Author: chip midnight

First great release of 2011: Broken Records

Here we are, not even two weeks into the new year, and I’ve already got an album for my “Favorites of 2011” list. I find it hard to resist Scottish vocalists, especially when they’ve got the full support of a multi-piece backing band such as Jamie Sutherland’s got with Broken Records. Let Me Come Home is the band’s second release and quick dispels any notion of a sophomore slump by delivering a beautiful sounding winter soundtrack. Breaking out of the typical rock boundaries (singer, guitar, bass, drums) by adding a breadth of additional instrumentation (violin, piano, trumpet), Broken Records epic, orchestral songs put them in a league with Snow Patrol, The Frames and Frightened Rabbit among others (all favorite bands of mine).

DOWNLOAD: “A Darkness Rises Above”
DOWNLOAD: “A Leaving Song”

Broken Records is doing a short run in the U.S. in late February/early March and playing relatively smaller venues. Here’s hoping that these shows do well as inspire the band to make another pass through the States at some point in 2011. I have a feeling they put on the type of show that can’t be missed.

Feb 20 – Washington, DC – Black Cat Backstage
Feb 21 – Philadelphia – North Star Bar
Feb 22 – New York City – Mercury Lounge
Feb 23 – New York City – Rock Shop
Feb 24 – Boston – Brighton Music Hall
Feb 26 – Chicago – Schubas
Feb 27 – Minneapolis – Triple Rock Social Club
Mar 02 – Seattle – Tractor Tavern
Mar 03 – Portland – Mississippi Studios
Mar 05 – San Francisco – Rickshaw Stop
Mar 06 – Los Angeles – Satellite Club

Band(camp) of the Week: Love in October

Did a little web-searching on Chicago-by-way-of-Sweden’s Love in October and found previous comparisons to a bunch of bands that I’m too old to enjoy (The Plain White T’s, Motion City Soundtrack, blink-182). This made me a bit leery of checking out LiO’s newest EP, Love in October II. But considering the lack of investment (the EP is available to download for free through Feb. 8), I’m glad I checked it out.

While the band’s earlier influences have been Alternative Press cover boys in the last 10 years, it’s as if Erik and Kent Widman – the brothers and principal songwriters for LiO – decided to order some archived issues of AP from the mid-90s and create a sound more akin to bands like Pavement (“Paper Heart” reminds me of “Shady Lane”), The Dismemberment Plan and Modest Mouse (“Desperate”).

Recommended for fans of: Pavement, Modest Mouse, Weezer, Shout-Out Louds

Track 3 – “Splitsville” by The District Attorneys

My favorite Rolling Stones songs are the country-influenced ones. I’m guessing the guys in Atlanta’s The District Attorneys feel the same way as their debut EP is filled with some great beer drinking rock n’ roll accentuated by harmonica and pedal steel guitar playing. But the Stones influence isn’t the only one, in fact, the Orders From … EP is a mixed bag where you’ll also catch melodies/guitar riffs/etc. that’ll remind you of the Beach Boys, The Replacements, The Jesus & Mary Chain and Modest Mouse.

Drew Beskin, The District Attorneys’ songwriter/singer/guitarist, answers 3 questions about track 3, “Splitsville”, from the Orders From … EP.

Is track 3 representative of the whole CD?

Track 3 or “Splitsville” as we like to call it is the song that we started the band on. I wrote the tune before our first band practice and everything sort of came from there. It def has a lot of wild energy and it’s kind of who we were at the time we started, it represents a side of the band. We like to think we have a lot of different hats to wear but this one is so natural for us.

What’s the story behind the song – from the lyrical content to the way it was written and recorded?

“Splitsville” came from listening to a lot of Motown and the Stones album Exile on Mainstreet. I usually write on guitar or piano but I was messing around with the drums and started playing this beat and singing along and the rest of the song followed. The lyrics pretty much sum up the lesson learned when you push to find out the reasons why in life and how the information gathered is sometimes better left unknown. It’s also about celebrating the worst of times.

Was there a particular reason you placed this song in the #3 spot on the tracklisting?

While the number 3 is the raddest number of all time and the best things usually have 3 involved (Rocky III, Return of the King, Bat out of Hell III, Ninja Turtles III) we picked it because we thought it was the best pacing of the EP. We think the 7 songs on the EP are all very different and they all have their own mood. The third track seemed to be where the party song needed to be.

Download The District Attorneys 7-song EP, Orders From … for FREE!

Video: “Candyfloss” – Jonny

The song is every bit as sweet and sugary as the title suggests. “Candyfloss” is the first single from Jonny, a new project featuring Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub) and Euros Childs (Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci). The duo’s self-titled debut will be available via digital download on February 1 and will be available in physical form on April 12. However, if you order the CD from the Merge store, you’ll get a download code so that you can get the digital version on February 1. Make sense? Good.

To hold you over until then, Jonny’s made available – for the low, low cost of FREE – a 4-song EP of tracks that didn’t make it onto the 13-song album.

DOWNLOAD: Jonny – Free EP