The Past is a Grotesque Animal - A Rockumentary

I am incredibly excited about the of Montreal rockumentary, The Past is a Grotesque Animal, by Oscilloscope, that is finally coming out this month! After a long and torturous wait, the epic tale of this epic band and the peculiar mind behind it all, Kevin Barnes, will be told.

As soon as I heard about this documentary, I was chomping at the bit to re-live what was, to me, a very important time in my concert-going career; following the cult-favorite indie band, of Montreal.

The Kickstarter Campaign

• Goal: $75,000
• Raised: ~ $95,000
• Backers: 1,124
• Funding period: Nov 12, 2012 - Dec 12, 2012 (30 days)

Originally titled Song Dynasties, the film was renamed The Past is a Grotesque Animal at the very end of the project, confusing everyone, (and briefly getting my hopes up that 2 separate documentaries were being released!). I happen to really like both names, although the later is a great re-use of a great song’s, great name (and is a phrase that I love).

I read somewhere that there was dedicated film crew capturing the Hissing Fauna tour, and there could be a ton of footage from that tour in the movie. THAT is great news considering, how awesome that album is and how spectacular that tour was. I also read that there are home videos of very early stuff the band did. In other words, there is a huge potential that this documentary will be incredible! (atleast, for of Montreal fans...).

The Movie's Evolution (and Delays)

There was some drama surrounding the KickStarter campaign (although probably only apparent to the die-hard obsessive fans). This was due to the expected release date constantly being pushed back, and back,…and back, without much explanation to appease the impatient masses and KickStarter backers. Originally slated for a March 2013 release, it is not actually being released until June 2014. A tormenting wait for those of us who expected it, wanted it, (and needed it) over a year ago.

The massive delay was due to the constantly expanding scope of the project (which changed immediately due to the success of the  KickStarter campaign), and the ongoing saga of the band in the form of changes to the band’s line-up, etc, which the documenters wanted to continue to document!

I also believe that the focus of the movie shifted to be more a dramatic portrayal of Kevin Barnes’ personal life. A twist that I am absolutely ecstatic about, as nothing would please me more than a glimpse inside the bizarre mind and tortured soul that is the mysterious Kevin Barnes. Contrast the original KickStarter promo video to the official documentary trailer to see the apparent change in focus.

Original Kickstarter Video  (note the release date at the end: "Spring 2013")

Official Theatrical Trailer 


Here is a sample of some of the later posts from the kickstarter discussion page, on the delays.

“Sorry for the radio silence these past few months. We’ve been plugging away and can finally say that the film is finished!.... …This has been a mammoth project that went beyond what any of us thought it would take to complete.  … Your patience throughout this process has been amazing. Thank you all so much for your support of the band and this documentary. We think that once you all see the film you will feel like it is worth the wait.”

So it is here at last! Can't wait to check it out! 
I seriously hope it is as good as these 2 trailers make it look, (and the $95k of available production funds should facilitate).

of Montreal – One Fan’s Journey

There is a special place in my heart for the band of Montreal, as there is for many of the band’s cult-followers. I would be remiss if I didn't have a post about of Montreal on this blog, so this long overdue post is finally here. Inspired by their upcoming documentary, I thought I would recount my perspective on of Montreal's scene throughout their rise to indie stardom.

of Montreal was my 'gateway-drug' into indie music. They were my first true introduction to the indie music scene, which kinda became my music scene throughout my 20’s. And what a wild introduction they were. After my 1^st of Montreal show I became an indie music fanatic, scrounging for as much indie gold as I could get my ears on. 

Their Evolution

Within a span of 3 years I saw of Montreal 5 times at 5 different venues, across 3 states!  … Drawn in by the guarantee of absurd, over-the-top, (but low-budget) theatrical performances, set to the best groovy indie pop songs of the time. Their shows were fun brief escape from reality.

These excerpts from my Concert Log demonstrate the period of my of Montreal infatuation.

