Three Imaginary Girls - Art Brut

Art Brut show canceled tonight

ChrisB — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:50:58 +0000

Well, this really sucks.

I just read on Neumos Twitter feed that tonight's Art Brut show is canceled due to illness. Refunds are available at point of purchase.

Fortunately, there are a lot of other things to do tonight (like The Rumble at the Crocodile, which is free, or Beardo, if you're willing to brave the Mickey Avalon audience).

Apologies and well-wishes.

Win tickets to see Art Brut

ChrisB — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:16:42 +0000

The staff at TIG doesn't agree on many bands, but the closest we ever come to reaching consensus seems to be on Art Brut. Whether it's singer Eddie Argos' unique style of singing (which is neither irony, nor rock and roll) and hilarious lyrics or the kick-ass rock band behind him, most of us here seem to love Art Brut.

Even better: Art Brut is coming back to Seattle to once again rock Neumos next Monday night (November 2) - and we get to send a lucky TIG reader to rock out with both us and Art Brut. If you want to be said lucky reader, just e-mail us at tig@threeimaginarygirls.com before 9am on Friday, October 30 with "AlcoholicsUnanimous" in the subject line (also, please be 21 or older) and we'll draw someone's name at random and notify them shortly thereafter.

Glam Chops the movie? It's not irony...

ChrisB — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 19:31:03 +0000

When I interviewed Eddie Argos of Art Brut a few weeks ago, we talked briefly about another band he's in, Glam Chops.

They're, if you couldn't tell by the name, a glam rock band - and they just filmed a movie and are starting to screen it (it doesn't have an IMDB entry yet). The description of the film, from the trailer's page on YouTube says:

If you thought Glam Rock died in the 1970s then let me introduce you to Glam Chops. Lead Singer Eddie sees the band as light relief but Bassist Paul takes wearing a catsuit seriously. Follow Glam Chops as they prepare for the gig that could make them or break them...

You can watch the trailer here. I think it looks hilarious.

Imaginary Interview: Art Brut

ChrisB — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 05:12:37 +0000

Art Brut could very well be one the few bands that Imaginary Dana, Imaginary Liz and I agree on. Both live and on Memorex, they are one of the most enjoyable bands to listen to. Lead singer Eddie Argos doesn’t so much sing as wax poetically over punk rock instrumentation about varying topics, from working crappy jobs, to wanting to be in a band, to unrequited loves and everything in between.

The band’s latest album, which just came out in April, Art Brut vs. Satan has the band taking on the prince of evil, but, As Argos sings, “don’t worry; [they] can take him”. It’s a fantastic record that continues with the same clever and funny lyrics the band has built their reputation on. My favorite songs on the album deal with being a music fan, with “Demons Out” having Argos declaring in exasperation “The record buying public shouldn’t be voting” because “how can you sleep at night when nobody likes the music we like” and “The Replacements”, where he discovers his new favorite band.

Art Brut is currently on a tour of the US and played a completely entertaining set to a packed crowd last Saturday night as part of the Noise for the Needy festival. Just a few hours before that set, Eddie Argos sat down with me in Art Brut’s green room at Neumo’s to talk about working with Pixies frontman Frank Black, touring and when we can hope to see Art Brut back in Seattle again.

How was recording Art Brut vs. Satan different than Bang, Bang Rock and Roll and It’s a Bit Complicated?

With the first one, we were at our jobs still, so we were in studio at separate times and didn’t see each other the whole time and that I thought that was kind of weird. On the second album, we tried to make a pop album and were tracking it individually as well, but we realized we’re a punk band and wanted to do this album live for the first time and went into a room and bashed it out and pressed record and often went with the first take.

And how did you reach the decision that Frank Black was the right person for this album?

It was bits and pieces, really. Our songs are true stories and I wanted to do them once or twice and record them because you’ll lose that sincerity if you do that again and again and again. After we realized we wanted to do that we asked “who is the expert at doing that?” and came up with Frank Black because that’s how he did all of the (Frank Black and the) Catholics’ albums. And also, he’s cool and we wanted to hang out with him. (laughs) “What excuse could we use to hire Frank Black?” And then he said that he liked us, so we signed him up.

And then you flew to the US to record it with him?

Yeah, in Salem, in Oregon; we flew into Seattle actually before going to Oregon.

