despite its attempt at
variety through the changes in tone
and tempo. The album bounces
between fast-paced dance music
(“I Died So I Could Haunt You”) and
melancholy, haunting tracks. This is
what makes it interesting, despite
the fact that it never quite reaches a
pinnacle. It definitely isn’t boring, but
it isn’t as engaging as it could be. The
album wanders—there’s no upward
direction, and this is the main flaw.
Of course, this wandering matches
the melancholy, ghostly themes
running throughout the lyrics, but it
also makes for a record that doesn’t
quite capture the listener.
- Angela Toomer
MUSIC REVIEWS
Sleigh Bells
Treats
(Mom + Pop and N.E.E.T. Records)
I KNOW, I KNOW, it seems like
we’ve heard this story about a million
times before: new band releases a
few good demos, gets hyped into
oblivion, puts out debut album only
to fall flat on their face. More often
than not, when the mushroom cloud
settles, the world realizes that these
bands simply aren’t very good.
Brooklyn band, Sleigh Bells, has been
arguably the most talked about new
band of 2010, but hold your horses
before you cast them aside as a
buzz band gone bust. On their hotly
anticipated debut Treats, the brand
spanking new group shows that they
do in fact have some serious, albeit
a tad underdeveloped, chops. There
is palpable room for Sleigh Bells to
grow and develop, which is more
than I could say about similar blog
buzz bands. I mean, honestly, does
anyone really care what Black Kids’
second album is going to sound
like? I didn’t think so. Treats might
not be perfect, but it does show real
promise for future releases from
the duo, who have been together
barely a year. Treats not only left me
interested to see where the group
will go next, but actually craving for
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continued
more of what I liked. This turned
out to be both a strength and a
weakness of the album.
If you’re looking for a quiet record
to lull you to sleep, I suggest you leave
the room immediately. From the first
fuzzed out, reverb-heavy notes of
Treats’ lead-off track, “Tell ‘Em,” it’s
clear that Alexis Krauss and Derek
Miller have no sympathy for your ear
drums. Somehow through all this
speaker-busting noise they manage
to craft truly unique and memorable
songs. However, playing with noise
is an easy way to make a band
annoying at best and unlistenable
at worst. Sleigh Bells’ tracks are
never unlistenable, but on tracks like
“Infinity Guitars” and “Straight A’s,”
it sounds like volume for the sake of
volume. “Crown on the Ground,” on
the other hand, rises and falls like a
true party anthem. Here the loudness
serves a purpose: to pump the hell
up whoever is listening. Treats’ lack
of noise control produces a less
than polished sound and causes me
to wonder if it wasn’t a bit rushed. A
little more work on tracks like “Riot
Rhythm” or “A/B Machines” would
possibly have turned them from
good to great.
Treats touches on so many
different genres: punk, hip-hop, lo-fi,
shoegaze, yet it is difficult to pinpoint
comparable work by other artists.
Lyrically, there isn’t a whole lot going
on; turn of a phrase here, clever
wordplay there, but on the whole,
there the lyrics manifest nothing
distinctly profound. The closest
comparison might be to M.I.A. at
her least political. The record’s
centerpiece, “Rill Rill,” (formerly “Ring
Ring”) samples an old Funkadelic
riff, and it might just be an early
contender for track of the year.
Here, Sleigh Bells inject their fuzzed
out punk into this infectiously funky
sample and create something that
would make the forefathers of funk
(and even hip hop for that matter)
proud. Tracks like this might even
hint at some possible mainstream
crossover potential for the group.
In my opinion, Sleigh Bells might
just be one Apple commercial spot
away from hitting it big. Krauss’ airy,
feminine yet powerful vocals have
been compared to the likes of Debbie
Harry, and I suppose this is an apt
assessment. However, Treats offers
none of Blondie’s glitz and glamour.
Instead, it offers kick-ass guitar riffs
and snap beats.
Treats was an exceedingly
frustrating album. It was maddening
to hear such a forgettable track
like “Rachel” right next to “Rill Rill.”
When Sleigh Bells is good, they’re
good; the problem was that there
were only track-long glimpses of this
greatness in between portions of
pure mediocrity. Maybe it’s just me
getting tired of a genre, but it doesn’t
sound like Sleigh Bells belong in the
same category as all of the other
lo-fi crap that has come out as of
late. With a little work, Sleigh Bells
could shake the dust off this genre.
