Three Imaginary Girls - Peter Bjorn and John

Imaginary Interview: Peter Moren of Peter Bjorn and John

Diana Salier — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:18:08 +0000

Peter Bjorn & John's Writer's Block was my favorite album of 2006, and is still one of my all-time favorites. Lead singer Peter Moren was good enough to answer a few questions about the band's latest synth-infused effort, Living Thing, and what it's like to rub elbows with the likes of Dave Gahan and Depeche Mode...

Sonically, Living Thing is completely different from Writer's Block. It's less guitar-heavy, and there's so much more space in the arrangements, seems like the songs are breathing freer and there's less melancholy. How did you decide to go in such a dancey, synth-based, almost pop direction?

Peter Moren: To us Living Thing is a natural progression from an arrangement style that we started on Writers Block but that we know have taken to an extremer degree. Songs like "Young Folks," "The Chills" and "Amsterdam" are also lacking a lot of guitar and have a lot of air and a less-is-more approach. So it’s kind of more of the same. We did listen to a lot of 80's pop from our childhood this time around as inspiration, a bit more glossy synthy reverby pop like OMD, Depeche Mode, "Tango In The Night" by Fleetwood Mac, etc. We wanted the retrofuturistic, scifi sound dreams are made of. We did use some synths but hardly any drum machines at all. Just beating up natural objects. And African music, funk, hip-hop and soul informed the dancier arrangements. At the same time, Living Thing is the PBJ record so far with the most guitar solos!!

How has the songwriting process changed, if at all, now that the music is less guitar or melody-focused?

Not at all. We write exactly the same way, we just arrange differently. Some of the songs are old and were written around [the same time as] Writer's Block.

Did you have any apprehensions about how people would receive the experimental turn you've taken, or that they might be expecting a sequel to "Young Folks"?

According to what I answered earlier we think we did a sequel to "Young Folks." Especially "It Don’t Move Me" has a very similar form and arrangement -- it's just sadder, more of a break-up song then a getting-together song. To do something very different would have been to go very guitar-indie-rock, cause that is exactly what "Young Folks" isn’t and what made it stand out a bit on Writer's Block.

I've read reviews that say the new album is darker than Writer's Block, but I think there's a lighter and more playful feeling. What are your thoughts on that? Did you draw inspiration for the lyrics from a different place?

The lyrics are, percentage-wise, darker than on Writer's Block, but WB had some really dark songs too. We try to keep a balance. We also work with contrasts. "Living Thing" sounds upbeat but has a dark lyric; "Last Night" has a happy lyric but sounds downbeat. Maybe Writer’s Block was more straightforward in that sense. Our darkest album lyric-wise so far is still the second, Falling Out. So if that was dark and WB a bit more happy and light, Living Thing is somewhere in the middle.

What was the most exciting thing about recording Living Thing?

For me, hearing Bjorn and John do the backup vocals to "Stay This Way." It's so vulnerable and lovely. I got goosebumps!

How do you decide who sings lead on the tracks?

I sing lead on most songs, even songs that Bjorn and John have written the most of. But sometimes their voices are more suitable to a certain feeling or style. Like "4 out of 5" - that just has to be Bjorn! He has a drone-like voice that suits these types of songs.

What's your favorite song off the new album?

Again I would say "Stay This Way." It's very emotional for me and I think we nailed it! I also love John’s "I Want You!" Those are the 2 I would like hearing any time. Of the singles, "It Don't Move Me" is the best I think, so far.

What was the inspiration behind "Lay It Down"? Ever been in a real barroom brawl?

It's an interior monologue, so it never became a real barroom brawl, just in the song – which makes it sadder. It’s about being disappointed in a good friend acting stupid.

As the first single off Living Thing, "Nothing To Worry About" is a far cry from "Young Folks" -- how'd that song come about?

It was the last song we made for the album cause we needed a catchy single. The children’s chorus came about cause it lacked something in the refrains and that made it even catchier. It's got a great hip-hoppy beat and it's fun playing live.

Your tour with Depeche Mode just started at the end of July -- what are you most looking forward to? Are you big fans of the band? How'd that pairing come about?

We just played Hollywood Bowl and that was what I looked forward to most. And it was great. Bjorn is a big [Depeche Mode] fan. I like some of the songs a lot, especially the older ones like "Stripped" and "Everything Counts." Some of the newer songs sound like Kent, a Swedish stadium rock band, but with better vocals. But I'm a bigger fan of the Beatles, that's why I wanted to play the Bowl. They asked us to come along and we said yes! Depeche not the Beatles...

