Three Imaginary Girls - The Rapture

Free music! And no one has to be a terrorist!

Erik Gonzalez — Mon, 21 May 2007 19:48:40 +0000

TV on the Radio, The Liars, The Rapture, Broken Social Scene, the Raveonettes, Les Savy Fav and more!

It's like there's a party in my mouth, and everyone's invited!

Greatest Indie Anthems

imaginary liz — Thu, 03 May 2007 20:04:09 +0000

Just because it is now officially NME Thursday, how about we talk about the Greatest Indie Anthems ever... and what NME / Xfm and the general UK public think they are.

Best. Headline. Ever.

imaginary dana — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 22:59:42 +0000

The best headline I've possibly ever seen, brought to us by the amazing writers over at Tiny Mix Tapes: "Is that Santorum in your mouth or are you just happy that bands like Dinosaur Jr., The Rapture, and Man Man are playing Urban Outfitters in-store concerts?"

Major label debuts

Erik Gonzalez — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 07:00:00 +0000

8.6

tvontheradio06oct.jpg

TV on the Radio — "Return to Cookie Mountain" {8.6}
Buy it!
{Interscope}

DJ Shadow — "The Outsider" {6.3}
Buy it!
{Universal}

The Rapture — "Pieces of the People We Love" {8.2}
Buy it!
{Universal}

By Erik Gonzalez

In the never-ending battle between major and indie labels, much territory is lost and won over the course of a few years. Heck, after the reorganization of the big guns in the early 00's, it was supposed to be a golden era for the indie labels as the majors shed those bands that just never seem to live up to the jump from the little pond to the big ocean. However, somewhere along the way, the majors seem to have decided that, "Hey, maybe we want some career bands instead of another 1,000 Avril Lavigne and Simple Plan clones." So, as quick as you can say "…And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead" (OK, maybe that's not too quick), the majors have scooped up a pile of bands that made their name on stalwart indie labels like Touch & Go, DFA, and Mo!Wax, among others.

So, here we are. In case you missed it, September saw the release of three albums that were much-anticipated major label albums from some indie champions. However, considering the major labels care about the indie press as much as they might care about, well, the welfare of small green plants in Uganda, we tend not to get a lot of these types of releases... but it doesn't feel right to just, well, ignore them. So, I will sum up these three albums in one paragraph each, just to keep us all in the loop.

TV on the Radio: Return to Cookie Mountain

Sometimes you can tell from the first 30 seconds of an album that it's going to be great. That's entirely the case for TV on the Radio's Return to Cookie Mountain, where the deep beats, twisted horns, and falsetto harmonies of "I Was A Lover" open up into a fuzzed out utopia of sonic experimentation. TVOTR join Modest Mouse and Built to Spill as some of the few truly independent bands on a major label, not giving up an inch in their new home, as they continue to build songs out of the richly complex melodies and harmonies that have TVOTR the favorites of all the cool kids. Songs like "Playhouses," "Wolf Like Me," and "Wash the Day" exhibit the bands wall-of-sound, while quieter gems like "A Method" are rich with a musicality that could, in other people's hands, just sound like, well, bad college acapella. If there's anything that can truly be classified as indie "prog rock," TV on the Radio is the bellwether, taking a synthesize of electronic, rock, and anything they can get their hands on into a collage of remarkably depth and texture.

DJ Shadow: The Outsider

Okay, I have to admit it. DJ Shadow has jumped the shark. After nearly perfect pedigree with possibly the best album in the 1990's (Endtrouducing), you could almost feel that Shadow was due for a mistake, but The Outsider is beyond my wildest nightmares. Not that it's a bad album as such, but for a guy like DJ Shadow, it can, at times, seem appalling the same way something like Moby's Home album was completely inexcusable. It seems like DJ Shadow has fallen in love with krunk and he's not ashamed to show it, but its his attempts at straight rock like "Artifact" that stand out as wholly unpleasant. There are, actually, a few gems hidden in the noise, such as the hyphy barnburner "3 Freaks" with Keak da Sneak, the downright sinister "Seein Thangs" with a surprisingly menacing David Banner and the electro-krunk on "Turf Dancing" (maybe it's the Davis namedrop in it that made me notice it). What happened to DJ Shadow, that's my question? Is he really just a composite now like some people think of Shakespeare? The Outsider lacks the grander scope that DJ Shadow album are usually rich in, but maybe he just can't concentrate anymore. Whatever it is, I hope this is just a detour.