Did I read correctly that you recorded the album in just ten days?

Yeah, I thought we had two weeks but the last four days were for mixing. [Black] kind of tricked us because we thought we were making some rough mixes and he was like “no, no, no, that’s the version”.

I really like the final result, which does have a similar feel to some of his Catholics records, which I’m also a big fan of, as well as some of his Black Francis solo albums I’ve really loved.

He’s really prolific, isn’t he? Do you have his Grand Duchy record (the band he started with his wife, Violet Clark)?

No, I haven’t gotten it yet. I need to pick it up soon.

It’s really good. I really like it.

A minute ago you said that Art Brut’s songs are true stories. Some of the lyrics seem almost random but still really clever and funny. How do you come up with these ideas?

I just kind of save lyrics in my phone all day and then when I get home at night I write them in my notebook and then when I go to write songs, I go through my notebook. For something like “Summer Job”, I’ll think about how I had a lot of summer jobs and think “what was interesting about that” and then I’ll write about the interesting bits. And that’s it.

Right. I love some of the lyrics on this album like how used CDs are cheaper but reissue CDs have more songs.

Yeah, that’s on “The Replacements” song.

Right. And is it also true that you really just started listening to The Replacements?

Yeah, that’s right. Look, I’m reading a book about them, I have it here in my bag (shows me a hardcover copy of Jim Walsh’s oral history of The Replacements, All Over But the Shouting).

Replacements fans are really cool. I get e-mails from them because of that song and like in Chicago they’ll bring me like five different Replacements bootlegs, but I really am just discovering them. It’s really cool because I get to talk about The Replacements with them and they’re all really cool fellows. We get to hang out and have a beer and talk about The Replacements, it’s really cool.

How’s the tour going so far?

It’s going well, yeah. We did this thing, here it’s just a one-off, but in New York and Chicago we played five nights in a row; five nights at the Mercury Lounge (in New York) and five nights at Schuba’s (in Chicago). I was worried that it wouldn’t be fun, but actually it is loads of fun playing five nights in a row.

I think Seattle is getting screwed with New York and Chicago getting five straight nights of Art Brut and Los Angeles getting four and we only have one.

I would love to do four or five nights here. Maybe next time we can. I’ve had people in Seattle messaging me all day about this show. We played Bumbershoot (in 2007) before and we really love playing in Seattle.

And the last time you played in Seattle was on the campus of the University of Washington.

Yeah, with The Hold Steady and The Blood Arm.

Yeah, exactly, I remember my apartment being broken into that same morning but I still wouldn’t have missed that show.

We did very nearly miss it overselves but just made it in time.

You also can’t drink on the campus and all three bands, us, The Hold Steady and The Blood Arm are drinking bands (laughs) and all three of us were sober.

Here (at Neumo’s) they are very insistent on making sure there is no alcohol on stage.

I understand with it being all-ages.

But they do it for 21+ shows, too. It’s a state liquor law.

It’s okay; I can go an hour without drinking. (laughs)

What is tonight’s show going to be like?

It’s sort of weird because we’re only playing the one show and have to condense five nights into one night. It should be pretty fun.

What else are you working on now? I thought that I read you had a few songs you had written while making Art Brut vs. Satan...

We recorded some stuff and they’ll probably end up as b-sides. We’re going to sort it out when we get home and practice some of them during soundcheck. We couldn’t here because we arrived late.

And you’ve got a few more dates here in the US before going home?

Yeah, and then we’re playing festivals, but those are mostly on weekends.

And they’re all in Europe?

There’s one in Chicago called the Green Festival. They’re all really fun because every day it’s a different schedule. We’re playing Glastonbury in the UK, which we’re really excited about. We’re playing the second stage this time.

Have you played it before?

Yeah, we played the John Peel Stage three or four years ago and were invited again this year. We thought there was a glass ceiling with that stage but they asked us to play the second stage, which is a much bigger stage and we’re really excited about it.

I’ve always wanted to go to Glastonbury because they always have the strongest lineups for any festival.

If the weather is really nice, it’s great but if it’s muddy, it’s awful. I went in 1997 and they had such a great lineup. It was Bob Dylan, Nick Cave, Sonic Youth and Pulp all in a row. That’s a pretty good lineup, isn’t it?