Date			Venue	Location	Most Recent Album at time of show	Opening Act
March	2	2006	The Satellite Ballroom	Charlottesville, VA	The Sunlandic Twins	unknown
October	14	2007	Rams Head Live	Baltimore, MD	Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?	MGMT
November	1	2008	The National	Richmond, VA	Skeletal Lamping	Gang Gang Dance
April	14	2009	The Sonar	Baltimore, MD	Skeletal Lamping	Fire Zuave
June	13	2009	Bonnaroo 2009	Manchester, TN	Skeletal Lamping	many

Each new show was an entirely new, bizarre experience. But the best thing about being a dedicated fan (of any band really), beyond seeing varying tours corresponding to different albums, is seeing the transformation a band makes as they ‘make it’. And of Montreal’s transformation took the form of wilder and wilder shows to correlate with their overwhelming discography of progressively crazier albums.

There was a period of escalating novelty that correlated with the amount of expendable income they had as a band, and that made for some fun shows (and an interesting retrospective of their evolution). The sets got more and more elaborate, the outfits more ornate, the props more intricate, the extras more numerous, and the technological wizardry more complex (projectors), all adding up to a more surreal psychedelic epic event. But they managed to maintain that homemade low-budget delivery.

@ The Satellite Ballroom - 2006 
My friend and indie-music-mentor, Cheato (as he was known in college), convinced me to tag along to their show at the small (now defunct) venue known as the Satellite Ballroom in Charlottesville, VA.  That show was a crazy experience, which changed me in weird and profound ways. Ok maybe not that crazy, (I just wanted to use that phrase), but it did really open my eyes to the indie music scene.

Kevin came onto the stage in a wedding dress; giving a first impression to set the tone for all future of Montreal performances.

Things to note: the small venue. the lack of stage adornments/sets/props (beyond costume changes). and those dated digital cameras! 

 

The Late B.P. Helium.  I seriously think Kevin fell off the stage at this point.

Glam rock mode

one of several past band members who looked exactly the same

Here is a video I took at the show of a cover of  The Final Countdown by Europe.
(Sorry for the bad audio/video.)

The song was part of a Medley of this order: Lysergic Bliss - The Final Countdown - Requiem For O.M.M.2. The Final Countdown was substituted in for the part of Lysergic Bliss where they do the a capella part, which was a bummer cause I really wanted to see that live, but nevertheless this was an amazing medley! I was on a big Final Countdown kick at the time due to Arrested Development, so this was a perfectly timed cover song. 

@ Rams Head Live - 2007 

This show was a stunning show, as expected, but it blew my expectations away. Starting off with the opening act of several extremely young-looking dudes, MGMT, who put on a show that wow-ed us all. This show really showcased of Montreal's evolution. When you compare this show to their show at Satellite Ballroom (2006), it was obvious that this band had come a long way. The extensive stage setup, their ramped-up stage presence, the props, the costumes, the extras, the lights, the projectors, the everything! Not to mention it was the Hissing Fauna tour...

Unfortunately, I dont think I have any pictures of this show(?).. .except this one...

Erin snapped this photo of Me and Steve chatting with Kevin after their excellent show at Rams Head Live on their 2007 Hissing Fauna tour. We mostly talked about books. After I mentioned that I diligently  followed up on his Story of the Eye reference,  he recommended that we read Everything Is Illuminated, (which we all did. Haha!).

@ The National - 2008
By far the most outlandish of Montreal show that I’ve seen. At this point they had ramped up the crazy stage antics to an extreme, pushing the boundaries of absurdity and abrasiveness. It was the day after Halloween and tons of people (more than usual) were dressed up.


 

Needless to say, I am pretty excited to see a ($95k funded) rockumentary devoted to covering the music and antics of my all-time-favorite, cult-favorite band, throughout the exact timeperiod that I was (somewhat) a part of this bizarre "scene".  It is titled The Past is a Grotesque Animal.  and it is available this month!

Rose Windows - The Sun Dogs

Rose Windows - The Sun Dogs

While at the coffeeshop at which I often find myself working, I was unknowingly grooving to the background music, when I suddenly became aware of how much I was enjoying the tunes. Inquiring into the matter, the barista revealed that the band was Rose Windows, from right here in Seattle.   I added the band to my literal list of bands to check out, and it very soon has become my current top album.

They sound like elements of Jefferson Airplane mingled with occasional hints of The Doors: trippy Jim Morrison-esque lyrical imagery (try Native Dreams), and that background organ (very Doors-like).

The song This Shroud, sounds like Jefferson Airplane covering a song that Jim Morrison co-wrote with Tool. yeah... check that out. 

This band can rock some impressive electric guitar, electronic organ, and let’s not forget the flute, which all go quite well together into their impressive psychedelic rock revival. The vocals ain’t nothing to shake a stick at either.

