- FILTER Magazine

THE MARS VOLTA • DANGERDOOM • ART BRUT • GANG OF FOUR •TV ON THE RADIO vs. WHY?
ISSUE #2 • DECEMBER ‘05/JANUARY ’06
waiting for some action
We Love You... Digitally
HELLO AND WELCOME to the interactive version of Filter Mini U.K.We’re best viewed in full-screen
mode, so if you can still the top of the window, please click on the Window menu and select Full
Screen View (or press Ctrl+L). There you go—that’s much better isn’t it? [Mini U.K. stretches,
yawns, scratches something.] Right. If you know the drill, go ahead and left-click to go forward a
page; if you forget, you can always right-click to go back one. And if all else fails, intrepid traveler,
press the Esc key to exit full-screen and return to a life more humble.
Keep an eye on your cursor.While reading Mini U.K. online, you will notice that there are links on
every page that allow you to discover more about the artists we write about. Scroll over each page to
find the H-O-T-T hotlinks, click ’em, and find yourself at the websites of the artists we cover, the sponsors who help make this happen, and all of the fine places to go to purchase the records you read about
here.Thank you for your support of this thing we call Filter. Good music, as they say, will prevail.
-Chris Martins, Editor-in-Chief
Letters, inquiries, randomness: mini@filter-mag.com
Advertising and suchlike: advertising@filter-mag.com
CONTENTS
FROM THE EDITOR
PUBLISHERS:
Alan Miller & Alan Sartirana
SPOTLIGHT
...curated by the MARS VOLTA’S CEDRIC BIXLER
4
DAMO SUZUKI, SAUL WILLIAMS,WEIRD WAR
5
THE ETERNALS,THE LOCUST, STONES THROW
RECORDS, ANTONY AND THE JOHNSONS
ART BRUT’s Guide to London
On the Road with GANG OF FOUR
FLASH
8
FILTER DVD RELEASE PICKS
FEATURES
10
12
16
Dear Reader,
Chris Martins
ART DIRECTOR:
Eric Almendral
ASSOCIATE EDITOR:
Lesley Bargar
SCENE
6
7
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:
WHY? vs. TV ON THE RADIO
THE STROKES: Waiting for Some Action
SPACE GHOST Takes on DANGERDOOM
SCRIBES:
Catherine Adcock, James Artesian,
Christoph Barclay,Todd Berger,
Steven Chen, Bryan Chenault,
Matt Epler, Jonathan Falcone,
Paul Gaita, Joshua Gardner,
David Iskra, Patrick James,
Pat McGuire, Bernardo Rondeau,
Sam Roudman, Louis Vlach
U.K. MARKETING:
Helen Barrass
MARKETING:
REVIEWS
Danielle Allaire, Mike Bell,
Bryan Chenault, Penny Hewson,
Pat McGuire, Mark Mueller,
Gur Rashal, Eli Thomas
ONE-LINERS
CD REVIEWS
ON THE RECORD
ON STANDS NOW —
FILTER ISSUE 18
Join us on the high seas with our favorite band
of biker pirates, the extraordinary Flaming
Lips.Wayne Coyne and Co. take Filter on a
heady trip through their 23 years of being “At
War with the Mundane.” Upon returning to dry
land, we sit down with the Strokes for a first look at their truly new
new record, chat with Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst about life on the
road, explore the roots of Jamrock with Damian Marley, and discuss
the future of our warring world with Burt Bacharach and Rufus
Wainwright. Also: Steve Buscemi, the Rakes, Max Headroom, Steven
Soderbergh, a first look at the new Cat Power record, and an essay
from Art Brut’s Eddie Argos.
MINI UK LAUNCH
PARTY
Just over a month after Filter Mini
turned one, its little sis was born.
A crowded house at famed London
club the Marquee was there to
welcome the first ever Filter Mini
UK into the world and enjoy a lineup of up-and-comers Yeti, Metroriots, Five O’Clock Heroes, Vincent Vincent and the Villains and
Anotherstory. Mini UK instantly engulfed all of England and is now
available from Bath to Bristol to Sheffield to Surrey. A big “cheers,
mate” to Cobra beer for the Indian lager, and many thanks to Sybil from
the Essential Essence and Dave at the Band Agency for being “the greatest guy of all time.”
FEEDBACK, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS:
mini@filter-mag.com or 5908 Barton Ave., L.A., CA 90038, U.S.A.
THANK YOU:
Heather Bleemers, John Brown, Rene
Carranza, Charles Fleming, Eric Frederic,
Mikel Jollett, Tom Manning, Rich and Diana
Martins, the Oakland Bay Area, Baillie Parker,
Stephen Randall, Shock G., Yoni Wolf, Jason
DeMarco, Jacob Escobedo, Carol Kim, Mike
Lazzo, Trevor Seamon, Dave Holmes, Darin
Harmon, Parkes, Darrin Sproles, Wendy
Kayland-Sartirana, Dana Dynamite, Richard
Willis, Colleeen Theis, Rick Gershon, Adam
Leff, Michael Suter, Noelle Kenney, Paul Craig,
James Sardom, Rob Gordon, Brant Weil, Perry
Watts-Russell, Lisa Nupoff, Dave Earnshaw, Gary
Mandel, Sean Devine, Sarah Western, Barry
Hogan, Deborah Kee Higgins, Jered Standing,
Andrea LaBarge, Alex Toth, Stan Lee, Jack
Kirby and Boo.
EDITORIAL INQUIRIES:
5908 Barton Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90038, U.S.A.
mini@filter-mag.com
ADVERTISING INQUIRIES:
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Sales: 323.464.4718
Filter Mini U.K. Magazine is published by Filter
Magazine LLC, 5908 Barton Ave., Los Angeles CA
90038, U.S.A.. Vol. 1, No. 2, Dec. 2005/Jan.
2006. Filter Mini U.K. Magazine is not responsible
for anything, including the return or loss of submissions, or for any damage or other injury to
unsolicited manuscripts or artwork. Any submission of a manuscript or artwork should include a
self-addressed envelope or package of appropriate
size, bearing adequate return postage.
© 2005 BY FILTER MAGAZINE LLC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
FILTER MINI U.K. IS PRINTED IN ENGLAND
WWW.FILTERMINI.COM
WWW.FILTER-MAG.COM
COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY AUTUMN DE WILDE
20
22
28
“Be moderate where pleasure is concerned. Avoid fatigue.”
Such is the wisdom of the fortune cookie cracked by Filter Mini UK on the eve of our second
issue. Should we heed its covertly sexual warning? Could it be that we’ve done too much to
please? Have we tried too hard to satisfy the needs of our sweethearts at home and abroad? Spread
our love too thin only to peter out and collapse or misfire like a rusted gun? Nay. Our enthusiasm
and over-exuberance is what (we hope) sets us apart from the cold and unfeeling masses. With a
running start (Issue One, featuring Rilo Kiley, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, the Sun, Nada Surf,
the Redwalls, Frank Black of the Pixies and more—if you missed it, you can download the entire
issue at filtermini.com), we took off like a mullet-necked NASCAR driver racing for the finish, so
fast that our feet skimmed right over the Atlantic and landed us smack-dab in the middle of
London, lost but for some cryptic directions left for us by Art Brut’s Eddie Argos and some traveling advice from Gang of Four’s Jon King (read on for these).
In fact, we moved with such velocity that we pulled a little bit of home with us. Mainly, our cover
stars the Strokes, whose new album, First Impressions of Earth, offers a brand new perspective on the
band we thought we knew so well. Also
along for the ride are two of our favorite
forward-thinkers in U.S. indie rock: Why?
and TV on the Radio, together to discuss all
things artsy and geek-approved. But the
weirdest and most unique slice of
Americana you’ll find here is our
DangerDoom feature, an interview with
two of the hottest names in underground
rap facilitated by a cartoon character. Our
favorite fictitious talk show host, Space
Ghost (notorious for his iron-fisted manipulation of the Q&A format), stops by to
offer his services; and his creators (the
Adult Swim television network) offered us
an exclusive piece of artwork to commemorate the event (over here on your right).