Is it possible that Sleigh Bells might
disappear into the vast oblivion of the
blogosphere? Absolutely. But their
debut at least showed that they, at
times, are capable of greatness.
Sleigh Bells have hooked my interest
for at least one more release. In
today’s fast-paced, short-attentionspan culture where bands come and
go on the Internet within months,
maybe that fact alone makes Treats
a success.
- Bryant Kitching
MUSIC REVIEWS
Janelle Monáe
ArchAndroid
(Atlantic Records)
JANELLE MONÁE IS freakishly
talented, influenced by a fiercely
diverse range of sounds, and much
like the criminally over-appreciated
Lady Ga Ga, she aspires to be more
than a ‘typical pop star.’ In 2010,
this apparently means crafting an
elaborate allegory through four
suites of music (the fourth is still
on deck, the first was her 2007 EP
Metropolis Suite that dissects both
the entertainment industry and
American at large. By telling the
story of an android on the run from
the powers that be after finding love
with a human, Monáe weaves in
plenty of snappy insight into current
human relationships on Earth and
the fallacies of celebrity in the 24hour news cycle.
The music of any concept album
has to live up to the image behind
it, and The ArchAndroid is sort of
a mixed bag in that regard. While
Monáe has an open ear, her album
takes some turns that simply don’t
compliment the her ideas. After
the high-energy and immaculately
sequenced opening medley, the
following track, “Sir Greendown”,
appears out of nowhere with a slow
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continued
dirge that cuts the pace completely.
It seems like Monae runs out of
steam, causing a suspension of the
album’s continuity. Listeners can
detect a break in the flow several
times, particularly when Suite III is
introduced. The choppy nature of
the album can draw the listener out
of the experience, which is a shame,
considering the powerful impact of
the opening sequence. The twofer
of “Faster” and “Locked Inside” may
be the best example of pop music
I’ve heard in 2010, made up of
equal parts Lady GaGa bombasity
and cool, Bad Boy soul. Either song
could have a chance to hook radio
listeners. Meanwhile, “Neon Valley
Street” combines Willy Wonka’s
“Pure Imagination” with a hint of
“Strawberry Fields Forever” and a
whole lot of old school Philadelphia
soul for a surefire hit during stoned
headphone sessions.
Which is why it’s strange that
Monáe seems so eager to just wear
her influences on her sleeve rather
than fully adapt them to her aesthetic.
The back-masked “Neon Gumbo”
(another momentum stealer) can’t
help but sound like tracks from the
similarly off-kilter Fiery Furnaces’
Bitter Tea, “Oh, Maker” is a great
ode to ‘60s psychedelic pop and
“57821” is a shocking, late-in-theshow Celtic folk song. “Mushrooms
& Roses” has a typical Black Moth
Super Rainbow title, and more
surprisingly, sounds like a typical
BMSR slow jam. “Make the Bus”, a
collaboration with of Montreal that
may as well entirely lack Monáe’s
unnoticeable contribution, goes
too far with this hero worship. The
song sounds like a Sunlandic Twins
castaway and fits in with nothing on
the album, coming off as gratuitous
and excessive rather than playful
and charming as intended.
It’s a shame that these problems
plague the record, because Monáe
has a beautiful voice. She can adapt
her vocal range to any style, with
more personality than most other
female vocalists; it’s not a stretch to
say she may be the most gifted pop
songstress since Christina Aguilera.
The difference is Monáe’s willingness
to produce a wide range of her
music. Pop singers like Christina,
on the other hand, mainly save their
voices for ballads while becoming
sex symbols in the interim. Monáe
opens the album with a double time
rap on “Dance or Die” and pulls of
raging Sleater-Kinney garage rock
on “Come Alive”. Her union with Bad
Boy is somewhat unexplicable, but
Puffy is also courting underground
hip-hop icon Jay Electronica. Perhaps
Monáe is the beginning of a shift in
the pop consciousness, away from
bubblegum and fluff towards artsier
days. The ArchAndroid is a flawed
record, but it’s also an incredibly
listenable one and by all accounts a
harbinger of the future pop messiah
to come. To paraphrase an old
saying, what should one expect from
the girl that can do everything?