The Rapture: Pieces of the People We Love

We all like to dance. All right, maybe not all of us, but the Rapture sure do — even more now, even out of their safehaven at DFA Records. There seems to be a little more Talking Heads in the Rapture stew, along with a few songs produced by Danger Mouse (then again, what hasn't he produced this year and he even got away with sneaking some Cee-Lo into the title track). Luke Jenner sounds a less like Robert Smith on Pieces…, restraining his voice from the manic ups-and-downs that careened through Echoes, and it works quite well. Instead, we get a more focused Rapture that puts together an album that's is much more even than its predecessor. Songs like "Getting Myself Into It" are the most like the synth-pop that marked Echoes, but its on tracks like "Whoo! Alright – Yeah … Uh Huh" that the band hits their stride, making a nearly perfect dance song, right down to the title. Jenner seems to be channeling a soul diva when he sings people don't dance no more/they just stand ‘round like this/they cross their arms and stare you down/and drink and moan and piss and you know that the Rapture, if given the opportunity, would kick all those hipsters arses that just feel too cool to dance the night away.

CD reviews of three indie acts — TV on the Radio, DJ Shadow, and The Rapture — who have just released their debuts on major labels, with varying results.

Best of 2003: Your #1 Album Picks of the Year

three imaginary girls — Sat, 03 Jan 2004 08:00:00 +0000

Although some folks couldn't rank their lists {igChar}... which is fine... you know... if you just can't bear to proclaim to the world, "THIS WAS THE BEST FUCKING ALBUM OF THE YEAR!!!" but some of us could. And albums that have such an exclamation bestowed on them deserve a special note. So here they are... the albums that our voters deemed "THE BEST FUCKING ALBUM OF THE YEAR!"

These albums all received at least one #1 vote:

Outkast, "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below" *
The Postal Service, "Give Up" *
Radiohead, "Hail To The Thief" *
The Strokes, "Room On Fire" *
The White Stripes, "Elephant" *
Wonderful, "God Bless Our Pad" *
Audioslave, "Audioslave"
The Bad Plus "These are the Vistas"
Belle & Sebastian, "Dear Catastrophe Waitress"
British Sea Power, "Decline of British Sea Power"
Broadcast "Haha Sound"
Cat Power, "You Are Free
Coil, "The Key to Joy is Disobedience (limited box set)"
Crooked Fingers, "Red Devil Dawn"
Dead Meadow, "Shivering King and Others"
The Dears, "No Cities Left"
The Decemberists, "Castaways and Cutouts"
The Delgados, "Hate"
The Divorce, "There Will Be Blood Tonight"
The Drive-By Truckers, "Decoration Day"
Eddie Izzard, "Circle (live)"
The Flaming Lips, "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots"
Four Tet, "Rounds"
Holopaw, "Holopaw"
Idlewild, "The Remote Part"
Kaito, "Band-Red"
Led Zeppelin, DVD {This voter explains, "No album release came close to the monumental Zeppelin DVD package"}
The Long Winters, "When I Pretend To Fall"
The Malinks, "Can't Shake Last Night"
The Mars Volta, "De-Loused in the Comatorium"
Martina Topley-Bird, Quixotic"
Mogwai, "Happy Songs for Happy People"
Mojave 3, "Spoon & Rafter"
Nada Surf , "Let Go"
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, "Nocturama"
The Primate Five, "1234567APE"
The Rapture, "Echoes"
The Shins, "Chutes Too Narrow"
Sleepy Jackson, "Lovers"
Sloan, "Action Pact"
Smog, "Supper"
Ted Leo and The Pharmacists, "Hearts of Oak"
The Thermals, "More Parts Per Million"
Triple R, "Friends"
Twilight Singers, "Blackberry Belle"
Visqueen, "King Me"
The Wrens, "The Meadowlands"

* Denotes more than one #1 rating received.

return to the full 2003 recap

Best of 2003: Top 100 Imaginary Albums of the Year

three imaginary girls — Sat, 03 Jan 2004 08:00:00 +0000

You voted, and we tabulated. Now you can print and clip the top 100 imaginary albums of the year list for your post-holiday-gift-certificate shopping pleasure...

