Wolf Parade - "Unknown Title (Bones Song) (live)"
note: this track has some volume problems, so try playing it in a player that can boost it up (iTunes, winamp, something). it NEEDS to be LOUD.
I saw them last week, and this (and another) song was very very encouraging. I felt like a pile of Mr. Garbage's trash, so I was sitting with my head up against the sound booth the whole time, watching their shadows huge on the walls, and all the faces. It was a nice way to watch a show, though when I did look it was amazing to watch the amount of sweat that dripped off Spencer's face, it was like he was crying a cartoon amount of tears onto the stage.
the song: It's a marauding prowl that becomes a fire-eyed plea: don't give up (on me). The most important line, what makes the song in my opinion, "we'll force them in to place", is brushed by like a main character in a crowd. But by the tenth or so listen, you're waiting for it, you can let it hit you in the heart. Then, it's always in your mind during the 'oh, come on's, as if the song were wearing clothes. clothes that explain everything.
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And Spiders - "Worry is the Devil"
This song takes place in the cold cold south, a place of grey front porches, and apostrophes instead of "g"s. Two friends (apparently Bing Crosby and a tall bird) swing their hands and pretend to walk around, talk about where they're pretendin' to go, all the mistakes they'd make when they get there. And the bassline and cymbal crashes are the two old trees, huge craggy, the first things you see when you round the corner of the path from down in the town.
This song is dedicated to Bertrand Russell and Baruch de Spinoza. It ain't you, fellas, it's me.
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Also, I received this e-mail the other day:
"after you posted boogie dancin, it sort of became my anthem for a couple of weeks. I played it for friends, and now, i've recorded a cover. At least you might think it's pretty funny. It's called "boogie dancin'(acoustic CRUNK)""
and I do think it's funny. But it's not trying to be funny (outside of the band name, of course), which makes it re-listenable, danceable, adorable. So, here you go:
Mr. Bron Von Chowsen - "boogie dancin' (acoustic CRUNK)"
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if you missed it (which i did), listen to Sean on Front Row yesterday. lightning quick questions, Sean's actor-trained enunciation (I love it!), and kind of a bleak future predicted. Eventually we get paid so much money we turn into computers!
Posted by Dan at October 25, 2005 1:28 AM1) re Wolf Parade
The new song sounds great - it's actually very loud on my iPod. Still lacks the oomph that i feel it probably needs -- lots of Wolf Parade's stuff works so much better live than it has (so far) on recording. It's music that really needs to jostle you, synths sneering way up inside on ear, drums pounding your ribs. Molars has a great review of the Philly gig.
Really beautiful words, Dan - esp. the cartoon bit.
2) "apostrophes instead of 'g's"
3) You have made out that Front Row thing to be much more interesting than it was, but thank-you for your support. I felt pretty boxed-in by the questions, but I suppose they wanted me to say the sort of stuff I said. What I really wanted to talk about was the way different bands get different boosts from the Net (with specifics), and also the three things that the internet offers music-folks: a) EXPOSURE to artists/songs/genres that individuals wouldn't have heard; b) SAMPLING to let consumers check out things before buying or going to a show; c) instant COMMUNITIES that don't rely on a band having an infrastructure... Instead of it taking years for a band to have an official fan-club to organise big fan things, it takes one month and a geocities account for people to find each-other.
Posted by Sean at October 25, 2005 4:57 AMWhen I saw Wolf Parade last week I stood right infront of Spencer and I was also amazed at the amount of sweat dripping off his face. He made puddles on the floor...it was ridiculous. Later on that night I met Dante and Dan and they were really nice. Dan was also covered in sweat (and beer). They are incredible live. Thanks for the mp3!
Posted by Holla at October 25, 2005 11:34 AMoh man! new wolf parade! i saw them play in new york a month or so ago, and they blew me away, so so emotional and loose and unhinged and just great, great, great. thanks so much for this.