But it’s not all stars and stripes this
time around. This issue marks our introduction of the UK singles review section,
and Cedric Bixler of the Mars Volta joins
us for a special set of Spotlight picks in
honor of the 2005 All Tomorrow’s Parties
festival. And all of this is to say something
quite simple:We will not avoid fatigue.We
shall pump forth with the power of one
thousand steeds, frothing for the future
and the idea of creating something more
grand than the last…grand thing we created. Because pleasure, damnit, is a good
thing. And so is Mini. Read on with your
head high.
— Chris Martins,Editor-in-Chief
Bi-Continent Curious? Go to FilterMini.com to download complete issues of Filter Mini’s U.S. edition for free!
FILTER mini 3
SPOTLIGHT
SPOTLIGHT
...curated by
the Mars Volta’s
Cedric Bixler
With the Mars Volta picking the lineup for All
Tomorrow’s Parties 2005, we thought we’d
invite Cedric Bixler Zavala to do the same for
our Filter Mini UK Spotlight selection. The
Volta’s head yowler had a hard time slimming
down his favorites from the festival, so we
chose a few of our own for him to talk about.
The Eternals
Damo Suzuki
The Eternals are what happened after this
great Chicago band Trenchmouth broke up.
They’re just this awesome space dancehall
dub from outer space. It kinda has that
Tortoise family tree feel to it, but they’re
really unique.They have a really interesting
style and they’re great to watch live.
They’re also from the Nation of Ulysses era;
they kind of had the same aesthetic but the
music was 100 percent different.There was
always a strong dub influence, which
sparked my interest in playing that kind of
music. A lot of early De Facto stuff that we
did sounds like later Trenchmouth/early
Eternals. The singer actually did the artwork for the last At the Drive-In record.
Damo was one of the greatest singers of the ’70s with Can, and
now... he’s just great. He does for a living what we only incorporate
into our set on every other song. He goes and—pretty much unrehearsed—finds people to play with or bands that he knows, gets them
together and makes it all up on the spot. God knows how old he is
[56 this January], and he’s still trying to do that...and his voice. It hits
everyone from John Lydon to anyone amazing you could think of
now. And anyone who takes the time to get down off of the stage and
actually thank people physically has got to be a nice guy.
Stones Throw
Records
Weird War
So much music today wouldn’t be there without the influence
of Weird War and Ian Svenonius. He has always been such a
powerful figure. People don’t give credit where credit is due.
Having Weird War and the Fucking Champs at All
Tomorrow’s Parties takes a lot of us back to the ’92 days.And
seeing what they’re doing now is great; they’re still going and
I love both directions, now and then. [Seminal post-hardcore
Dischord band] the Nation of Ulysses is long gone, so I’m
glad all of these guys are doing it. It really hits home for me.
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THE ETERNALS: ANDREW DRYER.THE LOCUST: SCOTT SMALLIN.
PEANUT BUTTER WOLF: JOÃO CANZIANI. ANTONY AND THE JOHNSONS: ALICE O’ MALLEY.
He can bring me to tears every time he speaks; it’s just that powerful. I really love it when it’s just him—not that I’m not into
the music when he plays with a band, but it just takes so much
courage to do it by yourself.And when you succeed...well, I got
to see him do it every night on tour with us.A lot of times when
we play, there are younger people there, and to be challenged at
that age is priceless. He utilizes a style that a lot of the cooler
teachers in high school would use to reach kids—it’s just so
approachable.And to succeed in opening people’s minds like he
does…to me that’s moving mountains. He’s intense.
CEDRIC BIXLER: SEBASTIAN ARTZ. SAUL WILLIAMS: ANDREW GURA.
WEIRD WAR: MOLLY FRANCES
Saul Williams
The Locust
I saw this thing once where they had John Waters
endorsing the Locust. He said something like, “OK
mom and dad, this is something that is really going to
piss you off.” They showed some clip of them at club
and that’s exactly how I felt.
I met Peanut Butter Wolf at an event where we were
both spinning records. I’d never really paid attention
to the Stones Throw stuff before and he turned me on
to it that night. I was instantly converted, especially
after getting to watch videos by Quasimoto and listening to Dudley Perkins. It just reminds me of what I
think hip-hop should be moving towards. I like their
style—everything they do is just so interesting. I
mean, who else is going to be considered a hip-hop
label and put out Stark Reality or Gary Wilson? I love
that. It shows that they have good instincts.
Antony and
the Johnsons
His music is such a great comedown. There’s just
something about him—my experience doesn’t identify with it, but there’s something about the way he is
that makes me wish I knew someone like that in high
school. Instead of having the Smiths or the Cure, I wish
I had Antony and the Johnsons, because seeing what
those other guys have become kind of sucks. F
FILTER mini 4
SCENE
SCENE
Art Brut’s Guide to London
On the Road with Gang of Four
by Bryan Chenault
by Pat McGuire
It may have been another influential punk band who said,“Know your rights,” but Gang of Four are today’s best example of
why you should know your roots. Never before and never again will any four-piece burst upon a scene so urgently, politically and dancily…until they themselves reburst this year. It’s the return of the gang, thanks to Go4’s “new” album Return
the Gift—a collection of their classics freshly re-recorded by the original members—and a frenetic live show highlighted by
moments of microwave-smashing...err…heat. Filter Mini caught up with frontman and new ’wave art pioneer Jon King
during practice to talk about the Death Races, streakings, and baseball-bat beatings that are a Gang of Four road trip.
“Interviewed a band/I interviewed a band!!/Look at me, I INTERVIEWED A BAND!!!” Of all the reasons to love
or hate them, Art Brut’s un-ironic over-exuberance is the best (see debut single “Formed a Band”). It’s how they
grabbed London’s attention in the first place (and later a pair of Brit Award noms), and it’s why many wrote them
off as a lark. But it’s all to be expected when an aspiring star like Eddie Argos meets four strangers, forms a band
on a whim, and cranks out an instant classic. Bang Bang Rock And Roll delivers a dozen simple art-rock songs with
hilarious lyrics about finding long-lost first loves (“Emily Kane”), getting too pissed to please your bird, and setting off for Hollywood. Before Argos made good on the latter, we met up to decipher his beer-soaked love letter
to London. (Bonus: Match the question to the über-literal Art Brut song title!)
So what’s your motivation behind reuniting?
To be honest with you, the motivation is really about having fun. Strangely, I think we’re all enjoying this run a lot
more than we did first time around.We’ve had pretty successful careers outside of the band—and it’s one of those
things that for a long time none of us said we wanted to
do—and then it just seemed right.We just felt a great affection for each other once we got into a room together.We
also realized there had been a little bit of a hole in our lives.
The Best...
…venue to take your little brother for some rock
and roll?
Buffalo Bar in Islington. I rock out every night there.All the
best bands play there. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs did their first
show there, and I saw Maximo Park and the Shallows there.
Those blokes know what’s cool in art rock.And it’s tiny.
…place to catch Kate Moss powdering her nose?
Edinborough Castle. I went there the other to day to
find her, but she wasn’t there. I think she’s in rehab. In
London the best place would be in the Daily Mirror.You
can order one to be delivered to your home and there’s
photos in there.
…shop for bootlegs and B-sides?
On the weekends, I go to Camden Record Music
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…neighborhood to pick a fight?
I’m not actually very good at fighting.The song is a bit
of an exaggeration. But I’ll say I don’t really like the
people in Hoxton very much, with their funny haircuts and all that business. They think they’re a bit too
cool.
Is this going to interfere with the band’s day jobs?
We’ve all swung it so it won’t.That’s why we’re doing it in
small bites—three and a half weeks of tour at a time.The
first time around we spent every minute on the road to get
our message out.We weren’t getting very much help from
the record companies.
…place to hide out for a bad weekend?
My house. Queens Park. If you’re having a bad weekend, come ’round, and if I’m in, we’ll have a cup of
tea. 9 Craigton Rd., Queens Park, London. Maybe
don’t put my whole address in there; that could get
me into trouble. Actually, it might be interesting. Do
it. [For the sake of Eddie’s safety you have to email us to get
his address: mini@filter-mag.com]
…pub for getting pissed?
Wetherspoon’s pubs. Any Wetherspoon’s pub. They’re
a chain of pubs and it’s like a pound-fifty for a pint of
beer, so it’s good to go there because it’s so cheap.You
can’t smoke and there’s no music, but I don’t care,
because I don’t have much money.
…place to buy a rusted antique gun?
I’m sure you could probably get one from a man at a
pub if you asked hard enough. F
How is this tour going to work logistically?
