Looking Ahead in 2008
It’s been a bit of a challenge to get back into the swing of things following the holiday break. My mind is still stuck somewhere 400 miles north in Vermont (with all the snow), while my physical self is back in equally as frigid Philadelphia. Starting off with the first post of the New Year, I wanted to follow up the previous post about bands we are excited about in 2008 by featuring a few more.
Bringing thoughts of sunny days by the beach and sipping on summery drinks, WHITE SHOES AND THE COUPLES COMPANY are a blast of tropical warmth for our recent cold snap here in the Northeast. Nghia recently refreshed my memory about the Jakarta six-piece, and rightfully so as their brand of “Love Boat” twee is right in line with his personal tastes. Swinging and upbeat, White Shoes songs are infused with classical jazz, a hint of bossa nova, and “doo doos” that you can’t help smiling about.
On the heels of the October U.S. release of their 2005 debut album, White Shoes will be making the trek from Indonesia to the States to play SXSW (hard to believe that clusterfuck is just over two months away) in March, so expect to be hearing a lot more about the band while they’re over here. Check out “Aksi Kucing” below and pick up their self-titled long player and Skenario Masu Muda EP.
[MP3]: White Shoes and the Couples Company ”Aksi Kucing”
Skenario Masu Muda EP, Aksara Records; 2007
HIGH PLACES (pictured) were one of the featured acts at our final FRICTION show of 2007 and one of the bands I’m expecting to hear a lot more from this year. Warm tropical/tribal grooves, metallic drums, and other instrumental textures bury Mary Pearson’s ethereal vocals like a 4AD haze. The Brooklyn duo, rounded out by Rob Barber continues to charm audiences with their danceable live show and unique sound. High Places are currently busy in the studio working on various projects, including that full-length we’ve been anticipating. For those of you on the West Coast, High Places will be bringing some of their Brooklyn charisma your way with dates at the end of January. Check their MySpace page for details.
[MP3]: High Places ”Shared Islands”
David Horvitz Picture Disc; 2007
Kicking it since 2001 and now a duo consisting of Andrew Thiboldeaux and Chris Ward, Philadelphia’s PATTERN IS MOVEMENT has recently been putting the finishing touches on their yet unnamed third full-length (produced by Scott Solter – Spoon, Mountain Goats, John Vanderslice). The band had a pretty busy autumn playing with acts like Dan Deacon, So Many Dynamos, and (Hometapes labelmates) Slaraffenland and are going to be touring again in the early spring, following a play at Gothamist’s 5-year Anniversary party on February 15th.
Both Thiboldeaux and Ward have a background in classical music, which can be heard throughout their catalog and in the violens of “Right Away” below. “Complex polyrhythms are set to a hip-hop backbeat, concocting a wild brand of math rock that you don’t need a degree to understand. A complicated rush of well-played instruments and hypnotic vocals keep a straight narrative, making songs that listen like short dreams you curse for ending too soon.” Watch for their new record on Hometapes early this year.
[MP3]: Pattern is Movement ”Right Away”
Right Away EP, Hometapes; 2007
“their brand of “Love Boat” twee is right in line with his personal tastes”? you don’t know me wigga.