Oh definitely, it’s a fantastic bill.

I was right up front and on the telly and you could see my face in the front row staring up at the stage.

Was that part of what made you want to become a musician?

Oh I always wanted to be in a band; I can’t remember not. (laughs)

I was wondering if there would be a third Art Brut record because you had a few other bands that you formed.

I’ve got two other bands, one is with my girlfriend and we have an album coming out, it’s Everybody Was in the French Resistance…Now and that record is coming out in January. We actually recorded that album before the Art Brut record but the Art Brut record came out first. Art Brut really is my life. I’ve also got a band called Glam Chops, which is a glam band.

Are there plans for Art Brut to come back to Seattle soon?

Yeah, we’re hoping to, maybe in August or September. Our booker lives in Chicago and we saw him yesterday. We’re definitely going to be back in the fall at some point.

I hope that you can fit in another stop in Seattle then.

Yeah, me too. I love it in Seattle.

artbrut.jpg

Art Brut vs. Satan

Andrew Marques — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:39:38 +0000

7.5

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001UGISGQ/?tag=wwwthreeimagi-20

ArtBrut09.jpg

The primary complaint I’ve been hearing against Art Brut’s new album, Art Brut vs. Satan, is that it’s not as fantastic as their debut album but merely “good” or “great.” Art Brut is a fantastic band and even their weakest material is head and shoulders above most other bands out there today.

Bang Bang Rock And Roll was solid gold, a witty mixture of Post-Punk musicality and rock deconstructing lyrics. The follow up album, It’s A Bit Complicated wasn’t gold, but it was still shiny. This latest release is also shiny and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Art Brut is witty and genuinely fun, something that feels rare in the musical world these days. Their music is post-punky guitar Rock with strong pop hooks, which on its own would be OK, but it’s front man Eddie Argos who gives Art Brut its character. I don’t know quite where to begin with this man. For one thing, he’s one of the greatest front men I’ve ever seen in my life. I still look back on the Art Brut show at Bumbershoot 2007 as one of the highlights of that year. Not just the festival, the year. This is because Argos has charisma pouring out of his being, I don’t know where it comes from, probably his nostrils—that’s where most people hide their charisma, right? At one point in the show he dove into the audience to dance with them, taking the microphone with him so he could still sing.

Another thing that makes Art Brut so great is their lyrics. I’ve rarely encountered such perfect deconstruction of rock music in the form of rock music. It’s too perfect for words, but I’ll give it a go. On their first album, Art Brut penned an interesting song about sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll, while simultaneously singing about how sex and drugs and rock ‘n roll are boring subject matter for a song. The kicker is that the song was actually really fun.

Art Brut songs are strangely matter of fact and even sometimes completely banal, while still being fun, engaging songs. How do they do this? An example of this from Art Brut vs. Satan is “The Passenger,” which happens to be about how much Argos loves public transportation and “DC Comics and Chocolate Milkshake” which is about, well, you get the idea.

The thing I’m most concerned about with this album is that Argos seems to be spying on my thoughts. Not all the songs are direct windows into my head, but enough of them are to give me pause. Example one: “DC Comics And Chocolate Milkshake” I love both DC Comics and Chocolate Milkshakes (though I can’t drink the damn things without becoming ill.) Example two: “Slap Dash For No Cash” I don’t understand why everyone wants to sound like U2. Example three: “The Replacements” I also just discovered The Replacements and am wondering why it took me so long to get around to this. Sure it’s hardly a life tapestry, but after hearing this album I’m wondering if Argos and I might get along if I were to randomly meet him in a comic book shop or record store.

Not that I identify with everything. Alcohol gets Argos into several sticky situations on this album, from the fast paced opener “Alcoholics Unanimous” to the one night stand hangover party of “What A Rush” to the albums lugubriously long (at seven minutes) closer “Mysterious Bruises.” I listen to Argos sing these songs and really start to wonder if alcoholism is as fun as he’s making it out to be… oh wait, from the sound of the things he’s saying, it sucks. I recommend this album. It’s a fun ride, and it stands up there with the rest of Art Brut’s albums. If you like them already, or are looking for something refreshingly matter of fact, this album is for you.