The equipment travels in a U-Haul and we do the big bus.
We don’t really do that whole splitting thing; the band and
the crew all travel together under the same circumstances
so it becomes a real emotional link between everybody.
We’re all locked into the same objective.
PHOTO: MARC GOLDSTEIN
…spot to bump into Emily Kane?
Emily Kane lives in Chessex. She phoned me, actually. She
came to see us play, so it was cool. I got to meet her again,
for the second time in my life, at a place called Fabric in
London. So go there, or just hang around Chessex until
she comes and says, “Go away.”
Exchange. I’ve got quite an odd taste in music. The
sort of things I like end up only costing about 50p in
there, old songs and rarities and such.
PHOTO: JOE DILWORTH
…place to rock out to modern art?
Probably the Tate Modern. It’s got Gilbert & George
and loads of good stuff; it’s brilliant. But you’re not
allowed to dance, so don’t go there thinking you can
jump around. You can try, but if you look a little bit
drunk, they’ll throw you out.
Has it always been that way?
We’ve tried some different sorts of things. Once we tried
driving a whole bunch of different cars, Death Race 2000style, all big, fast ones driven in packs of four racing from
place to place, but that was really a bit foolish.We tried the
flying thing, but flying is so horrible now, it’s just not an
enjoyable experience. Ground transportation is the only
way to do it.
At Coachella, Flea was talking about how much he
looks up to the band...
Flea is a fantastic talent.The first time I met Flea we were
playing in Los Angeles at the Palace and a naked streaker
leaped out of the audience and grabbed me.There’s a great
photograph of that somewhere. The younger audience
especially enjoyed it. Oddly enough, our audience is mainly young people now; I’d say two-thirds of the audience is
under 25.
Not many people that age have ever seen anyone
hit a microwave with an aluminum bat repeatedly.
No, I think I’m the world’s leading microwave artist.
So how do you keep that “instrument” stocked on
tour? Do you send a roadie to the dump at each
stop?
Last tour, we went to a recycling place and picked up 14
or 15 microwaves. I have to say, the old American ones are
much better quality than the new Panasonics and
Pioneers. Not only do they look better with their incredibly charming wood effect, but they’re made of heavy steel,
so they actually sound better too.And they withstand punishment. If we’re doing a 30-day tour, the microwaves will
normally last two shows before they’re totally destroyed.
The baseball bats last a bit longer—about five or six
shows.
Do you have to tell concerned parties that the bat
is just a stage prop?
It’s good security. Like in Spinal Tap when the guy’s got his
cricket bat. But since we’re all totally serious about what
we’re doing, even though beating that thing is funny, it’s
funny/scary in an interesting way. I always find something
fresh about it that I take pleasure in. F
FILTER mini 5
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When
the Weird
movies. It was all violence.
Tunde: This’ll totally be the “cool-away” for the entire
interview, but I heated up little pins and tried to poke
them through this Ninja Turtle’s fist to make him a
Wolverine Mutant Ninja Turtle.At that point my brother was just like, “You know this is the height of dorkdom.”
Yoni: No way! That’s about the hardest shit I’ve ever
heard.You brought him up.
Tunde: I tried. I had a lot of time on my hands.
Turn
Pro
by Louis Vlach
Good Music created by Good People just has a certain ring to it. It’s a barely perceptible common note that
runs just under the wavelength, and vibrates at a frequency that supercedes genres, scenes and the cynicism of
those waiting in the wings with sharpened pen-points and hungry eyes. And what’s more, the Good People that
make the Good Music can hear that ring loud and clear.They know their own. Meet Tunde Adebimpe, one-time
comic book artist, part-time music video director, and full-time voice of TV on the Radio. Meet Yoni Wolf,
painter, poet, Anticon lynchpin, and—once one-third of cLOUDDEAD, now frontman of Why?—avant-rap
songbird turned indie rock underdog.
It’s a little known fact that TV on the Radio were listening to cLOUDDEAD while they were recording the
Young Liars EP (revisit the droning, sparsely decorated crunch of “Blind”), but this is a meeting that’s been long
in the making. With Why?’s new album Elephant Eyelash vibrating the hell out of fans, friends and critics alike
(Tunde’s review: “It’s freaking dope.”), Mini thought it was time to discuss honesty, experimentation, exposure
and…Milli Vanilli.
Mini: You two have a lot in common. You’ve
both worked across several mediums…
Yoni: I heard you do claymation stuff—that’s great.
Tunde: Yeah, I do stop motion puppet animation. I’m
trying to keep it going. It’s my favorite type of animation. But more and more it seems like no one really
wants to see it. Computer animation is the preferred
medium these days.
Yoni: That computer shit is ugly though! I mean,
Gumby blew up.
Tunde: Gumby was real as fuck. [Laughing] For our
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new stuff I really want to do a bit of stop motion for the
videos. It’d be fun to do and it would be nice to have
the time to do it.
Yoni: Yeah it takes time. I dabbled in that as a kid. My
dad [a rabbi] had an editing suite in the basement
because he used to write these feature religious films
and sell them on VHS.
Tunde: Wow! Like scripture stories with actors?
Yoni: Yeah, except in modern times with horrible
fucking actors. My brother and I would use the stop
motion function on his editing decks to make little
YONI WOLF PHOTO BY TABITHA SOREN.TUNDE ADEBIMPE PHOTO COURTESY TOUCH & GO.
TV on the Radio vs. Why?
Mini:There’s a lot to be said for the overbearing
need to just create. With so much media oversaturation these days, is that neurotic energy
what it takes to create honest music?
Yoni: I think it’s just being an honest person.
Tunde: Yeah that’s almost exactly it. There’s so much
you’re obviously being lied to about on a daily basis.
Whether a pop-up is coming up on the computer or
you’re listening to a commercial on the radio or on TV,
the tone of all of that shit is so crass and cold and plastic. It’s not coming out and saying the one thing it
wants to, which is, “Please give us your money.”
I just started making music by mixing on a fourtrack. It was an extension of my
sketchbook and my journal—it
didn’t have a form. I wasn’t
thinking, “Okay, now where am
I going to fly the hook?” It occupies—maybe it’s the same for
you, Yoni—the same space as
sketching or painting.
Yoni: What you’re saying right
now is me exactly. The earliest
shit I did wasn’t music to me, it was just recording. It
was sound that related to journal entries.
Tunde: When people say that our stuff sounds weird
and experimental I’m like, “Are you kidding me? It has
a beginning, middle and end.” But it’s strange once it
gets out of your hands and beyond your circle of
friends, and all of a sudden it’s in somebody’s car next
to the Hives and it’s so different.
Yoni: What’s weird is that something like what you do
or what we do can be sitting in the car next to the
Hives. Because when I pop your stuff in, it doesn’t
sound like this thing that’s supposed to be bought and
sold, it sounds like actual human beings expressing
themselves. I’m not trying to diss the Hives, but a lot of
that stuff sounds too perfect. It reminds you of the popups on your computer. Maybe not the Hives, but…
Tunde:We could list 10 bands right now that exist just
to be bought and sold. But we won’t because we’re
gentlemen.
Mini: TV on the Radio has done so well, and
Yoni, your lyrics seem to show a little discomfort toward Why?’s newfound fame. Is it weird
having people pay attention?
Yoni: There’s good and bad with it. To me, the lyrics
and the music are part of this secret world that I live
in, this private thing. On the one hand it’s really cool.
I was a shy kid and it’s good for me to be able to put it
out there and have people know where I’m really coming from. But it’s weird too. It’s this secret dialogue
that I have with myself, that over the past seven years
I’ve started to send around…and…sell.
Tunde:Yeah, yeah. Exactly.
Yoni: And it still weirds me out when someone knows
a lyric, I’m like, “Howdoyouknowthat?!?”
Tunde: “Oh yeah, that’s an outside thought now.”
Yoni: And, you know, all the money stuff, touring and
everybody staring at you while you’re staring at them
on stage. There’s this almost God-like aura around
singers which is just poisonous. It’s not natural and it’s
not holy. It’s wholly unholy! It can ruin you as a person. It can tear at you like the fucking Gollum’s ring.
You gotta leave Gandalf the ring, man, it’ll pull you in.