The Postal Service, "Give Up"
The Shins, "Chutes Too Narrow"
Death Cab for Cutie, "Transatlanticism"
Radiohead, "Hail To The Thief"
Outkast, "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below"
The White Stripes, "Elephant"
The Long Winters, "When I Pretend To Fall"
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Fever to Tell"
The New Pornographers, "Electric Version"
The Decemberists, "Her Majesty, the Decemberists"
The Strokes, "Room On Fire"
The Wrens, "The Meadowlands"
The Divorce, "There Will Be Blood Tonight"
Ted Leo and The Pharmacists, "Hearts of Oak"
Nada Surf, "Let Go"
Visqueen, "King Me"
Idlewild, "The Remote Part"
Junior Senior, "D-D-Don't Don't Stop the Beat"
Cat Power, "You Are Free
Belle & Sebastian, "Dear Catastrophe Waitress"
The Rapture, "Echoes"
The Darkness, "Permission to Land"
The Thermals, "More Parts Per Million"
The Dandy Warhols, "Welcome To The Monkey House"
The Lights, "Beautiful Bird"
Stellastarr*, "Stellastarr*"
Various Artists, "Lost in Translation" Soundtrack
Massive Attack, "100th Window"
The Mars Volta, "De-Loused in the Comatorium"
Wonderful, "God Bless Our Pad"
British Sea Power, "Decline of British Sea Power"
The Delgados, "Hate"
Jayhawks, "Rainy Day Music"
Los Halos, "Leaving Va."
Mogwai, "Happy Songs for Happy People"
My Morning Jacket, "It Still Moves"
The Aislers Set, "How I Learned to Write Backwards"
The Thrills, "So Much for the City"
Kaito, "Band-Red"
Basement Jaxx, "Kish Kash"
Gillian Welch, "Soul Journey"
Grandaddy, "Sumday"
The Decemberists, "Castaways and Cutouts"
Twilight Singers, "Blackberry Belle"
Sun Kil Moon, "Ghosts of the Great Highway"
American Analog Set, "Promise of Love"
Damien Jurado, "Where Shall You Take Me?"
The Hidden Cameras,"The Smell Of Their Own"
Cursive, "The Ugly Organ"
Clearlake, "Cedars"
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, "Take Them On, On Your Own"
Mojave 3, "Spoon & Rafter"
Rufus Wainwright, "Want One"
Calexico, "Feast of Wire"
Crooked Fingers, "Red Devil Dawn"
Sleepy Jackson, "Lovers"
Fountains Of Wayne, "Welcome Interstate Managers"
Manitoba, "Up in Flames"
Pretty Girls Make Graves, "New Romance"
Andrew Bird, "Weather Systems"
Johnny Cash, "Unearthed"
The Libertines, "Up the Bracket"
The Paybacks, "Knock Loud"
Broadcast "Haha Sound"
Deerhoof, "Apple 'O"
Menomena, "I Am the Fun Blame Monster!"
Fanny Pack,"So Stylistic"
Jet, "Get Born"
Kinky, "Atlas"
The Notwist, "Neon Golden"
Broken Social Scene, "You Forgot It In People"
Ed Harcourt, "From Every Sphere"
Exploding Hearts, "Guitar Romantic"
The Kills, "Keep On Your Mean Side"
Blur, "Think Tank"
Four Tet, "Rounds"
Kings of Leon, "Youth & Young Manhood"
The Drive-By Truckers, "Decoration Day"
The Minus 5, "Down With Wilco"
The Orb, "Bicycles and Tricycles"
Downpilot, "Leaving Not Arriving"
Longwave, "The Strangest Things"
Okkervil River, "Down the River of Golden Dreams"
The Malinks, "Can't Shake Last Night"
The Stills, "Logic Will Break Your Heart"
United State of Electronica, "Demo"
Guided By Voices, "Earthquake Glue"
Anna Oxygen, "All Your Faded Things"
Beth Gibbons & Rustin' Man "Out of Season"
Dead Meadow, "Shivering King and Others"
Martina Topley-Bird, Quixotic"
Rachel's, "Systems/Layers"
The Fitness,"Call Me for Together"
The Primate Five, "1234567APE"
Triple R, "Friends"
Holopaw, "Holopaw"
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, "Nocturama"
Smog, "Supper"
The Bad Plus, "These are the Vistas"
The Gossip,"Movement"