- David Amidon
MUSIC REVIEWS
Crystal Castles
Crystal Castles II
(Fiction Records)
I WANT TO HATE THIS ALBUM.
Ever since the success of their
eponymous debut two years
ago, Alice Glass and Ethan Kath
have represented themselves as
immature, arrogant, ungrateful, and
disloyal brats, their selfish fingerpointing following a last second
concert cancellation in Dallas early
last year being the most egregious
example. Ashamed I ever fell into
the trap of growing so fond of such
conceit, I nearly nixed the selfish
duo’s brief, and certainly unentitling,
discography from my itunes and
ears altogether. I designated their
8-bit sounds a guilty pleasure, and
let Crystal Castles gather dust ever
since. Sure they brought a swell of
energy, but are Atari samples and
spastic, onstage convulsions really
all that impressive?
I am, however, a man of many
clichés. And as a proponent of the “let
the art speak for itself” adage, I gave
Crystal Castles a second chance
after releasing their eponymous
(yes, again) follow up last month.
Simply put, redeeming qualities were
easy to find. Rather than detest this
album, I more than love it, and find
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continued
myself craving more of Alice Glass’s
"Pap Smear" (Let’s hope I never
want to utter those words again).
Whereas Crystal Castles’s debut
combined restricted, low-quality
electronic sounds with wanton rage
and vigor, the follow up provides
the opposite: a wide, airy range of
dreamy synths and introspection
reflecting a deliberate deepening
and honing of their craft.
Traces from Crystal Castles's
debut still remain, but presents
much more personalized 8-bit
sampling and much less frequented
rage. The opener "Fainting Spells"
and the swift, aggressive "Doe
Deer" retain that harsh distortion
that epitomized the duo inside and
outside the studio, but without jarring
Kath’s melodies or oppressing
Glass’ vocals. "Baptism" features
moderate static to effectively
produce the most physical track
during its sonic strobe light of its
climactic refrain. "Year of Silence"
samples the vocal tracks of Sigur
Ros’s "Inní mér syngur vitleysingur"
and both "Violent Dreams" and
"Vietnam" sample selections from
Stina Nordenstam’s "I See You
Again," but Crystal Castles staples
these borrowed bits to eerie songs
bereft of the relaxed ambience from
their prototypes. These three Crystal
Castles II tracks are dark, tense, and
wraithlike, as if a haunting death
lingers over this album.
The rest of the album proves to
be just as emotionally evocative, for
which a significant musical expansion
is responsible. Kath reduces the
Atari samples in favor of heavy synth
and wider range, which accounts
for the cosmic ebb and flow of the
first single "Celestica," "Empathy,"
and "Suffocation" that seduces the
listener rather than enraging him.
"Pap Smear," which despite its
crude name is one of the album’s
more sensitive pieces, shine with a
blissful gloss from the newly utilized
synth. On "Vietnam," these additions
create the crescendo of anxious
anticipation that culminates in
restless angst. The duo’s willingness
to experiment with new sounds
ultimately makes the album more
resonant with its listeners.
Moreover, this greater musical
depth accompanies a new reservoir
of genres. The reconciliation of earlynaughties eurodance rhythms with
a droning, psychedelic wall of sound
in "Celestica," the 80’s dream pop
sequences and new wave of the
Platinum Blonde cover "Not in Love,"
and the typewriter-like melody of
"Baptism" straight from a 90s rave
are just a few of Crystal Castles’s new
weapons. Rather than a gimmicky
catalog of early gaming’s formative
sounds, the duo’s follow up plays
more like a comprehensive synthesis
of the electronic scene’s history.
Crystal Castles II certainly takes
a large step forward and provides
a whopping response for the army
of detractors who labeled the pair
a one trick sampling pony. Its great
leap in progression and reduction of
aggression are not so drastic as to
deter fans of the debut or detract
from their infamously erratic and
brutally cathartic live shows. Better
yet, Crystal Castles can now boost
those uninhibited performances
with truly one of this year’s best
electronic albums. Hopefully, this
headlong
musical
maturation
inspires similar changes in Crystal
Castles’s personal upkeep. Although,
a follow up of this magnitude almost
warrants some degree of arrogance.