Tunde: [Laughing] I totally know what you’re saying
“Oh yeah, that’s
an outside
thought now.”
but you have to realize that there are examples of what
not to do all around us. That’s the one thing I credit
VH1 with. I love that shit because it’s so tragic. I didn’t give a fuck about Milli Vanilli until I saw Behind the
Music. By the end of that, I was genuinely like, “Whoa.”
Yoni: I was going to hire some handsome dudes to
start playing me in videos but not after I realized
that—
Tunde: That it would push one of them over the edge.
But it really is ridiculous and stupid and unnatural to
be on an elevated platform in front of someone
screaming your head off. I used to be insanely shy and
the only trick I’ve learned is that a huge part of you has
to have such a big sense of humor about it.
Yoni: Regardless, it’s just cool that at this point people can have a voice and still be weird and still be
themselves. That’s encouraging.
Tunde: I think it’s great. It shocks me on a daily
basis. F
FILTER mini 7
w a i t i n g fo r s o m e acti on
by Steven Chen | photography by Autumn de Wilde
IT’S TRUE. DESPITE many claims to the contrary, in
2001, every new band in the world wished they
were the Strokes. Solely on the strength of great
hairdos, cool last names and an album that clocked
in at about a half an hour, those lucky bastards landed in the highly enviable position of being simultaneously adored by the media, the fans and tastemakers
alike.Yet a year and a half later, the band found itself
in the slightly less enviable position of having to follow all that up—to somehow become the saviors of
rock and roll they never claimed to be. “We felt like
we had to catch up with our credibility at that
point,” is how Nick Valensi puts it.
“I heard somebody say something once that was
pretty interesting,” says Fabrizio Moretti. “The first
record is like 90 percent talent, and 10 percent luck,
and then for every record afterwards, success depends
on a hundred percent talent, ’cause you’ve already had
the luck of getting there.”
While 2003’s Room on Fire tragically did not alter
the events of human history, it was a perfectly
respectable rock album that proved even more that the
Strokes could not only play spectacular and restrained
rock, but do it in a way that merges pop seamlessly
the second first impression of
the Strokes
8 FILTER
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FILTER mini 8
with loungy bravado. Now that the air has cleared, it’s much
easier to parse the talent (of which there is plenty) from the
luck on their upcoming third album, First Impressions of
Earth. New producer David Kahne brings a heft and
breadth to the sound, while the band swaggers forth, cool
and deliberate, like the premature veterans they are.
Nick:Why do they gotta be so high-voiced?
Albert:The pitch is this, like, [in a high voice] “I really want
it!”
be where we are now, you know?
Nick: Sitting in our very own office. Talking to
Filter. Baby Filter.
And in that accent—where does it come from?
Albert: San Diego.
I’m curious about your relationship with
the culture of MTV. Has MTV asked you to
do things that you’ve turned down?
Julian: Their position is definitely, “We don’t need
you, but you need us.” And I think we’ve always
been more naïve. I think we’re getting along better
and understanding each other better.
Nikolai: We broke up for a while
and got back together.
Julian: I was excited for the “Hard
to Explain” video and I went to
show it to the MTV guy and he was
like, “Yeah, you guys should maybe
put yourselves in it a little more,
though.” And I was like, “God,
you’re really business. Go back to
programming your fucking bullshit.” I didn’t say that. I was just
thinking.
Fabrizio: There have been plenty
of occasions like that. There was an
offer for us, like 24 hours of the
Strokes in a hotel room, and we knew that they’d
put their spin on it. Everybody kinda knows; the
elephant in the room is that MTV has become less
about celebrating music and more about celebrating fame. I think I’ve seen more Pimp My Rides than
videos in the past month.
Do you think of media hype as
mostly good or mostly bad?
Nikolai Fraiture: It depends on how
you look at it. I mean, media hype
helped us. I think it mostly doesn’t
hurt a band as much as it does the listener or the viewer. I’ve been the victim of media hype about other bands
and then been disappointed. It’s more
like, when you listen to an album that
everybody’s talking about, and then it
just doesn’t do it for you.
Julian Casablancas: I agree. Same
with everything. Movies. You know, if
you just discover the movie on your
own, you’re more likely to enjoy it. If
everyone you know is like, “You gotta
see this movie,” it’s almost like a two
percent chance that you’ll enjoy it. It’s
like, “You have got to hear this song. It
is the best song you’ve ever heard in
your life!”
Nikolai: They tell you the lyrics.
Julian: Yeah, and the chorus is you
know, “Shake your ass to the side. And
then shake your ass to the other side!”
Nikolai: Wait, wait, wait don’t talk
now!
Julian: And then they rewind it and
play it again, and you’re like, “You
know what? I hate that song. And I
hate you.” No, I’m kidding. I don’t
mean that.
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Fabrizio: And it comes full circle too. It’s kinda disgusting. You see bands influence other bands, and then they
have their one new aspect, like the fuckin’ makeup in the
eye kind of thing—the “I’m just done crying and I was
wearing a lot of mascara”—and then the bands that influenced them from the beginning start doing that! It
becomes this ocean of confused originality, and you don’t
know who’s copying who.
Albert: It’s so boring.
Fabrizio: I mean, I don’t want to sound objectionable,
but I do hope this record can be accepted by the music on
it and a little shift can happen. Like, as miniscule as it has
to be or as huge as it has to be, hopefully, there can be a
shift.
Albert:You won’t even know in the long run really when
we look back.
Fabrizio:Yeah, it’s funny ’cause who knew that we would
STROKES/LOU REED PHOTO: STEVEN DEWALL
What bores you about music or the music industry?
Julian: Boston. [Laughs] No, I guess, what bores me is that
radio stations always just play the charts from like…you
know, if it’s a ’70s station, they’ll just look at what was on the
charts in the ’70s.They won’t play the actual good stuff that’s
lasted the test of time.
Nick Valensi: Unoriginality is always boring. Obviously
copying what’s popular, imitating what’s on the radio, that’s
never interesting to me.
Albert Hammond Jr.:What, like Simple Plan?
Nick:Yeah that’s an example for something.
Albert: I hate those guys.
Nick:You know, Blink 182 got really big basing their sound
on a Green Day kind of thing, and then you had so many
bands that came out, sounded exactly like that. Nasal.
Fabrizio Moretti: High-pitched.
You’re shooting the video for “Juicebox”
tomorrow.What’s that going to be about?
Fabrizio: It’s gonna be us at a radio station where
David Cross is our disc jockey, or our representative there. And he’s gonna, I don’t know, bring
some hilarity to the video. And then our song will
be the catalyst for some crazy action outside the
room.
I saw the casting sheet. Sounds like a lot of
making out.
Nick: Making out, different strange scenarios
around the city.
Fabrizio: Blowjobs.
Nick: Couple of blowjobs, some rim jobs. Couple
of donkey punches and dirty sanchezes.
Fabrizio: Cleveland steamers.
Nick: One or two Cleveland steamers. We can’t
guarantee.
Albert: Clam chowder.
Nick: That might not make the cut though. You
know how MTV is.
Fabrizio: What’s clam chowder? Just clam chowder? F
Reed-ing
Glasses
Filter and the Strokes made history in 2004 when the
whole lot of us roped in Lou Reed for an open discussion on all things art, advertising and Warhol.The
Strokes turned into rapt fans and eager journalists
while Filter played it cool. (Read the story at filtermag.com.)
Have you run into Lou Reed
recently?
Julian: Funny you should ask,
’cause actually, four nights ago...
Nikolai: We went to the Rolling
Stone party, and we were both
invited.
Julian: I think Nick said hi to
him, and at first he was giving
him that the cold Lou Reed
look, and Nick knew he’d just be
getting it all night if he didn’t
explain. He was like,
“Remember? From the Strokes.
We did an interview together for Filter.” And after that
he warmed up. Of course, he was like, “Oh yeah.”
Fabrizio: He was telling us about “Lou’s Views.” He
said that whenever he wore contacts, he wouldn’t be
able to read properly, so he and this Italian designer
made these glasses that were like reading glasses, but
that would flip up whenever he had to read.
Nick: No, they were like normal glasses for all the
time, but when he needed to read something close
up, he would just flip it up.
Fabrizio: That’s what I just said, yeah.
Nick: They’re not reading glasses.
Fabrizio: No, I said he flips it up for when he has to
read.
Albert: What are they, bifocals?
