The Magnetic Fields‘ classic triple album,69 Love Songs, is set to be released as a box set on limited-edition 10” vinyl in April on Merge Records. Oh, this is tempting!
Posts Tagged ‘Merge’
02.02.2010
19.01.2010
Our Noise: The Story of Merge Records is a book that chronicles the history of one of the most successful independent record labels who have been releasing excellent music on their own terms for the past 20 years. John Cook wrote the book with help from Mac McCaughan and Laura Balance and offers an inside look at not only the success of Merge Records, but the hugely influential band Superchunk. Aside from chronicling the story of Superchunk and the early days of Merge Records, the book looks at how Merge was able to become successful and offers profiles on some of Merge’s notable releases including Neutral Milk Hotel’s In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, The Magnetic Fields’ 69 Love Songs, Arcade Fire’s Funeral, and Spoon’s Gimme Fiction and Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga.
The great thing about this book is that it also focuses on important bands to the label’s early history, which is great for people who are new fans of the label that may want to check into earlier releases. The book is filled with excellent interviews with Mac, Laura, members of the Merge Roster, and other people who were around to watch the label grow. One thing that really stood out was the excellent pictures. The book is filled with excellent photos from throughout the label’s history, and really brings the reader inside the world of Merge.
I am a huge fan of many of Merge’s bands and have always been fascinated with the background stories behind my favorite labels and bands and how they were formed. I found myself having a hard time putting the book down and I enjoyed reading more details about some of the bands I was less familiar with.
This book is an essential read not only for rabid fans of Superchunk and Merge artists, but for anyone with an interest in independent record labels in general and possibly for those looking to start a label. Even with the music industry struggling to survive, Merge Records is still going strong and releasing excellent records.
08.01.2010
Here’s my final Top Ten of 2009. Click on the album cover for any more coverage.
#1 Tigers Jaw “Spirit Desire” 7″ (Tiny Engines)
The second release from Tiny Engines, a label I co-run with two other guys. Shameless self-promotion? Sure, but I can honestly say I listened to this release more than any other in 2009. Indie rock and pop punk mixed ever so perfectly!
#2 Brian Bond “Fire & Gold” (Self-Released)
It takes an awful lot for me to get excited about a singer/songwriter but Brian Bond did just that. The fact that he resides in relative obscurity is a shame. And he’s got another album in the can for 2010 that is just as good as Fire & Gold.
#3 Golden City “Self-Titled” (Magic Bullet)
Eric Richter of Christie Front Drive returns with a brilliant set of songs. Imagine CFD crossed with JEW.
#4 Everyone Everywhere “A Lot Of Weird People Standing Around” 7″ (Evil Weevil)
The second coming of The Promise Ring…at least at times it sure sounds like it. The new songs these guys have recorded sound incredible.
#5 Superchunk “Leaves In The Gutter” EP & “Crossed Wires” 7″ (Merge)
Other than Sunny Day Real Estate, there was no greater welcome back party for me than to have Superchunk return with a new set of songs. On their first two releases in years the band puts forth some of their most energetic material since their early days.
#6 Annabel “Each And Everyone” (Count Your Lucky Stars)
Following up on their brilliant EP in 2008 Annabel nail their first full-length. Understated indie rock with just the right amount of pop and power.
#7 Touch Committee “Winter Beard” (Self-Released)
I love when bands come from completely out of nowhere to floor me. Touch Committee did just that with Winter Beard.
#8 Oceans “Nothing Collapses” (Copper Lung)
Sadly, Oceans called it quits shortly after this release. Nothing Collapses is one of the best post rock records I have heard in years. So, can we put the nail in the post rock coffin now?
#9 My Heart To Joy “Seasons In Verse”(Topshelf)
Intelligent and pushing themselves beyond any genre constriction, My Heart To Joy are like a raging hardcore version of Trail of Dead.
#10 Broadway Calls “Good Views, Bad News” (Side One Dummy)
Broadway Calls are the best current pop/punk band period. Bar none.