How's the tour going so far? How have the fans received the show, and hearing all the new songs live?

It's been great! People seem to be really into it, especially the new songs! I think Depeche fans can relate to songs like "It Don't Move Me" and "Just The Past" cause they sound Depeche-y.

What's in store for PBJ after the tour ends in October?

Another tour in November. Also check out our great new mixtape assembled by producer Mick Boogie, where hip-hoppers do their versions of the whole Living Thing album. It features legends like GZA and Jazzy Jeff. It's great, and it’s called Re-Living Thing.

Peter Bjorn and John.jpg

Living Thing

Diana Salier — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:17:37 +0000

6.1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001QE9974/?tag=wwwthreeimagi-20

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A word of caution for anyone looking for "Young Folks" pt. 2: you won't find it here. With Living Thing, Swedish rockers Peter Bjorn & John are playing a whole new ballgame -- trading in the tightly wound, guitar-based indie rock of 2006's Writer's Block for minimalistic tunes heavy on the electro dance beats, synthesizers, and with plenty of open space for the sound to run around.

And unlike with Writer's Block, the best songs on the album are hidden in pockets of 2 or 3 at a time, rather than a clear slew of songs you can listen to straight through without pressing the Forward button. Skipping over album opener "The Feeling," which is more filler than anything, it's best to just pretend that things begin with #2 -- the high energy, danceable "It Don't Move Me." The beat draws you right into its synthesized arms, and the way the drums and keys play off each other is a decent preview of the sparse feeling that can be found in the rest of the album. Then comes the cool, 5-minute love song "Just The Past," which trots along slowly and lazily and works as a balanced backdrop for Peter to sing his measured lines of unrequited love: "tell me, how do I get to know you?/you untie me as if I were a shoelace."

After "Just The Past," there's a block of 4 songs that I always skip over, including first single "Nothing To Worry About." The choir of kids singing the chorus is a nice touch, but the song gets repetitive quickly and pales in comparison to the album's second single, "Lay It Down." The problem of repetition stays with "I'm Losing My Mind," "Living Thing,'' and "I Want You!," none of which I was able to sit through more than a couple times because they just don't seem to go anywhere in their 3 1/2 - 4 minute lifespans.

Luckily things start to look up with the aforementioned "Lay It Down." This is one of PB&J's best, the album's standout track, and with the right amount of publicity, destined to become one of the top indie singles of 2009. The premise is simple enough -- an ode to drunken douchebags in the club who like to guzzle beer and hit on your girlfriend -- but the delivery is perfect. Fans of uber-erudite lyrics might shy away from this one, but the rest of us can just bask in the singalong chorus of "hey, shut the fuck up, boy/you are starting to piss me off/take your hands off that girl/you have already had enough." Here, the old melancholy urgency that was found in songs like "Objects Of My Affection" and "Up Against The Wall" is back again, and the verse-chorus-verse format is hardly noticeable.

After getting riled up for a barroom brawl, the band settles down for best-song-runner-up, "Stay This Way." It's 4 minutes of deciding to be happy with stagnation, not really wanting to move forward or even go back to the way things were. The music apes the idea of the lyrics like an endless carousel, with various instruments sinking in and out of the picture to mimic the vocal melody -- but it's more a moment of introspection and "psychoanalysis of yourself," as Peter puts it at one point, and the song stays very far away from becoming trite and repetitive.

The album starts to wind down with "Blue Period Picasso," with lyrics sung from the point of view of a painting hoping to get stolen from the museum, a metaphor for wanting Mr. or Ms. Right to come sweep you off your feet and save you from yourself. I usually skip over the final two songs -- "4 Out Of 5" (for some reason it always reminds me of The Velvet Underground's "Venus In Furs") and "Last Night," but they're worth an initial listen if you're curious.

Living Thing is an entirely different undertaking for PB&J, and it's admirable that they changed their approach so much when most fans were probably just waiting to whistle along with "Young Folks" v2.0. It definitely takes repeat listens and a little bit of digging to find the nuggets, but you'll find yourself coming back to at least a few of the songs, and appreciating those ones that much more.