Fabrizio: No, he’s got regular glasses, and it flips up
to read.
Albert: Okay, so he uses no glasses to read?
Fabrizio: No glasses to read.
Albert: Right, I was gonna say.They’re pretty funky
frames too. I thought they were pretty cool.
Nick: That’s what’s called “Lou’s Views.” He makes
these glasses. He’s patented them.
Fabrizio: Right behind him was like 10 Mao Zedong
Andy Warhol pieces. And he looked back and he was
like, “Yeah, it’s too bad I don’t own one.” And I was
like, “Didn’t you have the opportunity to?” He’s like,
“Eh, it’s more like I went to Andy Warhol University.
It’s not that I have any of his pieces.” And I was like,
“But you’ve got one of the greatest record covers.”
He’s like, “Damn skippy.”
FILTER mini 9
What the hell is this? How did we get here?
Well… these things are complicated. There’s no easy
answer really, not without following hip-hop back to
its inception, down through a million-mile-long line of
parading colorful characters, each with his or her own
crazy or cool or clever or crunk and a name/persona/costume/mic-grip/B-boy pose/whatever to go
with it. It’s no secret that hip-hop has long been the
States’ greatest venue for the delectable drama of good
method acting. And much of the movement’s appeal,
doubtless, comes from how seemingly easy it would be
to don the mask of one’s choice and join up. Be you
hero or villain when you dream at night, there is a
place for you here. Be you rebellious, downtrodden
youth, or bored comic book geek, welcome.
So MF Doom and Dangermouse found one another.
No surprise there—each is indie-rap royalty in his own
right.That Adult Swim found the two of them is, well,
a sign of the times. For those unfamiliar, Adult Swim is
the late-night alter-ego of America’s Cartoon
10 FILTER
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Network, which is, well, just what it sounds like. But
afterhours, the children’s channel becomes home to
some of the most unhinged and ballsy animated television we’ve seen in years. The ridiculous show concepts (Aqua Teen Hunger Force—a purportedly crimefighting trio made up of a milkshake, a wad of meat
and a side of fries; Harvey Birdman—an ex-superhero
turned lawyer to Hanna-Barbera’s classic cartoon stable), the hilariously dry and irreverent writing, and
the amateurish cut-and-paste, mixed-media animation has earned the Adult Swim catalogue a religious
following. These characters could lead cults, and as
strange as it may seem that they’d appear on a hip-hop
album, Meatwad and Brak are amongst friends.
Doom and Danger each nicked their noms de plume
from the comic world, and in the grand rap tradition
of obsessive character development, their personas
are airtight.
The album that resulted from this odd collabora-
why is everyone wearing masks?
tion, The Mouse & the Mask (Doom’s raps,
DM’s beats, themes and guest pestering
thanks to the many voices of the Adult Swim
universe) may not offer any grand artistic
statement, but it is a high-flying flag for the
merging of our underground pop cultures,
geeky and otherwise. Which is where we,
Filter—documentarians, occasional instigators and geeks—come in. In an unprecedented [choose one: bout of artistic vision/lack of
common sense], we’ve hired Adult Swim’s
own resident host and hero Space Ghost (his
series was modeled after the late show format) to do our dirty work. Long banned from
all public airwaves, he jumped at the opportunity to flex his interview skills again. And his
biceps. So in the ever-irreverent spirit of
another group of great late-night innovators:
and now, for something completely different.
live from ghost planet...
[A rickety screen descends from the ceiling of the abandoned Space
Ghost Coast to Coast studio. Space Ghost, face down on the desk,
jumps to attention, causing a small avalanche of half-empty booze
bottles to spill out onto the floor. Somewhere a lightbulb explodes.]
Space Ghost: Greetings Charlie.Tell us about your mask, did you
buy it at the gift shop in Hell?
MF Doom:Yes, the depths of Hell.
Space Ghost: And did you use stolen money to buy it?
MF Doom: Right.
Space Ghost: Did you ever have a pitchfork jammed in your thing?
Danger Mouse: Not that I can think of, really.
Space Ghost: Really?
Danger Mouse: I’m more into music these days.
FILTER mini 10
This has all been a very natural
progression. It’s a very quick,
to-the-point way to entertain
and get points across.
When we can get behind
characters, cartoons even,
it’s easier to detach and be
entertained ourselves.
— Danger mouse
Space Ghost: Music that jams pitchforks up your
thing?
Danger Mouse: No, that was a long time ago.
Danger Mouse: I like Doom’s whole mask thing.
Adult Swim begged us for about a year ’til we gave in.
Space Ghost: Seems like yesterday to me. I mean like,
right now.
Danger Mouse: I think you got the wrong DM.
Space Ghost: I haven’t worked in three years. Because
of my drinking, which it had nothing to do with.
Danger Mouse: We watched every episode of every
Adult Swim show.
Space Ghost: I once went two weeks without a B.M.
Danger Mouse: I once went without talking for two
weeks. I can also count cards.
Space Ghost: Except mine.
Danger Mouse: I think Doom may have skipped a
Space Ghost episode or two, though.
Space Ghost: I can count my own teeth with my own
tongue. Hang on…one…
Danger Mouse: I used to write for my school paper
in high school.
Space Ghost: I don’t remember the last nine years.
Was it funny?
MF Doom: It was business.
Space Ghost: …wait a minute–two…
Danger Mouse: I did film reviews.
Space Ghost: Did you review my movie about how I
saved Thanksgiving?
MF Doom: [awkward silence]
Space Ghost: Did you?
Danger Mouse: I walked out of a restaurant without
paying on a dare a few days ago.
Space Ghost: Really? What was the dare? I dare you to
not tell me.
MF Doom: Walking out of a restaurant counts as
three-fourths dastardly.
Space Ghost: I dared a deer once.Wait, Dare to Dare,
that was the name of my movie…and you stole it!
Danger Mouse: I was broke and it was just a get rich
quick scheme, really.
Space Ghost: Mask thing! Rated R!
MF Doom: [extended awkward silence]
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Space Ghost: Funny drinking business?
Danger Mouse: The Adult Swim stuff is just funnier
than any sitcoms on network TV. Aqua Teen Hunger
Force is our favorite cartoon out there right now.
Space Ghost: Zorak’s a funny cartoon.
Danger Mouse: Zorak doesn’t really like me, not
sure why.
Space Ghost: I know why—because of his drinking.
Danger Mouse: We’re gonna try to get him on the
next album, I think.
Space Ghost: I could help sell your album, with my
new job at Turtles. I have my own register and I’m in
charge of flyers for movies that are rated R, and I get to
wear this wicked cape.
MF Doom: Doom does not promote wickedness.
Space Ghost: I have to go now, and prepare for my
date with Stevie Nicks—Stevie Ray Nicks. Who’s bad
now?
[Space Ghost flies off.] F
WHAT’S IN A MASK?
A point-by-point comparison between the faceplates of MF Doom and his conceptual progenitor, Doctor Doom.
t The Story t
t powers t
MF Doom: Never mild-mannered.
As K.M.D.’s Zev Love X, Daniel Dumile was one of
the Golden Era’s most militant MCs. When his
brother/partner died in a car accident, Zev disappeared only to show up five years later, masked and
anonymous. (+2 villain points)
Doctor Doom: Mommy?
After his mother lost her soul in a shit-deal with the
devil, a young Victor von Doom vowed to free her
from hell. One such attempt literally exploded in
his face. Being extremely vain and needing an M.O.
for revenge, he donned the mask. (-1 villain
point)
MF Doom: From the mouths of Metal Faces.
Says Doom, “It helps in avoiding assault charges.
Within it is possessed all the powers of the universe.
With some slight adjustments it would allow me to
breathe in deepest space.” Recently rust-proofed.
(+1 villain point)
Doctor Doom: Eek!
Pros: Command-activated, high-powered electric
shock delivered to anyone who touches it. Infrared
scanners help detect pesky invisible heroes. Shoots
force-blasts of concussive bolts when not worn. Con:
clapping sends it on the fritz. (+3 villain points)
t origin t
MF Doom: Forged in the depths of…Hollywood?
Hours of archival research (read: Google image
searches) revealed a striking similarity between
MF’s mask and that worn by Russell Crowe in the
film Gladiator. (-2 villain points)
Doctor Doom: Something old, something new.
