Scripted Failures

Friday was a show I won’t forget. The Ataris played at the Multiplex in north Madison, which, despite it’s name, is a very small venue in a strip mall attached to a Texaco station. The show had been moved from Crossroads Music Hall in Huntsville about a week beforehand, so the turnout was a little smaller than expected. Honestly, I never thought I’d get to see the Ataris with a room of about 50 people. Opening for them were local acts or the Children’s Crusade, The Arrival (their last show), and Eyes Around.

Eyes Around were pretty good, but there were problems with the mix that were never fully reconciled by the end of their set. The Arrival brought out the teen girl crowd, most of whom didn’t stay past their set, unfortunately. They were solid as usual, and I got to pick up their last EP for super cheap. otCC featured former members of Married in a Fever and was a pleasant surprise. I had never seen them before, but their sound was unique and the songwriting was strong. They seemed genuinely starstruck to be opening for The Ataris (as I would be).

The Ataris put on a pretty amazing show. It was heavy on their older material (not a single track from Welcome the Night), so it was as if I was seeing them back in college right after So Long Astoria. Highlights were “Summer Wind Was Always Our Song,” “Unopened Letter to the World,” “I.O.U. One Galaxy,” and of course, “San Dimas High School Football Rules.” Despite playing to such a small crowd, they gave it their all and weren’t just going through the motions. Talking to Kris after the show, I apologized at the lack of people that showed up, but he didn’t seem to mind at all. I’m glad we were able to give them an extra stop on their way through the southeast. Hopefully he’ll be coming back by on his solo tour. Look for The Ataris’ new album, “The Graveyard of the Atlantic” later this year (he said around the August timeframe).

All in all, it was my favorite type of show: a couple of good local bands, awesome headliner, being a part of a small, dedicated group fans, getting to banter with the band, request songs, talking afterward at the merch table, etc. If every show was like this, I’d be a happy guy.

Thanks to Nathan Carter and 256 Booking for putting on the show.

Links:
The Ataris
or the Children’s Crusade
The Arrival
Eyes Around
256 Booking

Band of Horses, “No One’s Gonna Love You”
Quite possibly the best song of 2007.

Death Cab for Cutie, “No Sunlight [Live]” from The Black Cab Sessions
They play the song while riding around in a cab.  A black cab.  It’s… different?

Equal Vision Records has finally given the date for the new Damiera record: June 24th.  It’s called “Quiet Mouth Loud Hands.”  I’m incredibly excited to see where they’re headed.

Their first album M(US)IC is great.  Imagine early Further Seems Forever with the guitarist from Fall of Troy.  “Via Invested” is just plain amazing.  A friend and I slowed it to half-speed and still couldn’t play it consistently.  Of course, we do suck at guitar.  But that’s not the point.  It’s awesome, so go download it.  And then be as excited for the new album as we are.

Below is the track list:

1. Rainman
2. Quiet Mouth Loud Hands
3. Nailbiter
4. Image and Able
5. Teacher, Preacher
6. Weights for the Waiting
7. Chromatica
8. Blind Sir Bluest
9. Woodbox
10. Silvertongue
11. Trading Grins

MoS released the video for “Get Better” today!  Check it out below.  I love the song.  Lovely string arrangement.  And no organ to be found?  Hath hell frozen over?

A little later than promised, but I had a friend that needed company last night. Enjoy.

P.S. Yes, I know they suck.

The Weakerthans at The Bottletree, Birmingham, AL, March 30, 2008.

Lead singer John Samson and bassist Greg Smith	John, Greg, and drummer Jason Tait
John, Greg, and Jason	Doh! Guitarist Stephen Carroll stealing the spotlight I was trying to take a picture of Jason here, and Stephen walked right into the frame.
Christine Fellows, John’s wife Christine Fellows playing keys and singing backup. She also played an opening set	John, Greg, and Jason
Jason Tait, drumming Jason, and John and Greg’s arms.	3/4 of the Band From where I was, I couldn’t get the whole band at once. This is probably my favorite picture.
John Samson	Jason, John and Greg rocking out.
Christine Fellows again, and some dude’s nose The flash was off, so it turned out extra-blurry	John playing one of the encores by himself
John and Stephen