- Ryan Waring
MUSIC REVIEWS
Blitzen Trapper
Destroyer of the Void
(Sub Pop Records)
BLITZEN
TRAPPER
HAS
constantly been a surprisingly hard
band to pigeonhole, considering
their penchant for country and
bandleader/songwriter Eric Earley’s
unmistakable style. They’re often
compared to other Portland bands,
but in most cases, location seems to
be the only substantial tie. Their varied
catalogue, most evident on their first
three albums, shows their boldness
and versatility, not to mention an
interesting cover of Heart’s “Crazy
on You” on Portland artist charity
cover album, Bridging the Distance.
Blitzen Trapper thrive on setting you
up for something and taking you in
a completely different direction than
you had expected, most notably with
their signature jagged pop riffs. And,
more often than not, I find myself
loving what they have to offer.
A mild contrast to the band’s
earlier, more daring albums, 2008’s
Furr and their latest effort Destroyer
of the Void are a bit more polished.
And though they’ve inevitably lost
something precious with their
departure from slightly rougher
roots, their more refined pop sound
has faired them well. The band is
11
Inflatable Ferret
continued
more settled, but they haven’t really
matured in the typical sense. Despite
the finer production, they’re still not
polished enough to have sandpapered
off all the things that make them
exciting. Most importantly, they’ve
kept that same curiosity that brought
them to this point. Not only do they
explore genres, but they invite us to
explore them as well.
It starts with the title track, a sixminute epic that probably comes as
close to rock-opera status as Blitzen
will ever get. “All my petty crimes curses,
they are destroyed,” sings Earley, as
the music alternates between a soft
piano ballad and a strong, classic
rock melody. The delicate guitar on
“Below the Hurricane” calls to mind
the compositions of Gordon Lightfoot,
and “Dragon’s Song” is as Dylanesque
(electric Dylan, that is), at least when
it comes to its sensual bass and
electric guitar.
“The Man Who Would Speak
True” sounds eerily similar to Furr
track “Black River Killer”, from the
acoustic strumming and dark lyrical
content down to the rhyme schemes.
Earley’s harmonica takes the place
of a whining synth, and Earley’s new
protagonist shares the experiences
of the Black River Killer: murder,
darkness, trains, and run-ins with the
law. As for the rhyme schemes...In
“The Man” Earley sings, “They sent
me out on a midnight train/ in the
rain/ rollin’ down through the dusty
plain.” (“Black River Killer” – “They
booked me on a whim and threw me
deep in jail/ with no bail/ sittin’ silent
on a rusty pail.”) But the similarities
don’t stop either song from being a
highlight of its respective album; it’s
not that Earley has run out of ideas.
It’s more a sign that he has found his
signature sound. “The Man” is just as
great a story as “Black River Killer”,
one of a man who drunkenly kills his
lover. It all culminates into one moving,
climactic line: “Four men sitting with
an old shotgun/ Silver stars pinned
on every one/ They busted my mouth
for to get at my tongue/ to see just
how this had all begun/ so, I opened
my mouth like a dragon’s breath/ I
only spoke truth, but it only brought
death/ and I laid those boys to rest/
For the truth in truth is a terrible jest.”
The album’s best track is
“Laughing Lover.” “Crucify the blinding
sky for life/ Love’s love is like a
lightning rod,” Earley sings, before the
band kicks in with a steady bass drum
and a galloping riff. The strength of
the album is surely its opening half,
but the last half has its fair share
to offer. Earley teams up with Alela
Diane for a pretty duet in “The Tree”,
“Lover Leave Me Drowning” gives us
another glimpse of rock opera (always
a fun thing about which to fantasize),
and “Sadie” is a soulful ballad that
proves they too can write a great
song named after a girl.
Earley has cited Flannery
O’Connor as an influence in his
writing, and he certainly enjoys the
same studies of human nature as the
American literary legend. And maybe
it’s not too bold to compare him to
the American writers who have filled
anthologies with their works over the
past two and a half centuries. As he
matures as a writer, both musically
and lyrically, Earley continues to
demand critical respect. As for his
latest album? Well it’s hard to follow
Furr, but Blitzen Trapper once again
leaves us satisfied. Not a dull kind of
satisfied, but the kind you feel after a
hearty meal.