05.11.2009
I figured I would just review Superchunk’s two 2009 releases together. Leaves In The Gutter is an EP while Crossed Wires is a 7″. All told there are six new Superchunk songs combined on the band’s first two proper releases of new material since 2001’s excellent Here’s To Shutting Up. Leaves In The Gutter would seem to imply this is material that has been left around throughout the years but you would never know it by the quality of the songs.
Superchunk’s journey is a remarkable one. Fast, raw pop/punk band matures into a charming indie rock band. To say the band aged gracefully would probably be an understatement. It is a testament to the band’s songwriting that they kept so much of their fanbase intact despite the musical evolution. But, as with many bands who evolve, so do their listeners right along with them. For the most part, that seemed to happen gradually with Superchunk and their fanbase. I know it did with me at least.
Yet, there is nothing like falling in love with a band for the first time and that is why these songs sound so exhilarating to this old set of jaded ears. I can remember hearing “Slack Motherfucker” in the early nineties as my first introduction to Superchunk; And while nothing may ever touch the reckless abandon and joy of that first remembrance, Leaves In The Gutter and Crossed Wires bring the nostalgia in waves and come close to touching that initial spark.
Most striking and refreshing of all is the good feelings Superchunk exude on these songs. Propulsive, biting and unmistakably Superchunk, the band sounds as though they are completely re-energized after an eight year hiatus. There is an air of excitement and youthfulness to the band that we haven’t heard in quite some time. It’s good to have you back Superchunk.
Label: Merge
09.02.2009
Who? Touch Committee
Where are they from? San Francisco, CA
What do they sound like? Oh, now, here we go! This is what I remember indie rock sounding like…not the shit that gets passed off as such all the time now. Touch Committee are heavy on the guitar work and playful in all the right ways. Add in some endearing emo qualities…mainly in the dual vocals that bounce off one another with beautiful abandon (and precision), and you have a hearty recipe for success. Think Merge or Matador Records circa early to mid-nineties. I have been thoroughly addicted to the band’s debut of late. The album, entitled Winter Beard, is scheduled for release in the summer of ‘09.
Sunshine Suit
19.05.2008
Lesson #1 when trying to gather hype for a band. Release as much stuff as you can before you release a debut full-length. Cause when you release that debut full-length you simply can not hide behind only 1 or 2 songs anymore. Lesson #2 sign to a big indie label like Merge, Matador or maybe even Sub Pop. Lesson #3 make sure you hire a high-profile indie producer for that debut-full length so he can mask all your deficiencies. Perhaps you can even find one who is already in a hip indie band like David Sitek from TV On The Radio. Lesson #4 let him produce the record but reject his final mix for the album. It creates intrigue and controversy. It is all about stirring the pot! Lesson #5 include those hit singles that got you where you are as bonus tracks on the album. I mean, they haven’t been heard enough already, right?
Perhaps I am being a bit too harsh with my assessment. The point is that I can definitely see why people might be hating on Foals. The ingredients are certainly present. But, as much as I wanted to dislike Foals’ debut full-length album, Antidotes, it just never happened. With every listen, the band won me over more and more. Foals do more with less than any band I can recall. The band has only two speeds yet, the tracking of the album is so on point that the listener hardly notices the band’s lack of tempo shifts. David Sitek should be commended as his organic production adds a great deal of depth to the band’s brand of jittery pop. The instrumental additions of horns and organ give ample weight to the band’s often monochromatic sounds. Foals are able to wrap their songs with a unique repetition that hypnotizes the listener. Before you know it, 14 songs and nearly an hour of music has gone by. No matter what style, tempo or angle Foals choose to attack from, they are successful more times than not. So, ignore the naysayers, Foals do indeed have the antidote for boring indie rock.
Genre: Indie/Dance/Punk
RIYL: Bloc Party, The Futureheads, Gang Of Four
Label: Sub Pop
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