Noise for the Needy choice for Saturday: Art Brut at Neumo's

Imaginary Mimi — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:16:16 +0000

Hey kids, do you like sleazy little mustaches, argyle vests, and lyrics followed by exclamation points? Do you like songs about erectile dysfunction, alcoholism, and modern art? Does Eddie Argos make you want to rock out (AAAAAAAAAAGH!)?

If you have answered yes to any of these questions, come check out Art Brut as they play the Noise for the Needy Benefit this weekend.

Ready Seattle?

They're playing! At Neumo's! On 6/13! (now repeat this 4 times to yourself)

Tickets! Are! 13 dollars!

All! Ages! Bar with ID!

Miike Snow! Opening Act!

Miike Snow is tingly, electro-ey Brittish pop that sounds like what catching snowflakes on your tongue feels like. They will be an interesting compliment to the glorious racket that is Art Brut.

See you there. (I am officially exclamation point-ed out.)

Win tickets to see Art Brut this Saturday

imaginary keenan — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 22:54:21 +0000

Other bands went and other bands came, and we still can't get over Art Brut. Luckily, they're coming back to Seattle this Saturday, June 13th at Neumo's as a part of the Noise for the Needy festival! And, to sweeten the punch even more, we have tickets to give away! That's right, you and a friend can go see Eddie Argos and co for free!

Just e-mail tig@threeimaginarygirls.com by Friday at 9am with the subject line "ArtBrutus", and make sure to include your full name, especially if your e-mail address is something like emilykane@iheartartbrut.com.

Check out this video from Bumbershoot 2007, and wait til the rant about Jay-Z in the middle to see what you might be in for!

New Art Brut video: "Alcoholics Unanimous"

ChrisB — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:49:38 +0000

One of the albums I've been most anxious for this spring is Art Brut's Black Francis-produced Art Brut vs. Satan, which finally hits record stores today. The band just released a video to the first single "Alcoholics Unanimous".

Art Brut's T-Mobile Commercial

ChrisB — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 19:44:26 +0000

I spent all morning trying to find an embeddable (is that even a word?) version of Art Brut's T-Mobile commerical that aired during the Grammys last night to no avail.

What Christmas songs are you enjoying right now?

ChrisB — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 13:41:51 +0000

If you're not already sick of Christmas music (and who could blame you if you were?), are there any songs this holiday that you are especially enjoying?

Best of 2007: ChrisB's Top 10 list

ChrisB — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:30:39 +0000

Since I have the time and am not terribly anxious to go outside in the rain again but am looking to start an argument or two, here's my list of my top 10 albums of the year, with YouTube-age of my favorite song from each album (where available).

Don't be scared... Indie Holiday Music A Plenty!!! The Long Winters, Art Brut, Sufjan and more!

imaginary liz — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 22:23:04 +0000

It's around this time of year that I'm actually excited for the holiday season. The stressful countdowns haven't started, the shopping arenas aren't packed with frenzied masses, and yet I can still pick up a soy eggnog latte at my favorite coffeeshop.

It's good to know that our dear friends Art Brut, Chris Walla, The Long Winters and Sufjian are in the holiday spirit with us!

Art Brut performing "Emily Kane" at Bumbershoot

imaginary dana — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 19:38:39 +0000

Now stop thinking about ex boyfriends or girlfriends! Stop thinking about them! Stop thinking about them!

Bumbershoot 2007: I saw Art Brut (naked)... twice!

imaginary dana — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 04:31:51 +0000

2 Sep 2007

bumbershootArtBrut07sep2.jpg

Did that headline get your attention? I like my writing like I like my frontmen: sparkly, flashy, and bit over-the-top at times. So of course, I'm simply mad for Art Brut.

Sadly, no members of Art Brut actually got anywhere near naked during their two Bumbershoot appearances on Sunday. I did, however, see the band play twice: once at a "secret location" KEXP appearance, and then again outdoors at the Sound Transit stage, in front of loads of fans. Since ChrisB already wrote about the band's main show, I'm going to focus on the amazing KEXP performance, as I never thought I'd get to see such a larger-than-life band in such an intimate location.

Art Brut has caused a bit of stink press this Bumbershoot, with the Stranger's Line Out completely taking the piss out of them for being too "meta" and "droll" or some such criticism. To which I say: Either you're pro-showoff dynamic frontmen or you're not, and I firmly stand in the HELLS YEA category when it comes to performers who clearly relish a mic in hand.