A list of the top 100 records of 2003 as voted on by you, our fabulous imaginary readers.

The Rapture, with Beans and Out Hud

Michael X — Wed, 12 Nov 2003 08:00:00 +0000

11 Nov 2003

outhud.jpg

The last time Out Hud came to town I didn't see them, and my friends have not let me forget it ever since. So I vowed that nothing could keep me away the next time they graced our fair city. Because the world's current favorite band The Rapture was headlining the show, I arrived early to prevent something as petty as a sellout keeping me from my destiny.

Opening act, Beans (from Anti-Pop Consortium) was probably fine and good, but I walked in just in time to see him put on his own album and rap over himself, which I always find absolutely inexcusable. So after half a song, I retreated to the bar to wait him out...

Fortunately, just as quickly and automatically as they took to the stage, Out Hud brought exactly the bootylicious sound that was promised, immediately cleansing my palette of Beans' offense. Mixing indie rock progression with hard-driving electronic beats, they produced danceable music that is still haunting. Maintaining unnaturally high energy throughout, they somehow forced a reaction from the crowd that I'm not sure I remember ever seeing in Seattle before: dancing. That's right; for every minute of the jarringly short 35-minute set, the entire main floor writhed and undulated and just let loose right along with Out Hud.

Searching for the secret of their success, I realized that what set them apart from a more traditional electronic band was that instead of using buttons for atmosphere, they used actual instruments. Driven almost entirely by the DJ and the bass guitar, Out Hud fills the stage with keyboards, guitars, and even a cello, all of which chime in from time to time (creating depths to the music best appreciated at home alone), but mainly serve to populate the stage with dancers that add to the live feel. To inspire the last four people standing still, one of the members even jumped off the stage and danced through the crowd, acting as Boogie Patrol, enthusiastically promoting ass-shaking . After the best workout of the year, I was in such a good mood (go endorphins!) that I was prepared to enjoy even The Rapture.

The only things I knew about New York's The Rapture before this show were that a) they are actually from San Francisco but moved to NYC so they could say they were from there, and that b) according to the show poster, the New York Times Magazine has hailed them as the "Sound of New York City Circa 2003." These two facts were nothing if not discouraging, so it took all of my strength to keep my itchy opinion finger from leading me right out the door to make up something bad about the band. Unfortunately, the following three things happened in rapid succession:

After Out Hud finished, the assembled crowd of happy-go-lucky danceaholics left en masse and was immediately replaced by what I affectionately refer to as "Hipster Assholes" (which I do not feel bad at all about holding against the band, thankyouverymuch).
After the stage was set up, the lights went out, and we all sat silently waiting for over five minutes for the band to grace the stage, to remind us all that, even though the World of Commercial Success cannot spell their name, The Rapture are rock stars.
When they finally got on stage, they played a song that sucked. Littered with forced atonality and flat vocals, they completely lacked the Shock and Awe that someone like The Cure (or any other band who can get away with the dark and silent stage approach) might inspire.

I believe firmly in the Three Strikes And You're Out approach to music appreciation, so at that point I had nothing left to gain. I took what was left of my Out Hud-induced high and danced all the way home.

The last time Out Hud came to town I didn't see them, and my friends have not let me forget it ever since.