Originally crafted by Tibetan monks; later enhanced
by Doom himself, genius scientist, with nuclear and
computerized flourishes. Made out of titanium
alloy. (+2 villain points)
FINAL SCORE t
t Aesthetic VS. Function t
MF Doom: Practical metal chic.
A little cumbersome to wear while rapping, but the
perpetual mad-face is a plus. Unlike the Doctor’s
mask, the mouth is clear for the imbibing of spirits,
herbs and spices, candy rappers, and fair maidens.
(+3 villain points)
Doctor Doom: Instant recognizable evil.
The oppressive lack of expression comes in handy
when world-dominating, but the mouthpiece looks
like it came from one of those spark-spitting Nunzilla
toys. Also, he can’t eat donuts. (+1 villain point)
MF Doom: 4; Doctor Doom: 5
FILTER mini 11
REVIEWS
One-Liners:
A miniature take on selected Filter Magazine reviews
...........................................................................................................................
(Go to Filter-Mag.com or pick up Filter Magazine’s Fall Issue for full reviews.)
%
Z
RCA
A Kentucky night spent shoegazing
through whiskey eyes, riding in the back of a pickup
truck to nowhere in particular, and not caring one bit.
Broken Social Scene
%
%
%
Howl
BMG
BRMC Xerox pages from all the classics
at the Rock and Roll Library, losing little in resolution.
Blackalicious
%
The Craft
AntiTwo parts lyrical mastery, one-cup liquid
soul, pour hot on bed of steaming basslines—Bootsy!
Death Cab for Cutie
Ladytron
%
The Witching Hour
Rykodisc
Spooky electro that has nothing to do
with monsters or mashing, unless of course you’ve got
a Krautrock lurking in the closet.
Depeche Mode
%
Playing the Angel
Mute
Twenty years later and Goth kids (plus
regular ones) are still swallowing this stuff like candy—
black candy.With razorblades.
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%
Tournament of Hearts
Sub Pop
Fresno’s gay football team was honored
when the band took their slogan—“Sophistication,
Romanticism, Swagger”—as inspiration.
Cocorosie
%
Noah’s Ark
Touch and Go
Scattered freaky folk sputterings made up
for by the bitchin’ unicorn three-way on the cover.
Grandaddy
%
Excerpts from the Diary...
V2
Finally, someone tackles trash consumer
culture from an educated white male perspective.
Three cheers for redundancy!
%
Plans
Atlantic
All hail the Metamucil of the indie
game—keeping it smooth and regular.
%
Odditorium or Warlords...
Capitol
Delusions of relevance make for great
conversations and just-above-mediocre Ameri-Brit-pop.
The Constantines
The Mouse and the Mask
Epitaph
Eccentric masked hip-hop icons team up
with absurdist cartoon characters! Bring forth the bong!
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
%
Strange Geometry
Merge
Subtle strings and sparkling production
make this the pricey champagne of dreamy Brit-psych.
The Dandy Warhols
Broken Social Scene
Arts & Crafts
Our upstairs neighbors warm us up (like
maple syrup) to the upside of “jamming.”
DangerDoom
PRESENTED
The Clientele
Orenda Fink
%
Invisible Ones
Saddle Creek
Fink sinks with human condition kinks
and redemption/ascension links—we like Azure Ray
better, methinks.
Lost Patrol
75%
The Lost Patrol Band
Burning Heart/Epitaph
Former Refused frontman squanders his
last buck-fifty of cred on Dance Dance Revolution.
FILTER
ALBUM
RATINGS
My Morning Jacket
91-100%
81-90%
71-80%
61-70%
Below 60%
radio singles chart
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
a great album
above par, below genius
respectable, but flawed
not in my CD player
please God, tell us why
BY
MEDIAGUIDE
The Filter Recommended Radio Chart is Filter’s compilation of our favorite college,
indie, modern rock and adult album alternative stations around the U.S. that we know will
always bring you what Filter loves best: Good Music. This list of top-25 singles of the week is
made up of the most played songs of our select stations. Read on, and check filter-mag.com
every week to see what Filter and the in-the-know programmers across the country deem best.
1: MY MORNING JACKET “Gideon” (RCA / ATO)
2: KATE BUSH “King Of The Mountain” (Columbia)
3: KATE BUSH “How To Be Invisible” (Columbia)
4: ROGUE WAVE “Publish My Love” (Sub Pop)
5: DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE “Soul Meets Body” (Barsuk / Atlantic)
6: MY MORNING JACKET “Off The Record” (RCA / ATO)
7: SIGUR ROs “Hoppipolla” (Geffen)
8: MATT POND PA “Halloween” (Altitude)
9: MY MORNING JACKET “Wordless Chorus” (RCA / ATO)
10: DEPECHE MODE “Precious” (Reprise / Sire / Mute)
11: PAUL WELLER “Blink” (Yep Roc / V2)
12: SUN KIL MOON “Tiny Cities Made Of Ashes” (Caldo Verde)
13: NADA SURF “Always Love” (Barsuk)
14: BROADCAST “Corporeal” (Warp)
15: BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB “Ain't No Easy Way”
(Abstract Dragon / RCA)
16: GOLDFRAPP “Beautiful” (Mute)
17:THE STROKES “Juicebox” (RCA)
18: FIONA APPLE “O’ Sailor” (Clean Slate / Epic / Sony BMG)
19: ROGUE WAVE “Bird On A Wire” (Sub Pop)
20: IRON & WINE AND CALEXICO “History Of Lovers” (Overcoat)
21: GOLDFRAPP “Number 1” (Mute)
22: JOHN CALE “Perfect” (Astralwerks)
23:TOM VEK “I Ain’t Sayin My Goodbyes” (Startime / Vagrant)
24: BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE “7/4 (Shoreline)” (Arts & Crafts)
25: COLDPLAY “Talk” (Capitol)
Chart based on electronically monitored airplay data of the week of September 5th 2005 provided by
www.mediaguide.com for the following commercial and non-commercial radio stations: KCRW - Los Angeles, CA,
KDHX - St. Louis, MO, KDLE/KDLD - Newport Beach/Santa Monica, CA, KEXP - Seattle,WA, KITS - San Francisco,
CA, KOOP/KVRX - Hornsby/Austin,TX, KXLU - Los Angeles, CA, WAWL - Chattanooga,TN,WDBM - East Lansing,
MI, WDET - Detroit, MI, WFMU - East Orange, NJ, WFPK - Louisville, KY, WFUV - New York, NY, WKNC - Raleigh,
NC, WKQX - Chicago, IL, WRAS - Atlanta, GA, WRGP - Homestead, FL, WRVU - Nashville,TN, WTMD - Townson,
MD, WXPN - Philadelphia, PA, WYEP - Pittsburgh, PA.
GOOD:MUSIC:WILL:PREVAIL
FILTER mini 12
REVIEWS
aside, we’re talking girls with instruments, poolside
shenanigans and ice cream. I think the thermometer
just popped.
CD
Reviews
...........................................................................................................................
Why?
%
Elephant Eyelash
Anticon
Welcome to the Crooked Rain, Crooked
Rain of our modern indie times. Here you will find all
the shiny, disparate bits of this movement—the pieces
held high by those paying attention or lost to the shuffle of the Great Recurring Co-Opt—congealed and
coherent in the form of no less than 12 inspired/
unique/surprising/playful/geeky/cool/emotive/absurdist/amazing songs. Why? has been skirting greatness for years, and with Elephant Eyelash, the arpeggiating guitars, the collagist tendencies, the distortion and
desolation, the gorgeous imagery of the words and the
wiry drawled-out vocals all come together magnificently. Buy this. Now. CHRIS MARTINS
Rogue Wave
%
Descended Like Vultures
Sub Pop
So I can’t use any of the clever “wave”
metaphors I planned for this review, given the recent
slew of levee-breakings. But be assured, they were brilliant. I can say that the follow up to Out of the Shadow
finds Zack Rogue and Co. more of a company indeed.
It’s a true band effort, with the same harmonies and
tongue-in-cheek earnestness, banged out a little harder
and admittedly a little less lovely.A bit roguish, perhaps?