In a world filled with self-effacing more-talented-than-thou indie rockers, I heartily applaud Art Brut frontman Eddie Argos for his antics, his irony, his wit, his ridiculous bravado, his gusto, and his chutzpah. Also, his band kicks all kinds of ass too. It's not just any band I'd see twice within four hours.

The band played nine songs during their 30 or so minute set, and while the songs themselves were often hilarious, the banter between (and often during) the songs made the set a complete riot; all my notes from the set are quips from Argos.

Some favorite moments:

At one point mid-set, Argos proclaimed, "I can't keep saying these are about ex-girlfriends, that would get repetitive -- even though they are," before launching into crowd pleaser "Emily Kane." I've always had a special warm fuzzy place in my heart for self-deprecating Brits, and Argos fits the role to a proverbial tee.

He advised us, his audience, to stop listening to his band for advice, and then by the next song reversed his stance, saying "I've changed my mind -- pay attention to this next song, take advice from rockstars!" with a mischivious grin. Sometime midway through this change of heart, the band effortlessly melded the end of "Emily Kane" into a Smiths' tribute, with the ending chorus of "There is a light and it never goes out" finishing off his goofy pop masterpiece tribute to unrequited, undimished childhood love.

He also went on a mid-song impassioned rant about his local record store selling DVDs and video games ("I hate video games, and I only want to see DVDs of live shows or videos. I want records in my record stores!"). You know it's not going to bring peace to Israel and Palestine (another one of the bands' loftier crusades), but damnit, you've gotta feel for the guy's outrage, no matter how misguided or perhaps contrived it may be.

I also loved at the conclusion of "My Little Brother," Argos augmented the bombastic "Stay! Off! The Crack!" ending with "Stay away from Amy Winehouse!"

And my favorite moment: before the finale "Brand New Girlfriend," Argos proudly boasted that the song had gone #1 in many countries, though he lamented that none of these were countries with Top of the Pops. He and the drummer (for the necessary flourish) led the boastful countdown:

"It was #1 in... {drumroll}.... Mexico!"
"It was #1 in... {drumroll}.... Spain!"
"It was #1 in... {drumroll}.... France!"
"It was #1 in... {drumroll}.... Disneyland!"
"It was #1 in... {drumroll}.... Narnia!"
"It was #1 in... {drumroll}.... Former Yugoslavia!"

Of course, this exact schtick was repeated at the evening show, with many different countries (both real and imaginary) listed (including my personal favorite: "It was #1 in... {drumroll}.... Hogwarts!").

The fact that the routine was basically the same (for this and much other banter throughout the set) made me wonder how the rest of the band deals with Eddie as The Perfect Frontman. Do they cringe as they hear his same wisecracks night after night? Or do they take new pleasure each time in watching the crowd get whipped into a bang-bang-rock-and-roll frenzy? Such is the hazard of being in a band with The Perfect Frontman, though I didn't see anyone in the band look anything other than absorbed with the set, completely hamming up all of Argos' antics and playing along, quite literally.

Sure, the repetitive might have made me doubt the credibility not only of their claims to multinational #1 status, but also to their sincerity as a band. But actually, it didn't. The fact that Argos and company can pull off the same banter show after show with such zealous enthusiasm makes them all the more rock in roll. When they scream for Top of the Pops, what Art Brut really wants is to be number one in your hearts, at least for the duration of their spectacularly fun sets.

And as far as I'm concerned, at this year's Bumbershoot, they were -- TWICE!!!

The setlist:

Pump up the Volume
Bad Weekend
St Pauli
My Little Brother
Post Soothing Out
Emily Kane
Nag Nag Nag Nag
Direct Hit
Good Weekend

I heartily applaud Art Brut frontman Eddie Argos for his antics, his irony, his wit, his ridiculous bravado, his gusto, and his chutzpah. Also, his band kicks all kinds of ass too.

Bumbershoot 2007: Art Brut

ChrisB — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 12:18:02 +0000

2 Sep 2007

artbrutbshoot07sep3.jpg

“’Bang Bang Rock and Roll’ is not a question,” declared Art Brut’s charismatic and Very British frontman Eddie Argos early in the band’s Sunday night Bumbershoot set, “but it has all the answers.”