- James Passarelli
MOVIE REVIEW
Iron Man 2
ACCORDING TO AN ELABORATE
calculus of my own devising, Iron
Man 2 is the twenty-second addition
to Hollywood’s New Superhero
Cinema, a repertoire that continues
to grow: Thor is set to be released
in May of 2011, a Captain America
flick is in the works, The Avengers is
due out in 2012, and there is talk
that the universally beloved Ant-Man
might finally get his own big-screen
treatment. And that’s only on the
Marvel side of the equation. What
is fueling this resurgence of comic
book adaptations? A War-on-Terrorera yearning for figures of strength
and conviction? A repudiation of
our digitally-fragmented culture in
favor of the shared medium of the
comic book? Probably not a formula
that grossed Spider-Man—an early
entry in this field—some $821
million, placing it among the top 25
highest-earning films of all time. But
if this sequel is any indication, super
Superhero Cinema’s power is being
exhausted; Iron Man 2 is a variation
on a theme, and the theme is almost
played out.
12
Inflatable Ferret
The movie follows the trials and
tribulations of an outed Tony Stark.
He’s beset by big government,
which wants the Iron Man suit for
itself (boo regulations on superweapons!), in addition to the reactor
that is keeping him alive, though
also slowly poisoning him. Naturally
this puts Tony in an existential funk,
manifested in a drunken bout of
DJing while wearing his fully-armed
suit. His straight-edge buddy, Lt.
Col. James Rhodes (Don Cheadle),
puts an end to this tom foolery
by stepping into a prototype Iron
Man suit and slapping some sense
into him. All of this anticipates the
climactic battle scene, which seems
to have been lifted from Iron Man
2: The Video Game. If you have ever
had doubts about the ability of CGI
animators to simulate gunfire and
explosions, look no further than
Iron Man 2; they were apparently so
eager to prove themselves that they
filled the scene with nothing but. The
fight scenes of the Bourne movies
have been criticized for having an
overly-frenetic camera that jerks
between close-ups on flailing limbs
rather than letting the viewer see
whole actors, but we should credit
them for having actual humans: the
emotional investment required for
watching animated machines battle
is less than profound.
This is not to say that the movie
is nothing but a prelude to the video
game. There is also a lackluster
storyline propelled by villains with
motives so bland that they would
fit in as types of sin in a medieval
treatise. There is Greed, aka Justin
Hammer (Sam Rockwell…Sam, you
don’t have to do this. We can take up
a collection if you need the money), a
greedy rival arms manufacturer who
wants more business.There is Rage,
aka Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke),
who is furious with the Stark family
for wronging his family and seeking
vengeance. These characters are
present simply as Antagonists
to oppose the Protagonist and
thereby advance the Plot; they
are not particularly interesting or
compelling. It is to the film’s credit,
however, that the characters are
played by an excellent roll call of
actors. Robert Downey Jr.’s playboy
insouciance still charms, Rockwell
once again proves his talent for
playing the weasely as the all-around
loathsome Hammer
Marvel Studios is establishing
the members of the Avengers with
individual movies before 2012’s
team extravaganza, and the talent
associated with these projects is
remarkable: Edgar Wright, one of
the minds behind Shaun of the Dead
and Hot Fuzz, is the one who wants to
take on Ant-Man; Kenneth Branagh,
acclaimed Shakespearean actor and
director, is inexplicably set to direct
Thor; the philosophical filmmaker
Christopher Nolan is rumored to
be returning for the third Batman
film; and nerd god Joss Whedon
will direct The Avengers. It will be
interesting to see the direction that
superhero adaptations take as these
acknowledged craftsmen take over.
Maybe Iron Man 2 is subservient to
the end of franchise establishment
and lacking as a result; maybe it’s the
unremarkable middle child between
the bookends of the Iron Man trilogy;
or maybe it’s an attempt to cash in
with a subpar film.
- James Emerson
(
JON
SPENCER
SPENCER
JON
EVEN HIS MOST PASSIONATE FANS
might make the mistake of calling him a 90s
alternative rock legend, but Jon Spencer left his mark on both the
decade before and after, as well. He first gained recognition as the
frontman of punk outfit Pussy Galore in the late 80’s before forming
the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion with drummer Russell Simins and
guitarist Judah Bauer. The Blues Explosion married playful punk with
gritty blues and rockabilly for some of the most fun and innovative
sounds of the 90’s. But it didn’t stop there. Spencer hooked up with
Madder Rose bassist Matt Verta-Ray in 2005 to form Heavy Trash.