Another Best of '07 list: Chop Suey booker Pete Greenberg's favorite albums

ChrisB — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 16:46:06 +0000

I'm a huge nerd when it comes to pouring over annual, best of lists (I'm still biting my nails in anticipation of the Idolator critic's poll that should be out soon), and I'm always intrigued by what the favorites of people who work in the business of music but aren't (necessarily) critics or reviewers. So, I asked Chop Suey's brand new booker Pete Greenberg to submit his list of favorite albums with the promise of posting them here - to which he happily complied.

Here's what made his list:

1. Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (Merge)

2. Future of The Left – Curses (Too Pure)

3. Handsome Furs – Plague Park (Sub Pop)

4. Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings – 100 Days, 100 Nights (Daptone Records)

5. The Arcade Fire – Neon Bible (Merge)

6. Big Business – Here Come The Waterworks (Hydra Head Records)

7. Beach House – Beach House (Carpark Records)

8. Blonde Redhead – 23 (4AD)

9. Band of Horses – Cease to Begin (Sub Pop)

10. Siberian – With Me (Sonic Boom Recordings)

11. Matthew Dear – Asa Breed (Ghostly International)

12. Lavender Diamond – Imagine Our Love (Matador Records)

13. Peter Bjorn & John – Writer’s Block (Almost Gold)

Best of 2007: Tim Hanken's picks

Tim Hanken — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 21:16:59 +0000

After much deliberation, here’s my top ten for 2007.

igAsh's favorite songs of 2007, with {some} free downloads!

imaginary ash — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 06:46:04 +0000

I made a 'Best of '07' compilation for coworkers and thought I'd share my picks with you, in no particular order. Hope you've got a little time to spare!

All downloads have been posted with permission from the bands themselves. Thanks bands!

1. Nicole Atkins and the Sea: "The Way It Is"

I think this is my favorite song of the year. Here's the clip from Letterman.

2. Peter Bjorn and John: "Young Folks"

I'm such a sucker for whistling. And isn't this the most visually satisfying video ever.

Best of 2007: Imaginary Chona's picks!

imaginary chona — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 19:04:23 +0000

This was ridiculously hard to do! Without further ado, I present my top ten picks for 2007 releases (in no particular order)...

The Paul Simon Revival

Erik Gonzalez — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 16:48:48 +0000

Well, Paul Simon is getting some big love these days...

Pizza, beer, and juice with Peter, Bjorn, and John

imaginary dana — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 16:02:06 +0000

I never imagined I could buy a magazine or a pack of gum from a genuine Swedish pop supastar!!

MTV continues to scare me

Erik Gonzalez — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 22:29:56 +0000

MTV has announced the nominees for its annual suck-up-fest, the Video Music Awards!

As Seen On TV: Bright Eyes, Amy Sedaris, PB&J, Patrick Wolf and more!

imaginary liz — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 19:33:20 +0000

This is the kind of week of late night TV I can get behind. Bright Eyes will be performing TWICE!

As Seen On TV: BRMC, PB & J, and a bunch of political guys!

imaginary liz — Tue, 29 May 2007 23:32:00 +0000

It's rerun week for late night hosts this week, so we get to relive some of our favorites of the past few months. The landscape is littered with political (albeit interesting) candidates this week, but don't fear 'cause next week we're getting a couple of really exciting musical guests.

Peter Bjorn and John

Tim Hanken — Wed, 16 May 2007 14:55:26 +0000

13 May 2007

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Sweden’s own Peter Bjorn and John sold out not one but two shows at Neumo's: an early all-ages gig and also a 21 and over event later in the evening. I arrived to the packed 21+ show in time to catch the majority of Fujiya & Miyagi’s opening set. The first song I heard featured them repeating the band name over and over, the first time I’d ever seen a non hip-hop act name check themselves. Fujiya & Miyagi’s electro pop was dripping with funky bass lines and there was some dancing being attempting by those fans fortunate enough to have found enough room to wiggle their arms and legs a bit.

Peter Bjorn and John took the stage to the sounds of “Sitar Folks,” one of the tracks from the bonus disk of their latest release Writers Block. From the vamp-like song, they went into “Roll the Credits.” The band was having a good time, chatting with the crowd, dancing around on stage and just generally having fun.

When they got to “Chills” things got interesting. PB&J have a poppy, hook filled catalog of songs. They could easily come onstage, play the tracks as they are on the record, chat with the crowd and smile, and everyone would go home satisfied. Instead, “Chills” was the first of four songs that were noticeably different from the recorded versions. The song was sped up and rocked out, big guitar solos and distortion erupted from the stage as the band moved away from the album version of the track. The pendulum swung the other way a few songs later as “Amsterdam” was slowed down and a lone guitar was all that was used for musical accompaniment. By this point in the show lead singer Peter Moren was stopping to introduce most songs, and he admitted that “Paris 2004” would be a bit “sheezy” (that’s cheesy with a Swedish accent) had it not been written about true events that happened to him while on holiday a few years back.