For any other rock star to declare that one of their songs “has all the answers” would sound preposterous. Actually, with Argos says it, it sounds absurd, too, but he’s in on the joke. For over an hour and twenty total songs, he treated the audience to a phenomenal set that was part rock show, part college lecture, part solo performance art. He doesn’t so much sing as opine with music (loud, guitar-driven rock music) behind him.

Is Argos full of shit? Of course he is – and that’s the charm, that he's wonderously well aware of it. In “Bang Bang Rock and Roll,” he declares songs about sex and drugs and rock and roll boring in a song about those topics. Also, before “Emily Kane,” he gave the crowd some relationship advice and ordered the audience to cease dwelling on exes – and even giving the exact time to stop after a very extended pause for dramatic effect. The song? Well, the opening verse goes:

"I was your boyfriend when we were 15 It's the happiest that I've ever been
Even though we didn't understand
How to do much more than just hold hands
There's so much about you I miss
The clumsy way we used to kiss
I wish I convinced you, you've made a mistake
If memory serves, we're still on a break
Other girls went and other girls came I can't get over my old flame
I'm still in love with Emily Kane."

Early in the set he told us that “pop culture no longer applies” to him but mixed lines from songs like “99 Problems,” “Hollaback Girl,” and “Rehab” into Art Brut’s songs (the latter was especially funny when added to “Moving to LA”: “I don’t wanna go to rehab, no no no – because I’m drinking Hennessey with Morrissey”.)

I’ve spent the entire review discussing Eddie Argos although Art Brut is, of course, a rock and/or roll band – Argos even commands them before songs “Go Art Brut!” – but all eyes in the audience pointed toward one person on stage. The set was a commanding performance from Argos and company, who blistered through 20 songs in around 70 minutes – even finding the time for him to sprint through the throngs of people.

This was the last show I watched Bumbershoot weekend and one of my absolute favorites. I can hardly wait for the next Art Brut show in Seattle. Fortunately, it’s only two months away.

Before the final songs Argos told us the set was coming to a close but said the bright side was that the remaining songs were "huge hits." In my perfect world they would be.

Set list:

Pump Up the Volume
Bad Weekend
Bang Bang Rock and Roll
These Animal Menswe@r
Blame it on the Trains
Modern Art
St. Pauli
Rusted Guns of Milan
Late Sunday Evening
18,000 Lira
I Will Survive
Moving to LA
Jealous Guy
My Little Brother
Post Soothing Out
Emily Kane
Nag Nag Nag Nag
Direct Hit
Good Weekend
Formed a Band

Is Argos full of shit? Of course he is – and that’s the charm.

16 Bumbershoot reviews up so far...

imaginary dana — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 06:37:46 +0000

...it's nearly midnight, and I'm spent -- and I've had the typos pointed out to me to prove it!

Art Brut meet Harry Potter

imaginary liz — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 17:08:00 +0000

I had to share this picture that just arrived into the imaginary inbox. Two worlds collide! It's a photo marking the Art Brut / Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) backstage meeting at The Conan O’Brien Show.

Why we love Art Brut

Erik Gonzalez — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 17:18:22 +0000

We all remember the cover of NME with Beth Ditto nude on the cover, yes?

It's a Bit Complicated

Erik Gonzalez — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 06:27:54 +0000

8.7

http://www.amazon.com/Its-Bit-Complicated-Art-Brut/dp/B000PSJCLK/

artbrut.jpg

There's currently a divide – a schism let’s say – in the world of physics. Between the world of Einstein’s relativity based on a steady, Euclidean geometry to the universe based on his work with gravity and the Neils Bohr’s quantum mechanics that postulates a world of uncertainty at the atomic level, there is a gap with no bridge. What works in relativity and what works in quantum mechanics cannot work together – they are too different with the constant behavior of Einstein’s equations versus the crazed behavior of particles in atoms. How can these two disparate theories of physics – both equally viable in their own right – be brought together into a unifying theory to explain the nature of the universe? Art Brut, that’s how. It’s a Bit Complicated is the unifying theory that has been missing for all these years – it, at the same time, is as constant as a calm lake surface and as frantic as a pile of bunny rabbits on speed – and this dichotomous existence will not only bring our universe into clearer focus, but will also make you want to dance your socks off, in a completely scientific way that is.