The duo’s three albums show a bit more traditional and tamer take
on rockabilly, but the music is just as fun. Since the release of Heavy
Trash’s 2009 album Midnight Soul Serenade, Spencer’s been doing
a balancing act, heavy on the trash. IF’s James Passarelli caught up
with him between shows for a quick check-up.
13
INTERVIEW:
INTERVIEW: JAMES
JAMES PASSARELLI
PASSARELLI
)
JON
SPENCER
Inflatable Ferret: What was your
musical background? What artists
that you listened to first inspired you
to start making your own music?
CONT.
Jon Spencer: Musical background? I
guess both my folks are big fans of
classical music and opera, so that was
always on in the house. It probably
wasn’t until I was maybe 19 or 20 that
I really began to make some music, or
at least to get serious about it. The
stuff that really made me think I could
do it was…a few different things, but the
first Back from the Grave compilations
of 60s garage punk – all those records
I think set me on the road.
IF: Were there any artists who kind of
took you under their wing and helped
you get your career going during its
earlier stages?
JS: Not really. Like I said, I didn’t really
start playing until I was 19 or 20 years
old, and at that time the hardcore
scene was very much still going. And
that wasn’t really my favorite kind of
music, but it was certainly inclusive
and empowering. So, I think going to
see a lot of hardcore shows and just
hanging out on the scene – this would
have been in Providence, Rhode Island
around 1983 – that really made me
believe, “I can start a band. I can make
a record.” And if you wanted to do it,
you just went ahead and did it yourself.
If you wanted to put on a show then you
organized it. I can’t really say there was
any band or artist who mentored me,
but it was more like friends who I was
just messing around with. We were all
just sort of starting things for ourselves
and helping each other.
IF: You’ve talked about how seriously
you take music and the process of
making it, but a lot of your music is way
out there. How do you reconcile the
goofiness with the seriousness?
14
Inflatable Ferret
JON SPENCER &
Matt Verta-Ray
(aka H eavy T rash )
Photo by Igor Emmerich
JS: Well, I think art that’s humorous
or lighthearted is still serious. Even a
comedian or a comedic actor is still a
serious artist. And I think rock ‘n’ roll is
a bizarre kind of music, and that’s what
appeals to me about it. Unfortunately
I don’t think that holds true for a lot
of other people. I think what’s usually
held up as rock ‘n’ roll, especially in this
country, is incredibly boring music. And
I think that just kind of happened with
the hippie movement and the youth
movement in 60s and the 70s. How do
I reconcile it? I don’t know, for me it’s
all part of the same thing. I’m inspired
by the strange and I really don’t have a
problem with it.
IF: The Blues Explosion always seemed
to me like somewhat of an anomaly
in the music world, not just because
its music was so different, but also
because the band didn’t really fit into a
particular scene. Was that a conscious
decision in a way to stay away from
being pigeonholed?
JS: I don’t think so. And yeah, we
were a little bit of outsiders, but not
totally outside. There were definitely
bands that we felt a kinship with, and
there were bands we tried to help and
promote. I don’t think we were all by
ourselves out in the wilderness. Was it
something we did in a conscious way?
No, we were just making records and
playing shows, and doing something
JON
SPENCER
Jon performing with the
Blues Explosion at the
BROOKLYN BOWL.
CONT.
or “Bellbottoms.” But I think
ultimately, I was trying to put
together an album that would
be enjoyable from start to finish, that
would work together as a whole. And I
also wanted to show different sides of
the Blues Explosion and the different
kinds of things that we did. And part
of that is some of the people that we
worked with. There are a lot of great
collaborators and guests that appear
on the compilation, like Andre Williams,
R.L. Burnside, Rufus Thomas, Beck,
Money Mark, Calvin Johnson, The
Lonesome Organist. We were very
lucky to work with some very creative
people.
"
Photo by Ryan Muir
I guess I am
always trying
to make a
record that
I would want
to own and
listen to.
