Scott Hutchison, singer of Frightened Rabbit, had to feel eerily vindicated when, on Tuesday night at the Rhythm Room in Phoenix — miles and miles and at least one major ocean from his Scotland home — a venue full of fans sang back to him the chorus of the biting break-up song Keep Yourself Warm.
“You won’t find love in a, won’t find love in a hole / it takes more than fucking someone to keep yourself warm.”
Depression never sounded so cheerful. I imagine for Hutchison that moment – both corny and cathartic – being a tipping point in his career as a musician – here, a group of strangers banded together, telling ex-boyfriends and girlfriends near and far to, well, fuck off. And just like that, words he wrote out of desperation and loneliness became a rallying cry. Even if people weren’t singing it for their own well-being, surely they were doing it for Hutchison, whose ex’s ears probably were ringing somewhere. But, hey, without her we wouldn’t have this masterful album, The Midnight Organ Fight.
Below is a video clip of Keep Yourself Warm that I shot with my digital camera. It’s just the second half of the song, but it captures the mood and energy, I think. (Mike Pace of Oxford Collapse guests on guitar.)
We got a few pairs of tickets to giveaway for the upcoming Dear and The Headlights show. This is gonna be a great time. Kinch, Yellow Minute, Austin Gibbs & The States, The Constellation Branch and Kesset are all playing!!! Look for the show listing on our calendar and click on the link.
But hold your horses cuz indie retail will have a far superior version of the CD!
“Stay Positive”, released 7/15 will be packaged in a limited edition digipak and contain 3 bonus tracks: “Ask Her For Adderall”, “Cheyenne Sunrise”, and “Two Handed Handshake”. The LP version will contain the bonus track “Ask Her For Adderall”. These tracks will not be available anywhere else.
Get your lazy butt into the record store and buy this when it comes out!
My first (and only) experience of Devon Williams so far has been seeing him and his band open for Destroyer last month. Already, the Los Angeles-based Williams is turning around for his own tour, which stops back at the Rhythm Room on June 18. Get tickets ($7) here.
Because I’m leaving for Chicago that day, I’ll miss the show. And, to be honest, I haven’t even listened to Williams’ full-length Carefree (at eMusic). But I have listened to the infectious song Elevator many times over. Based on that alone, I’d say it would be worth checking out the show. (Although it’s one of a slew of worthwhile shows that day … RZA, Jimmy Eat World, Russian Circles, Times New Viking and that one dude named Tom Waits.)
I saw De La Soul multiple times in the group’s prime (once with A Tribe Called Quest and Souls of Mischief … unreal), and I fear a show like this could taint those memories. That’s not to say the group can’t still bring it, but it’s definitely not 1993 anymore, Toto.
Anyway, one of these weeks I’m going to have a De La Soul Remix Week. I have De La remixes left and right. Here’s one for ya.
If anything can illustrate Vampire Weekend’s ascent it’s the fact that the New York quartet is playing Tempe’s cavernous Marquee Theatre on Sept. 24, just more than a year after appearing at cozy Modified as an unsigned band.
Tickets ($19) go on sale Saturday. No opening act has been announced yet. Check Stateside Presents for more information.
Just a few weeks ago, I was marveling at Vampire Weekend’s ubiquity at our local shopping mall, where we heard a VW song in no less than three different stores. I don’t mean that as a backlash-fueled knock at all. I say good for them. Haters be damned.
Anyone who has read my blog knows that Source Victoria means more to me than the average band.
Now you have no reason to not listen to me: The band is offering its 2007 release, The Fast Escape, as a free download – with liner notes, album art and all (mp3s are 320 kbps, by the way) – until 11:59 p.m. May 2. The band plays Hollywood Alley on May 3.
Venture to sourcevictoria.net and click “take the fast escape” for a download of a zip file.
A little background on The Fast Escape: Chris Testa, who won three Grammys for his work on the Dixie Chicks’ The Long Way, mixed the record. (His other credits.)
Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World praised the band, and The Arizona Republicran a story about the free download.
When I posted about Traindead last month, the Phoenix threesome was in the recording/producing/mixing process of a new EP. They posted demos on MySpace but then took them down until final versions were finished – and it appears it was worth our wait.
The band just posted a polished track, Rail, for everyone to enjoy. Mmmmm, reverb. The EP itself is off to the presses. Looking forward to its arrival.
ELSEWHERE: Yeah, I caved and finally made a Muxtape. It’s a scattered (and totally unsequenced) mix of songs I’ve been enjoying in 2008. Listen to it here.