Now there’s a metaphor sure to hurt nobody’s feelings
but my own. PAT McGUIRE
Gang of Four
%
Return the Gift
V2
Turns out the four lads that more-or-less
birthed this whole gang of 21st Century art-slashdance, rock-slash-punk copycats are like, still alive and
slashing. And judging by the ferocity with which they
attack a sampling of their greatest hits on this new
(old) album, they’re pretty pissed we forgot. It’s the
musical equivalent of Mr. Miyagi sweeping the leg of
the “beginner luck,” fly-catching Daniel-san, then giving him a sly wink.The old man’s still got it.
BRYAN CHENAULT
Múm
%
Yesterday Was Dramatic Today is OK
Morr Music
If only my imaginary wife would get off of the imagi13 FILTER
mini
nary pill. Then we could have an imaginary child and
the three of us could spend languid afternoons listening
to the percussive soundscapes of Múm’s 2000 release
(remastered and reissued) Yesterday Was Dramatic - Today
is OK. We could indulge in the idyllic torpor of our
imaginary union, our tender love echoed by Múm’s
sweeping harmonies. But, alas, my imaginary wife is
just that, and the album is a doting lament of bliss unrealized. PATRICK JAMES
Jerry Lee Lewis
%
The (Complete) Session
Hip-O Select
This ’73 “super session” (scoff, scoff) pits
the Ferriday Fireball against a small army of British
rockers in a two-disc death match of ’50s rock, blues
and R&B (“Johnny B. Goode,” “Big Boss Man”), a host of
his own hits, and some head-scratching covers (“Sea
Cruise,” “Satisfaction”). Ultimately, it’s more killer than
filler, with the limeys (including Alvin Lee, Albert Lee,
Kenny Jones and Rory Gallagher) proving they’ve got
the huevos to keep up with the deadliest gunslinger
from the Sun Records corral. PAUL GAITA
Deerhoof
%
The Runners Four
Kill Rock Stars
Remember that time you accepted a
laced joint from some guy named Snake? Deerhoof’s
latest is a little like that. It deconstructs and reconstructs pop the way the joint did your brain, replacing
anticipated melodies with the unexpected and traditional singing with the highly affected. Familiar yet subversive, this freakpop opus commandeers the conscience when you least expect its goofy touch. But
unlike that special doobie, The Runners Four will leave
you feeling uplifted, not heaving BBQ in the bathroom
at SXSW. CATHERINE ADCOCK
The Like
%
Are You Thinking What
I’m Thinking?
Geffen Records
Who doesn’t love summer? Pool parties, water balloon
fights, ice cream socials, and syrupy, velvet-lined rockpop courtesy of underage L.A. female power-trios.The
Like have a cult following of the young and restlessly
nostalgic, and for good reason—their debut LP sports
a sunny mix of catchy hooks, that heat-induced “June
Gloom” and good old sweaty rock. And all that stuff
CHRISTOPH BARCLAY
Various Artists
%
Children of Nuggets
Rhino
Eighties nostalgia is sick and wrong,
but if you absolutely must pine for
pop culture from that decade, why not
wrap your heart around some great
but unheralded garage rock? With the Children box,
Rhino applies their obsessive archaeology to four
discs’ worth of gritty Reagan-era whap-a-dang and
jangle-pop by the likes of such under-the-radar
fliers as the Lyres, Smithereens, Soft Boys,
Fleshtones, Cramps, Hoodoo Gurus, and…hey, the
Bangles? Yeah, them too. It beats the hell out of trotting out those fucking jelly shoes. PAUL GAITA
Atmosphere
%
You Can’t Imagine
How Much Fun We’re Having
Rhymesayers
Despite lighthearted lyrics like, “I’m just a cat looking for a lap to crash in,” and, “Make a toast to the
butter knife,” you won’t catch this Minneapolis MC
cuttin’ up. Maybe that’s the problem. For somebody
that sports a “Misogyny is a Bitch” wife-beater, it’s a
shame that Slug’s good humor lies hidden behind the
hard delivery and perma-scowl. When witty words
are suffocated by starch-straight venom-spittin’,
they’re about as sharp as, well, a butter knife.
BRYAN CHENAULT
Dirty Three
%
Cinder
Touch & Go
Treat your libido to another bedroomeyed glance at the above: “Dirty Three,” “Touch & Go,”
“88%.” Doesn’t that sound like a silk-sheeted good
time? (If only my ears and conscience had let me give it
a 69%.) On Cinder, the violin/guitar/drums Aussie trio
is up to their same old dirty tricks again—fortunately,
that’s the good dirty.Throw in a sultry Cat Power guest
appearance and you’ll be forced to change the sheets.
Again. PAT McGUIRE
Dungen
%
Stadsvandringar (reissue)
Astralwerks
A notice to the loyal subjects and minions
of of his royal majesty, King Crimson: Fear not! The
reissue of Dungen’s Stadsvandringar will not likely
usurp thy throne. Nevertheless, be wary of these crafty
Swedes. This record (like its already-stateside follow-
up) could still threaten America’s psychedelic terrain.
How? Well—much like listening to a hippie priest
exorcise the spirit of George Harrison from Robert
Fripp’s body—there’s something about this layered,
organic psychedelia sung in foreign tongue that we just
can’t resist. PATRICK JAMES
The Band
%
A Musical History
Reprise
When is your box (in this case,
book) set not an overpriced
paperweight?
1) When you’ve backed both
Ronnie Hawkins and Bob Dylan.
2) When you’ve played with both Muddy Waters and
Van Morrison.
3) When Martin Scorcese made a film about your final
performance.
4) When you’ve avoided being sampled by P-Diddy or
reunited on VH1.
5) When you cram all of this onto five CDs and one
amazing biography.
6) When A Musical History isn’t a cliched title.
It’s a fact. Study up. DAVID ISKRA
Boards of Canada
%
The Campfire Headphase
Warp
Crisp and layered like a long winter
sunset, The Campfire Headphase melts in slowmotion. After two albums of cloistered, candle-lit
collaging, it seems Boards of Canada are still illuminating their lightly warped groove and crackling
analog dust in the face of another beefy-beat era.
This time it’s either Kompakt’s slinky thump or
DFA’s steely disco in place of Jungle’s metallic clutter, but BoC remain placid outsiders.
BERNARDO RONDEAU
The Earlies
%
These Were the Earlies
Secretly Canadian
In the movie Contact, Jodie Foster has
been catapulted into a universe of pastel clouds and
huge expanses of emptiness and light. So, what’s the
problem? They should have sent a poet. The Earlies
would have had no such conundrum. They also
wouldn’t have fit all 8,000 members and their bassoons in the cramped space-pod, but assuming they
could’ve, they’d have made this: an epic album of
warm organs and bleeps and glowing, electric nebulae and pianos and shimmering dust from planet
Mercury Rev, and an in-your-ear voice telling you
not to worry, Matthew McConaughey is a universe
away. LESLEY BARGAR
FILTER mini 13
Digable Planets
%
Beyond the Spectrum:
The Creamy Spy Chronicles
Blue Note
Welcome to Planet Digable. If you’re new here, please
proceed to Ye Herb Shoppe, where you’ll find plenty of
your kind waiting in line for the complimentary dub
sack, knit cap with dreadlocks, and copy of this “best
of.” The songs on Beyond are pure classics, but with no
additional liner notes, two ho-hum B-sides, and a complete lack of context for the creation of jazzy headhop’s most influential album couplet, skip this (and the
inevitable Fugees reunion record) and pick up all two of
the records by this seminal trio. CHRIS MARTINS
Metric
%
Live It Out
Last Gang
2003’s OldWorld Underground was a swinging blast of choppy guitar, awesome synthesizers and
sexy urban disaffection. Not ones to repeat themselves,
Metric do away with the keyboard sleaze in favor of big,
blazing guitar-riff cock-age on their latest, and while
the new album rocks harder, it packs less in the way of
pure electro-pop bliss. Even so, Live It Out is another
thoroughly enjoyable record from this Canuck quartet
and further proof that Metric is much, much cooler
than I am. JOSHUA GARDNER
14 FILTER
mini
Ryan Adams
%
Jacksonville City Nights
Lost Highway
The city of Jacksonville was of course
named after Andrew Jackson, who was distinctly southern, toughly sad, and a huge fan of the slide guitar. The
same can be said of Ryan Adams and his new album
Jacksonville City Nights, which sounds as if Ryan and
friends (including an ever-sultry Norah Jones) had a
few too many down at the Honky Tonk, got up on stage
and let it all out. Old Hick’ry would’ve been proud.