JS: No, not entirely. I mean, there’s
always bits and pieces that I wish I could
have changed. Like, “I wish I would have
changed part of that mix, or I hadn’t used
that word or that phrase in a particular
line.” But, I can’t say that there’s an
entire album that I wish hadn’t been out
there. It’s not like I’m putting out records
because I have to – it’s because I want
to. And I’m on top of it, and I guess I’m
always trying to make a record that I
would want to own and listen to.
that we thought was right. It wasn’t like
there was any plan or grand design to
it. It was more like we just made it up
as we went along. Like I said, it was
terribly important to us, but I think
when we started we definitely wanted
to mess with people’s heads. And part
of that was going out and doing crazy
shows, and making it a show.
IF: The Blues Explosion released Dirty
Shirt Rock ‘N’ Roll: The First Ten Years,
a pretty self-explanatory compilation of
earlier songs. Since you’ve already got
all the songs, what went into putting
that album together?
IF: Are there any albums you’ve put out
that you would say you’re disappointed
about or felt like you shouldn’t have
released them?
15
Inflatable Ferret
JS: Well, I had to figure out what
songs to use. I asked a few people –
most importantly, I hit up Judah and
Russell and asked them songs would
be good for the compilation. Some
selections were kind of no-brainers –
songs that people might, for lack of a
better word, consider “hits” like “Afro”
IF: And the band is playing in New York.
When’s the last time you guys played
together?
JS: We played last summer at a free
outdoors show in New York City. It
was some kind of bicycle awareness
show, I forget the name of it. But it was
outdoors at the South Street Seaport
– it was good.
IF: But you guys aren’t planning a tour
in the near future or anything?
JS: Not a full-blown tour, but we have
some festival shows in the summer.
We’re playing the Pitchfork Festival in
Chicago. We’re playing the Osheaga
Festival in Montreal. So, for each one
of those we’ll play a few shows around
those dates. But we don’t have a
full-blown tour planned. I think we’ll
probably just continue to pick up a few
shows here, a few shows there.
IF: Because your other band, of course,
is Heavy Trash with Matt Verta-Ray.
You just got back from your European
tour, right?
JON
SPENCER
JS: About a week ago, yeah.
IF: How was that?
JS: Oh, it was real good. This is probably
the third or fourth time we’ve been
to Europe since the Midnight Soul
Serenade album was released. We
work a lot over in Europe. It’s a good
place for Heavy Trash to tour, and they
seem to like us there, so we keep going
back.
IF: Do you think the Blues Explosion is
ever going to release another fully new
album?
JS: [laughs] Oh, I don’t know. I think it’s
a pretty good record. Tell him thanks.
IF: I will. You mentioned earlier that
you’ve worked with a lot of legendary
artists, like Beck and R.L. Burnside,
and even artists like Nancy Sinatra. I
was just wondering if you can pick one
or two artists that you can say you
had a particularly pleasant experience
working with in your career.
JS: I think the time that the Blues
Explosion spent with R.L. Burnside was
a very special time, and it had a huge
impact on us. It was almost magical.
CONT.
I mean, I don’t mean to make
him sound like a kind of elf or
something. He was a pretty down and
dirty guy. But still, we were just in awe of
him and thrilled to death to be hanging
out and playing with him. But, you know,
I’ve really enjoyed working with Matt
Verta-Ray…And then there are other
people like engineers – people I work
with and produce with. I guess the best
example of that would be Jim Waters,
with whom I did a lot of work on some
of the Blues Explosion albums. We had
a great time working with him, and we
really learned a lot. IF
JS: I don’t know. That’s a good question.
Like I was saying, we don’t have any
great plan or grand design. We’ll just
have to see what happens. But that’s
certainly a possibility, yeah.
IF: A fellow writer for the magazine thinks
the Pussy Galore album Groovy Hate
Fuck should be nominated for “Pick Me
Up Album of the Century” with songs like
“Dead Meat”, “Kill Yourself”, “Die Bitch”,
and “Just Wanna Die.” I just wanted to
hear what you thought about that.
"
I think the time
that the Blues
Explosion spent
with R.L. Burnside
was a very special
time, and it had a
huge impact on us.
It was almost
magical.
Photo by Ryan Muir
16
Inflatable Ferret
80 MINUTES OF MUSIC
FOR SUMMER
NOTHING TASTES QUITE LIKE SUMMER,
and nothing goes down smoother than some
cool summer jams. Sure, the heat can get rough
sometimes, but as long as you’ve got the right tunes
you’re untouchable. But where are you going to get
them, and how long should you make the playlist?