Death Cab for Cutie released (streaming from their MySpace) the first single from their forthcoming album, Narrow Stairs.  It’s an 8 and a half-minute jam called “I Will Possess Your Heart,” where the at least the first half is a bass-infused groove reminiscent of a more mid-tempo, jammier, “National Anthem.”  It’s pretty good.  The lyrics strike me as typical Gibbard fare.  I think it could’ve been shorter, but they warned us.  People are already preemptively calling this Album of the Year, which is a bit far to go after one single, but it definitely has promise.

Honestly, though, it’s not quite as much of a change as I was expecting, given the original promises/threats.  Take a listen:

And I finally make my appearance on the blog.  Jim is happy.

So this has been around for awhile, both the band and the video, but I doubt that anyone outside of the Joy Electric, Fine China, and Starflyer 59 etc fanbase knows about it.  The Foxglove Hunt is Rob Withem, of the late great Fine China, writing the songs with Ronnie Martin, of the still going strong, Joy Electric doing all the programming and production.

So what do you get when add Fine China’s 80s pop with Joy Electric’s, for lack of better word, synth pop goodness? Pristine 80s synth pop, of course!  I could go into a long history of both of those bands, but this is all about The Foxglove Hunt.  It was early in ‘07 when news of The Foxglove Hunt surfaced.  Joy Electric and Fine China fans rejoiced.  I went ga-ga at the prospect.  But two songwriting luminaries teaming up doesn’t mean shit if the songs aren’t there.  Luckily they seem to be there.

“That’s Getting Personal” was the first song to show up on their myspace, and it was a killer.  I’ve listened to it way too many times and still haven’t worn it out.  Then “Business Casual” appeared which was good, but not necessarily as good as “That’s Getting Personal”.  Time passed, and then The Foxglove Hunt played one of their first shows, if not their first show, at Autobahn 7, which is Ronnie Martin’s synth pop festival.  Videos surfaced online.  Most of the songs didn’t make me do cartwheels on first listen, which is okay cause Fine China’s last album “The Jaws of Life” took a long time to hit me, and they’re only live versions after all.  Regardless, it was rad to watch Ronnie behind the drumset.  Then, in clicking through all the videos, I found this song (the video of which is below), which no one knows the title of.  I shot through the roof, as I usually do when i hear a song of this caliber.  So let’s get to the song.

What we have here is classic Rob Withem songwriting with classic Ronnie Martin synth work.  This is pure 80s gold, and I will swear, on whatever you consider holy, that this song would have torn up the airwaves in the 80s.  The song starts off with Ronnie’s arpeggiated synth and a beautiful Rhodes-esque lead line, that comes in for a few seconds, before exploding into full on synth pop glory with a lead line that will not leave your head, even with the aid of a shotgun, and an ultra classy synth pad playing out the chords.  Rob Withem’s fey vocals are in full effect, and his vocal line is spot on like his vocal lines always are.  The lead line is tops, the chorus is huge, the song is the perfect length, and the lyrics seem to be that wonderful special kind of melancholy that Jason Martin, of Starflyer 59, Ronnie Martin, and Rob Withem execute so well.  “Don’t go breaking my heart” (that’s the chorus), indeed.  Throughout the whole performance Ronnie looks like he’s having a blast on the drums, and Rob looks very 80s wrapping his hands around that little synth and totally sexing up the microphone.  The whole video and song is summed up perfectly at the end when someone in the audience yells out, best as I can tell, “That’s the bomb!”  While I’m not one to the use that phrase anymore, it’s true.  Whoever screamed that out isn’t bullshitting.  Just listen and see.

Wanna hear more?  Check out The Foxglove Hunt’s Myspace, or go here to see all the videos.  Wanna support the band?  Head to the distro section of the Velvet Blue Music website and buy their two song demo, for only $2.99, which features full quality versions of the two songs, “That’s Getting Personal” and “Business Casual”, that are streaming on their myspace.  It’s cheap and worth a purchase.  Here’s to hoping the full album comes out early next year!