Alright, maybe I should calm down some. I’m not trying to say that It’s a Bit Complicated is the ultimate bee’s knees, but it is quite good and gives you exactly what you might expect from Eddie Argos and the band. It rocks, plain and simple. I think the best way to look at Art Brut is as the missing link between pop music and punk – taking the mentality of punk and fusing it like some sort of musical Cyberman with the sweetness of pop music where you’re concerned about music, girls, and being cool. “Pump Up the Volume” is the perfect example – it covers important themes like making out and pop songs and poor Ol’ Eddie is confused about whether he should feel bad when he longs to crank his music when he’s kissing his lady (”I know I shouldn’t/Is it so wrong?/To break from your kiss/To turn up a pop song?”) – and in itself, it might be that pop song that Eddie wants to hear to badly. Art Brut has no fear of just playing a rock song like “St. Pauli,” although I have no idea what Eddie is singing most of the time on the song. However, they can also be soft(ish) and gentle – albeit in Eddie’s ridiculous way. Just take a listen to “People in Love,” almost an anti-love song, where Eddie admits “To every girl who’s ever been with me, I’ve got over you all... eventually. See, he’s just a sweetheart in the end!

Art Brut keeps the hits on coming and just like I mentioned with all this physics mumbo-jumbo, “Direct Hit” is both exactly what you expect from Art Brut, but has a frantic energy that keeps your atoms moving – all done in one fell swoop. The same might be said for “I Will Survive,” an odd economic statement on the general status of Eddie’s monetary standing (”I don’t know what I’m doing, but it’s feeling like success”). This continues into “Post Soothing Out,” a nice little rock ballad that more or less tells the tale of who Eddie’s lady needs to keep her job so he can rock out with the band. “Late Sunday Evening” is features a horn section in this Clash-inspired song that almost lets a 70’s ballad break out in the middle, it is a surprising move for the band but works like a charm. Sometimes Eddie lets his self-conscious side through, like on “Jealous Guy” where he doesn’t want to let his lady go to sleep because he’s worrying that he’s not keeping her up as late as her ex – all the neuroses of being a rocker.

The consistency of Art Brut’s themes is remarkable – “Blame It On the Trains” seems to tackle important issues like sleeping in and missing the trains, although would you have ever expected Eddie to work “duvet” into an Art Brut song? If you’re still searching for the next “Emily Kane” on It’s a Bit Complicated, well, you might be out of luck because “Emily Kane” is a once-in-a-band’s-lifetime song, but “Nag Nag Nag Nag Nag” might be the pop gem that keeps the Art Brut nation growing – in wraps up the music-centric lifestyle that the band embraces in a lovely pita of raucous guitars. Eddie is struggling with what to do with his life and for all of those who disparage the musical integrity of Art Brut, Eddie is a great lyricist, chiming in with gems like Is it the sound of a man wrestling with emotion?/Or sound of him losing and causing a commotion?. “Nag Nag Nag Nag Nag” is the ultimate “I don’t want to grow up” song for everyone having a quarter-life crisis.

So, how does this all actually bridge the gap between Einstein and Bohr? As I see it, the only thing that really holds Art Brut back is the predictability of the band; Art Brut can be proven to rock with an R-squared value of 0.999 and every time you change the equation, you can still be sure that you will be able to predict the amount they will rock. For some bands, that might be a bore, but the boundless energy and lyrical gymnastics of Eddie Argos gives the band that needed uncertainty – he’s like a human electron, you know he’s there but you’re not quite sure when or where he might pop up – and it is exactly that notion that keeps the band interesting. It’s a Bit Complicated is your record to rock to at all hours and all times, safe in the knowledge that they have conquered the divide and continue to bring us the unifying theory that nothing is better than a good pop song.

Art Brut will not only bring our universe into clearer focus, but will also make you want to dance your socks off, in a completely scientific way that is.

Titillating tidbits from Line Out

imaginary dana — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 01:11:14 +0000

The Stranger's music blog, Line Out, has caused quite a stir this week with the whole Atlas Clothing all-ages venue controversy, but this afternoon they've amused and delighted me with their some of their recent blog posts: Eddie Argos nekkid, the Pogues in Seattle, and BOAT love. Three cheers!