May I suggest letting us create one for you? It’s 80
minutes on the dot, and it's teeming with sizzling
songs of the summer (could I be a 90’s DJ or
what?). Spanning the generations, from Mungo
Jerry to Montell Jordan, we think we’ve found
something close to the perfect playlist.
5:45
01 Caribou
“Sun”
Snaith reiterates one lyric
throughout this track: sun.
Here’s to hoping this summer’s
full of that star’s repeated tidings.
3:09
02 Wilco
“Heavy Metal Drummer”
It’s not summer without large,
outdoor shows from 80’s arena-rock bands. Live vicariously
in Jeff Tweedy’s nostalgia.
Players 4:50
03 The“LoveOhioRollercoaster”
If Coors hadn’t all but ruined
The O’Jays’ “Love Train” we
probably would have used that
instead, but we’re just as happy
to include this classic summer
funk song. (We still love “Love
Train”, by the way.
04
17
The Clash 4:55
“Charlie Don’t Surf”
One of the more underrated
Clash name songs, “Charlie” reminds us all to take advantage
of our summer environment.
Inflatable Ferret
05 The“July,Decemberists
July!” 2:51
Now let’s get a bit more specific. This upbeat tune from
the Oregonian now-arena rockers’ excellent debut album will
put you in the mood to play…or
something else fun like that.
Collective 4:30
06 Animal
“Summertime Clothes”
This track from the last year’s
Merriweather Post Pavilion is
a spot-on illustration of excursions on lazy summer days and
nights.
5:21
07 UB40
“Red Red Wine”
Originally written by Neil Diamond, UB40’s reggae cover of
the somber ballad makes anyone feel the comfort of a beach
chair in a tropical climate.
3:22
08 Of“OsloMontreal
in the Summertime”
Remember this Euro-vacation
experience and the adjustments
you’ll have to make if you’re hopping across the pound yourself
this summer.
Social Scene 5:09
09 Broken
“Pacific Scene”
The perfect summer chill out
track from the perfect summer
chill out band.
Goats 2:31
10 The“PureMountain
Heat”
“The wind from the north cools
me/ The wind from the north
doesn’t fool me.”
80 MINUTES OF MUSIC
Newton John
11 Olivia
& John Travolta 3:37
“Summer Nights”
Need I tell you more,
tell you more?
continued
15 311“Love3:38Song”
Speaking of great covers, 90’s
reggae rockers 311 transform
The Cure’s famous track into a
great summer jam, especially if
you’re familiar with Omaha, Nebraska’s Memorial Park.
Jerry 3:41
16 Mungo
“In the Summertime”
Let’s be real. This song is itself
the epitome of past summers,
this summer, and all summers
to come. The Inflatable Ferret
discourages drinking and driving, however.
4:26
19 Beck
“Earthquake Weather”
Beck’s trademark laid-back
freak funk and smooth vocals
will get you through the summer disaster of your choosing.
Light Orchestra 5:06
Van Zandt 3:02
12 Electric
“Mr. Blue Sky”
17 Townes
“Like a Summer Thursday”
20 The“LittleWhiteCreamStripesSoda”3:45
Come on, now. You didn’t think
we’d release this playlist without
a little something from the masters of feel-good pop rock, did
you? Soak up the sky with ELO.
It doesn’t matter what day of
the week it is. There’s no better
song to play when watching the
sun set.
2:39
13 Common
“Watermelon”
“If you don’t like chicken and watermelon, something is wrong
with you.” —Dave Chappelle on
the summer’s greatest fruit
- James Passarelli
& Ryan Waring
4:06
14 Ace“Cruelof Base
Summer”
We could list the Bananarama
original, but we’d prefer you
dub the Ace of Base cover over
the music
video
for
"Don’t Turn
Around" as
part of a
complete
Ace
of
Base summer.
18
Inflatable Ferret
Everyone loves a little cream
soda in the summertime. The
White Stripes’ piercing guitar
and incessant drums couldn’t
hurt either – well, they could
definitely hurt your eardrums.
But who needs eardrums anyway?
Jordan 3:02
18 Montell
“Superlover Man”
The real MJ’s sexy R&B suave
over an even sexier beat make a
great case for this track as the
best song during which to drive
with the windows down during
the summer and look for chicks.
Is that a Grammy category yet,
by the way?