TODD BERGER
The (International)
Noise Conspiracy
%
Armed Love
Warner Brothers
Have you, like me, always craved an album that
explodes with sound and chides you for your capitalist
swine-iness? Well then thanks be due to Rick Rubin,
who captures the ass-shaking, politico bravado of selfdescribed “revolutionary, anti-capitalist, Marxist,
Communist” rockers t(I)NC on this, their third fulllength. Lyrics like, “Just give me a black mask baby,”
and, “Let’s all share our dreams under a Communist
moon,” underscore this fusion of raging R&B and
relentless punk energy. Certainly, Karl Marx is rolling
(and rocking) in his grave. PATRICK JAMES
Brian Wilson
%
What I Really Want For
Christmas
J Records
It’s Ho-Ho-Ho Day, as bright and shiny as a new
Danelectro from Brother Brian and band. Yeah—
Christmas records, yawn—but before you get all
Grinchy, check out the SMiLE-style sheen Mr. Wilson
puts on eight classic Xmas tunes, and send a thank you
card for the two Beach Boys re-dos and two originals,
including the wonderfully ornamental title track If you
aren’t in the eggnog spirit after one listen, then Shalom
to you. PAUL GAITA
The Beta Band
%
The Best of the
Beta Band
Astralwerks
You wrote off the Beta Band after their second
release, but they understood—you were confused,
betrayed, uncertain. Now-defunct, they’re trying to
make amends by bringing you their best and brightest. You may never rekindle your Beta flame, but
you’d be smart to remember that, at its best, the band
was nothing less than epic, able to raise a minutelong, layered loop to the status of a heroic guitar solo.
Forgive, just don’t forget. CATHERINE ADCOCK
Supergrass
%
Road to Rouen
Capitol
For a lot of bands—especially those
that broke onto the scene as spastic teens blazing
through Buzzcocky rockers--maturity can mean
making marginalized music the way motherhood
means mental freeze (kudos, Kim Deal). But grownup Gaz and older bro Rob continue to guide these
anti-geezers (both American and U.K. usages apply)
through gently sublime, piano-perfect rollicking on
Rouen. Only problem is, with just eight full songs,
it’s like Sunday driving around a cul-de-sac.
%
Metropolis
Arena Rock
The band that brings you the glossiest
liner-notes inside (or outside) of Portland also brings
you, um, some songs with some instruments and some
singing. And a keyboard. No really, this album lacks
focus, and chances are Ben Gibbard could’ve helped
them find it. Sure, Swords are a bit darker and scoop
more electronic than their “cutie” Seattle-bound soundalikes, but where the Portland rainfall may add some
dissonant gloom, it’s even more effective at washing the
oomph away. LESLEY BARGAR
Annie
%
DJ Kicks
K7
Planning a kick-ass shindig? Can’t find
the right DJ with the perfect combo of guilty pleasure pop and, “Oh, you haven’t heard of them?” cred?
I bring you Annie, Norwegian diva-cum-DJ. Of
course, hiring a European superstar may eat into your
helium budget, so pick up DJ Kicks—a collection of
the pop princess’ favorite party tracks, from singing
ladybugs to Gucci Crew II to Junior Senior’s spin on
Le Tigre. The only question that remains: Papa John’s
or Domino’s? TODD BERGER
The Celebration
%
The Celebration
4AD
Step right up! Yes, step right up and enter
the crazy world of throbbing Dionysian post-rock. Or,
for a scant 16 tickets you can enter the indie-psych
house of wax and see stunningly realistic representations of Blonde Redhead, Neon Blonde and yes, even
Arcade Fire! Let the sounds of the carnival organ take
you away to the mystical lands where everything is
unclassifiable and infectious, and always surreal. And
grab yourself a corn dog on the way out. MATT EPLER
% or ∞
Bagged and Boarded
Absolutely Kosher
Neither Lennon nor McCartney can lay
claim to the legacy laid down by the combo of balls
and cock. Up and out the vas deferens comes the
Devil’s song and this Goblin Cock jerks out a fiery
discharge of thick stringed bass and rumble. It’s a
bitter elixir of red semen poured from a sticky stone
chalice, which makes Bagged and Boarded a low groan
orgasm of recycled Kyuss riffs, or the best album
ever released in history. JAMES ARTESIAN
Brakes
BRYAN CHENAULT
Swords
Goblin Cock
%
Give Blood
Rough Trade
So turns out the Brits celebrate
Halloween a bit differently than us Yanks. Instead of
pumpkins, they carve turnips! Instead of candy, they
eat dice! And if you’re in a band, you dress up as the
Pixies! (Yup, all the bands…they’re British.) This
year, on Give Blood, Brakes (members of British Sea
Power, Electric Soft Parade, and Tenderfoot) went
with the Pixies-as-punk-rock/bluegrass-band-froman-alternate-universe outfit. Which, you’ve got to
admit, makes for a pretty bad-ass costume (if for the
footwear alone). TODD BERGER
On the Record
Midlake
“Balloon Maker”
Bella Union
Within the growing body of music that
answers “What if Thom Yorke was from [random locality and time period]?” here we see Thommy Boy as circus worker lulled by jangly slow-mo Americana. The
result is lavish but relaxed. SAM ROUDMAN
Blackbud
“Heartbeat”
Independiente
This time Thom Yorke is forced into a
reproductive laboratory of the damned to breed with a
star of substantially lower caliber. The result of this
unholy congress is DAVID GRAIDOHEAD! Not exactly hideous, but an abomination nonetheless. S.R.
The Electric Soft Parade
The Human Body EP
Truck
Swirling, schizophrenic indie treated as a
series of orchestrations. “Cold World” out-shimmies the
Strokes and “Everybody Wants” could be a Bond theme,
all perfectly mixed and superbly sequenced as single
body of work. JONATHAN FALCONE
Pioneers
“So Long”
Northern Ambition
“Love will pull me through/Just like me
and you” might not be profound or even coherent, but
this is totally the song that plays when the sensitive
dupe lands the quirky gal—what’s a little pleasure
without the guilt? S.R.
Absentee
“Weasel”
Memphis Industries
Daniel Michaelson’s voice is deep as an
unmarked grave dug by a slasher/hitchhiker. Whatever
he says, you’ll believe it. Offset against sedate female
backing vocals, “Weasel” shines heavy and clear like sunlight in the eyes of a hangover. S.R.
The Rakes
“22 Grand Job”
V2
When this tightly-wound groove breaks
for a claptastic interlude embellished by some glitchy
back-and-forth vocal play, you’ll want to grab this cute
little ditty, rush it home and cherish it to shreds. S.R.
16 FILTER
mini
Mini UK spins
the singles
The Young Playthings
“She’s a Rebel”
Smalltown America
Second single from London trio that
revisits the heyday of guitar pop in the ilk of
Superchunk and Pavement. Observational lyricism and
harmony-crammed melodies. Brilliant music to prolong the summer. J.F.
Humanzi
“Fix the Cracks”
Polydor
Stylish Rock Checklist: Tambourine?
Check. Holy trinity of fuzzed-out bass, guitar and
synth? Check. Bratty vocals? Check.Tired New Orderesque atmospherics en route to somewhat rocking
outro? Check. Predictably derivative, but somewhat
satisfying rock experience? More or less. S.R.
Field Music
“If Only the Moon Were Up”
Memphis Industries
Yes, it sounds like the Beatles, but not the
smiley mopped teen idols or the bearded and harried
bickerers they became. “Moon” falls right in the middle,
before the acid was stronger than the good vibes. S.R.
The Honeymoon Machine
“Faith in People”
Easy Street
Some songs make you sad, some songs are
made out of sadness, and some make you sad for the
people that made the song from their sadness.This one
lands as the latter. S.R.
Christian Silva
“First Last Gasp”
Something in Construction
A simple piano and a plaintive harmony
take flight over a dream city, spreading shaky wings
in the starlight only to disappear into a dark cloud of
keyboards and voice, gone before you could even
grasp it. S.R.
The Pipettes
“Dirty Mind”
Memphis Industries
Ladies lounging by the pool with a
breezy groove so late ’70s that it almost lands in
early ’80s. A witty, paisley-ish, toe-tapper recalling
Lush vocal arrangements without all the Lush seriousness. S.R.