Posted by nicki at October 25, 2005 12:43 PMAh! Sorry I'm late here, but I have to comment about and commend yesterday's post. I love Phantom Buffalo, I've been recommending Shishimumu to...probably just about everyone that seems to appreciate music.
I happened upon them when I was rumaging through stuff by that other "The Ponys," which is, as you said, what they are sometimes (were formerly?) called. Not a Ponys fan, I was pleasantly suprised as Shishimumu's sedation kicked in.
Now, let me see if I can remember...apparently reason that the record is such an aural experience is because Shishimumu was first recorded on analog tape and then transfered--with high-quality recording equipment--to a digital setting. So for me, that explains where where its rich authentic sound come from.
My favorite track is most probably "Silverfish." But.."most probably," because it is hard to pick a contender for that title, and that is where I agree with you that it is a great *album.* The tracks fit together quite nicely.
Anyhow, 'scuse the length, and probably lack of articulation (imma lazy today), it's just finally great to see someone else acknowledge the quality of this record.
(And aside: to Gramophone's staff, thanks for the everything, the scoop on things wonderful is much appreciated.)
:)
Posted by mox twelve at October 25, 2005 3:02 PMOh darn, I'm sorry, this should have gone in the box below...
Ah well.
Wolf Parade, I wrote the band off at first, but I think they're growing on me.
I'm hearing...what Beck might have become. Maybe?
dan- love the new track. i've heard mixed things about the wolf parade live performance, but this is really interesting stuff. they're such a good band, and these kinds of shambolic last chances are exactly what they do best. also how cool is that little cover??
sean- i thought you did a great job, given the circumstances. i don't think "they" care to understand "us" in any real sense. something as absurd as arctic monkeys comes along and they want to square it away. and i guess that's kind of how it works in the mainstream, squaring everything away into it's little compartment, packages to be bought and sold. but like you said that isn't what this is really about, it's bigger than that. and like the music here... you either get it or you don't.
Posted by cody at October 25, 2005 3:12 PMThank you for the Wolf Parade track. I saw them this past Thursday-- god, they put on an amazing live show-- and they played this. (And actually, did you guys post their live CBC recordings or mention them here at the beginning of the summer? I know I first heard/head of them from a blog, and I think I may have you to thank for turning me on to this band.)
Also, thanks in general. You guys tend to post pretty awesome stuff pretty far ahead of the curve.
Posted by alira at October 25, 2005 3:31 PMIt was you. And it was February. (I was curious so I played with your archives.) I can't believe I'd had those two songs for so long and failed to become obsessed until September, when I got their whole album.
Right. Well, thanks again. =D
Posted by alira at October 25, 2005 4:04 PMHey, i liked the Front Row thing! What's more, if i hadn't heard it, i might never have found about this here wonderful, wonderful blog. I just spent the last hour happily listening, reading the cracking descriptions and getting spun off on tangents...
nice work lads. chuffed to see that Sean is here in Edinburgh too, so i can get pointed towards more great local stuff.
Posted by jonny at October 25, 2005 4:20 PMJust listened to the Front Row thing and I thought you came over well, Sean - you can never get over your own full agenda on stuff like this, as I've found to my cost. If the beeb don't completely fuck it up, you've come out well. And you've got a great radio voice.
Posted by dymbel at October 26, 2005 6:13 AMcody, dave - thanks. you're right that i shouldn't be so critical of myself, given that I muddled through all right! i just had all these notes of other bands, movements and critics to mention, but ultimately barely got to say anything more than Said the Gramophone's name.
jonny - hallo! welcome! maybe i'll meet you some time.
Posted by Sean at October 26, 2005 6:23 AMThanks so much for putting and spiders up on here. I was the bass player. Kelly Caldwell, the singer, has three solo releases since "in the woods" came out.
Posted by Jason Adam Voss at November 13, 2005 10:44 AM
and it will begin playing. All songs are also available to download: just right-click the link and choose 'Save as...'