I also happen to love the band name. I feel it is a great visual representation of their sound. Like some sorta  synesthesia induced image of the music, which sounds hazy like it is transposed through tinted glass.

Walkin’ With a Woman is a hauntingly beautiful song with a sick guitar solo. 

I love the flow of “The Sun Dogs II: Coda” and then those exquisite strings kick in about ½ way through and take it to a whole new level.

… just listen to the whole damn album.  It is impressive. It is solid.

And…Check out their excellent Live on KEXP set, below.

Happy Nirvana Day!

Today, April 10th, 2014, marks the inaugural Nirvana Day to be celebrated in Hoquiam, Washington, to honor Nirvana, who has roots in the area. Kurt Cobain was born in the next door city of Aberdeen and lived in Hoquiam for a brief period of time.

Today, April 10th, 2014, coincides with the day that Nirvana is being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Blue Sky Black Death - Glaciers

Blue Sky Black Death - Glaciers

While at Hilliard’s Brewery one night I was intrigued by the music that the barkeep was playing, so I inquired.  He was playing an album, Glaciers, from the Seattle-based duo Blue Sky Black Death. I have come to love this album, and it has found its way into heavy rotation lately. I highly recommend it. 

It is hard to describe, but I would say it is ambient…electronic-y… instrumental-ly, goodness. I would say they share some musical elements with Disclosure (electronic, repetitive, catchy, etc), so if you like them, then Blue Sky Black Death may interest you. One of the tracks features the interesting collaboration of Lotte Kestner, (also based in Seattle) who I saw at the TimBRRR! Music Festival. 

Their top Last.fm genre tags are: instrumental hip-hop, abstract hip-hop, electronic ..etc.  But whatever it is, I like it! It is good background music if you are working on something that you need to focus on, but want some musical motivation. 

[Their Wikipedia page for further info.]

Beck - Morning Phase

Beck - Morning Phase

Beck has released a new album, Morning Phase, which is supposed to be take off where Sea Change left off.  Beck has dabbled in genres all of the map and has been recreating himself and experimenting on every album, but Sea Change is by far my favorite, so I was very excited when I heard about the follow-up concept of Morning Phase.

Sea Change was a slow-motion flow of emotional and gloomy tracks of lazily-enunciated lyrics over incredibly beautiful orchestral soundscapes, accented with little sprites of treble that chime-in, providing little explosions of auditory hope. It is the perfect soundtrack for wallowing in melancholy and a goddamn masterpiece of depressing music with themes of heartbreak, desolation, solitude, and loneliness. Try Lost Cause, my favorite track from the album.

MorningPhase does well as pairing with Sea Change, starting immediately with the orchestral intro.  The 1^st track, Morning, sounds almost like rehashed replica of a track from Sea Change, with chimes, lazily strummed guitars, and strung-out mumbly lyrics. Even the cover art is similar, like a hazy aged homage reminiscent of Sea Change.

Sea Change

Overall I really like the album, and have been enjoying it. If you are hopeful (as I was) that this album can possibly live up to Sea Change, it will not let you down. As you well know, it couldn’t possibly surpass Sea Change, but it is a very nice addendum and a refreshing emulation, showing that a band can recreate a distinct (and critically acclaimed) sound 12 years later.

If you need a jumping-off-point I recommend :

Blue Moon
    or
Wave, which makes you feel as if you are a piece of flotsam floating alone in the ocean.

 But it’s all good and certainly worth a listen.

Karaoke

Last night I went out karaoke singing with some friends for the 1^st time ever.  I have always assumed this was an activity that I would not enjoy nor take part in, but the local talent wasn’t too intimidating, so I actually belted out a few tunes.

For my debut I chose Hey You by Pink Floyd, which I think was well received. And to solidify my rising-star status I later followed that up with an encore performance of  Levon by Sir Elton John.

It was fun. I hope that there is no actual video of my renditions, but below are 2 videos to represent what the performances should have sounded like.

Hey You from the incredible rock opera The Wall (movie).

And an excellent live version of Levon.

Cocorosie

While attending the TimBRRR! Festival I was discussing bands with some friends and they mentioned this bizarre sounding band, CocoRosie, to which I just shrugged my shoulders and said I had never heard of before. Since then, in the last month I have not only checked them out, but have become completely enthralled (somewhat obsessed) by CocoRosie.

