Three Imaginary Girls - A.C. Newman

This Friday 4/23: New Pornographers, TBTL, Arrested Development Trivia, prizes, and more{!} at Neptune Coffee

imaginary liz — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 05:16:42 +0000

Three Imaginary Girls is excited to present a very special GET TOGETHER to have a sneak listen to the brand new NOT YET RELEASED album from the New Pornographers on Friday, April 23 at Neptune Coffee (at 8415 Greenwood Ave N.) from 6p-7:30p. The evening is free.

Besides getting to hear the newest release by the critically-acclaimed New Pornographers in its entirety well before the release date (which is May 4 on Matador Records), this happiest of hour event will have 21+ drink specials (thanks PBR!) and a bucket of amazing giveaways such as pair of one-day tickets to Sasquatch for Monday 5/31 (the day the New Pornographers will take the stage) and various New Pornographers objects like posters, pretty pretty vinyl and the like.

A.C. Newman & Dent May Pop Into Neumo's

Imaginary Shrie — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:31:08 +0000

21 Feb 2009

acnewman09feb.jpg

A.C. Newman's new release Get Guilty is chock full o' pop, and brilliant, well-produced pleasing pop at that. Touring in support of Get Guilty, A.C. Newman brought his band and the cheeky, but charming, Dent May & his Magnificent Ukulele to Neumo's on Saturday February 21st.

Dent May wowed Animal Collective during their time in ol' Mississip while they were recording the MUCH lauded Merriweather Post Pavilion and AC snatched him up for their own imprint, Paw Tracks. Dent May's own particular brand of music includes a ukulele, which is his sole instrument. His breezy doo-wop charm is reminiscent of Elvis Costello, but with the multi-instrumental sensibility of Beirut. Dent May, and his non-ukulele playing backing band, would be equally at home opening for an early Buddy Holly or hittin' up the surf with the Beach Boys.

Only days before the A.C. Newman show I had pretty much professed my love for his enchanting lyrics and steady production style, so I was pretty psyched to experience this pop pioneer in person. Neumo's was crowded and people really seemed to anticipate the performance , previously being endeared by Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele. True to the album format, they played "There Are Maybe Ten or Twelve" right off the bat, already having more bang for the buck than is present on the album. Their sound was ballsier, more rock and a wee less pop. The crowd just seemed lukewarm only a few songs into the show and I felt the slight disinterest as well. The songs sounded great.. they performed well.. but the performance seemed to lack a little punch and brightness.

One of my album highlights, "Like A Hitman, Like A Dancer" came up third and was the strongest of the show. Live, they achieved the popping, spare, and slightly more brusque sound of that song well, much more akin to the album version than a lot of the live songs.

The plethora of people and instruments on stage created a full warm sound though, which I think was totally appropriate and needed in order to experience his songs live as they sound on the record. "Heartbreak Slides" was also a show highlight, fleshed out with tambourine, electric guitar, violin and the instrument that is his calling chorus, "Yo ho!".

Like I've said before, I love the album. I think A.C. Newman makes pretty smart and likable music, even if you're well-versed in the art of crafting pop songs. As far as my excitement for the album translating to my excitement seeing them live, there is just a *tad* left to be desired. I hope to see A.C. Newman again in the near future, but I'll just go into that experience with a little less anticipation and a little more knowledge about the difference between his albums and his live show.

Touring in support of Get Guilty, A.C. Newman brought his band and the cheeky, but charming, Dent May & his Magnificent Ukulele to Neumo's on Saturday February 21st.

Get Guilty

Imaginary Shrie — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 21:38:42 +0000

7.5

http://www.google.com/url?sa=U&start=1&q=http://www.amazon.com/Get-Guilty-C-Newman/dp/B001MW0J0Q&ei=PCGfSanRGImQtQPb5eTCCQ&usg=AFQjCNGcJuYgr1w04iwdX_ls0D_jTv_QhA

get guilty.jpg

It's easy to hear A.C. Newman's stamp on the New Pornographers. Neko Case and Dan Bejar are both chock full of musical personality and style, but the songwriting is all Newman. Unlike Case and Bejar, Newman doesn't project his quirkiness. Instead he writes fucking poppy ass hooks that stick to your gills, then lets his pristine production and arrangements do the talking. A.C. Newman's solo work is almost formulaic and dependable, but I can't help but believe that it's because he just has an indelible knack for this pop stuff and a whip-smart approach to production. On Newman's second solo work Get Guilty, after 2004's The Slow Wonder, he ladles on the sun-kissed baroque pop goodness.

This album is thick with great lyrics, but there is an overall ambiguity to them. Banging to a start, "There Are Maybe Ten or Twelve" enters with deep broad chimes and an elusive first line of "Make of that what you will". Layering on the vague, the album's single "The Palace at 4 a.m." professes that there is "no pushing words around", among other equally mysterious allusions. Even on the strong "Heartbreak Ride" he masters a non-word chorus, "Yo-ho", into an empowering shout of sustenance, using the sound and rhythm of the words as an instrument. Strings of cerebral quips are matched by drum slaps and horn flourishes as the main attraction, sharing the stage and both contributing equally.

"Like A Hitman, Like A Dancer" is perhaps the most spare and jagged track on the album, most certainly rougher and less contained at least, evoking more indie rock than pop. Once again, Newman's vocal outpourings resemble more of an instrument. The way that some phrases are broken at odd intervals to accentuate the rhyming sounds so easily done, but yet very purposeful and in reality, probably not as easy as it seems. The last track, "All Of My Days & All Of My Days Off" was the first song I heard, and I mistakenly took it for a New Pornographers song. That aside, the chorus is the catchiest on the record, brimming with a battery of Newman hooks and the sweet tweets of Nicole Atkins and Kori Gardner Hammel from Mates of State. Jon Wurster, of Superchunk, also guest drums on this album, instilling needed pep with his punchy bass drum kicks.

Get Guilty is such a gem of a pop album; perfectly crafted, catchy, densely layered without feeling lavish... yet it still feels a little too nice and warm. Towards the back half of the album, the songs get a little less catchy and a little more blah (with the exception of "All Of My Days & All Of My Days Off") but the overall intensity and on-target execution makes those few tracks easier to overlook. I've heard this album done, though not done this well, and it's just not jumping out at me as much as it should. I suspect this is a lengthy listener, an "it grows on you" album. I'll surely find out... as I can't get A.C. Newman's sweet, and oh so pitch-perfect, croon out of my head.

This album is thick with great lyrics, but there is an overall ambiguity to them.

It's gonna be a fun Saturday night - what's your plan of attack?

imaginary liz — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 18:15:45 +0000

We hope you will join us at the Moe Bar between 7p and 9p for the FREE Dark Was The Night listening party and then you can follow me over to the Jared Mees show at the Comet Tavern.

Win tickets to see AC Newman at Neumo's (we got another pair to give away)

imaginary liz — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 06:21:21 +0000

A.C. Newman is going to be at Neumo's on Saturday, February 21 with Dent May & His Magnificent Ukelele starting the night off and we've got *another* pair of tickets to giveaway to one lucky imaginary reader.

Win tickets to see AC Newman at Neumo's (or at least watch this neat duet with Will Sheff)

three imaginary girls — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 16:39:15 +0000

A.C. Newman is going to be at Neumo's on Saturday, February 21 with Dent May & His Magnificent Ukelele starting the night off and we've got a pair of tickets to giveaway to one lucky imaginary reader.