This band is made up of two beautiful and fascinating sisters who compose crazy interesting music with influences all-over-the-map with noticeable influences/sounds from: dream pop, hip hop, folk, electronic, tribal, gypsy, cabaret, and opera, all blended into addictive craziness.  Some call their music “freak-folk”, which is a genre tag that I love. Say what you will about genres/tags, but I love that one: both the name and the music that falls under it.

I love their unique ‘sound’, bizarre antics, insane interviews, and their interesting music videos. I have been desperately trying to grasp what goes on inside their heads to produce the kind of music that they make, and to explain how they act, but the best explanation I can arrive at, is that their brains have been saturated in acid from an early age. Possibly they are legitimately "crazy", which is fine, or it is all an elaborate facade to drum up intrigue and publicity, in which case they are purely brilliant! Either way, its working.

Their Wikipedia page hints at some things that may have influenced them throughout their turbulent childhood. There is a short documentary on the freak-folk "movement", The Eternal Children, that features Cocorosie, Devendra Banhart, and Antony, which gives a brief look into their scene. (That documentary isn't that good, nor does it convince me that these few bands are really that related musically, but the Cocorosie parts are ok).

Cocorosie is not a new band (circa 2003). Their Album Grey Oceans was beginning for me, and is a fantastic album. Their newest album Tales of a GrassWidow, is also great. Its likely that there whole discography is worth a listen, if not all good.

Their songs range from hauntingly beautiful, to bizarrely intriguing, to crushingly depressing. The collage of sounds that they have cultivated to form their very unique musical style has a novelty that will no doubt keep you intrigued for quite some time. I know there is no escape for me.

Enjoy these two music videos: (both are likely NSFW)

Bonnaroo 2014 Lineup

The Bonnaroo 2014 Festival Lineup is out!

Here's my recommendations
Elton John: would be awesome
Jack White
Phoenix
The Flaming Lips: classic Bonnaroo spiritual experience and Bonnaroo favorite
Neutral Milk Hotel
Disclosure
The Head and the Heart
Broken Bells
Fitz and the Tantrums
Janelle Monae
ChVrches
Yonder Mountain String Band: Classic Bonnaroo Bluegrass experience
Washed Out
First Aid Kit
Those Darlins

Sasquatch 2014 Line-up 2x!

Sasquatch has released its line-up for BOTH of its 2014 festival weekends. Yes, that is correct, they split the festival into 2 weekends this year.

Weekend #1 :  Memorial Day Weekend,  May 23rd - 25th
Weekend #2 :  Fourth of July Weekend,   July 4th -6th

Clearer and MUCH larger versions of the Posters are below. 

The split has apparently pissed off everyone under the sun. Everyone has been complaining about the potential of diluting a great weekend into 2 mediocre (and 1 day shorter) weekends, and charging just as much (if not more). Yes they are a bunch of money-grubbin whores. And yes they are riding-out a cash cow.  But everyone still gets an awesome a festival weekend (or 2, if you so choose). Also it will likely be less crowded, since the festival has been getting very overcrowded recently. And lets face it, 4 days was a bit too much anyway: physically, mentally, emotionally, & spiritually. [you can almost hear my age here. but its true. 3 days is long enough for a music festival.]

Personally, I hated the split because it made buying pre-sale tickets a major gamble. The only good option was to buy BOTH, with the hopes of selling off 1 weekend's tickets if need be. I opted for buying none, not knowing what the future would hold, and knowing what my wallet currently holds (moths).


My picks 

Weekend 1
Returning good bands : Outkast
Mid-listers I would love to see: First Aid Kit, Tune-Yards, Panda Bear, Washed Out,
Bottom-listers: La Luz, Radiation City, The Lonely Forest,

Weekend 2
Returning good bands : Neutral Milk, Soundgarden
Mid-listers I would love to see: Broken Bells, Tegan and Sara, Local Natives, La Roux, Deltron 3030, Foxygen, Mac Demarco,
Bottom-listers: Chad Vangaalen, Kithkin


Anyway here are the line-ups. Both weekends are pretty solid. I think I'm leaning towards July though....? I'm looking forward to the HEAT!

Warning: the line-up posters are HUGE!!!

I would love to mix 'n match the line-ups into one really great festival, but oh well. I guarantee a great weekend no matter which weekend you choose.