“Young Folks” followed “Paris 2004” and a pre-selected guest bongo player was pulled from the crowd to play along and dance with the band. I thought that the song wouldn’t feel whole with out the female vocal supplied by Victoria Bergsman on Writers Block, but her absence was fairly negligible and the song was as infectious as always.

After a guitar-filled version of “Objects of My Affection,” Peter announced that they had one more song left. They took the final song, “Up Against The Wall,” to places I never would have dreamed it could go, jamming out for upwards of ten minutes. Bjorn jumped off the stage while enthusiastically shredding his guitar, while Peter leaned out over the crowd, barely hanging onto the stage. This catchy little pop band transformed into a power trio in front of my eyes. The track has some background distortion on the album version but this live performance placed the guitars squarely in the center as Peter Bjorn and John suddenly became the Swedish version of Cream. The band briefly left the stage before Peter returned to sing the chorus of “Up Against the Wall” a cappella. Bjorn and John joined Peter on stage to close out the evening with “Teen Love” and “Collect, Select, Reflect," the later a slower track from their as yet un-released in the US self titled debut album.

I never would have expected the show I got from Peter Bjorn and John. I anticipated a quaint little pop show that would sound more or less like the records they’ve released. What I got instead was an enthusiastic live performance that showcased PB&J’s varied abilities as a band. Now if someone can just convince IKEA to sell PB&J along with their Swedish meatballs and pickled fish we’ll be in business.

As Seen On TV: PB & J, Bob Barker, Modest Mouse, M. Ward, Lily Allen, and more!

imaginary liz — Mon, 14 May 2007 18:40:24 +0000

Wow -- Wednesday night seems to be the big night for cool folks to appear on TV. I'm especially excited that Bob Barker is making an appearance. I wonder why he's kinda slumming it and not on Letterman or Leno? Is it a network thing?

The Fratellis cancel Seattle show, igLiz pissed

imaginary liz — Thu, 03 May 2007 16:54:01 +0000

The Fratellis can suck it back and forth.

"It's all okay till they open their fucking mouths"

imaginary dana — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 06:11:23 +0000

Imagine if Three Imaginary Girls met Pete and Ray and you'd have Breakfast at Sulimay's, featuring Joe, Moon, and Bill -- possibly the most entertaining music critics I've ever heard.

The Imaginary SXSW 2007 Report: Day 1

three imaginary girls — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 05:42:44 +0000

14 Mar 2007

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With Imperial Teen, Langhorne Slim, Jamie T., Lily Allen, the Broken West, Peter Bjorn and John, and Paper Moon

South by Southwest 2007 put another dent in our collective imaginary hearing losses, and also gave us another crazy lineup of new band crushes to tell you about. Join us while we take you through the four-day musical extravaganza that was SXSW with TIG.

And before we dive in, huge props to photographer Kaley Davis for shooting the event. She rocks for all the good photos you'll see in our SXSW coverage. All the crappy point-and-shoot ones were taken by igLiz and/or me. Check out the rest of Kaley's SXSW photos on her Flickr profile.

Even with the carefully crafted spreadsheets, highlighted printouts, and pocket map, it's easy to overwhelmed by the number of possibilities at SXSW. You can go from unknown South Carolina band, to NYC hip-hop, to NME heartthrob at any moment, and being a fan of all of the above only makes things more frenetic and exciting. During our adventure we coined a few new imaginary terms for navigating SXSW, which we will provide for you below to help you understand our ramblings:

South by Selecting: The balancing act between serendipitously finding the next great band and fulfilling the need to see the well-known rock 'n roll pioneer.

South by Stressing: When South by Selecting, you may experience South by Stressing about the bands you're going to miss. Or about how long you need to South by Squat in order to not miss a band you positively *can't* miss.

South by Squatting: Refers to camping out at a venue one or two opening bands ahead of time in order to secure a place in the venue for a certain band (likely super-hyped). Also, when there's any worry about getting someplace early enough to South by Squat effectively, that is called South By Squatting Anxiety.

South by Sucking: When South by Squatting and you're forced to endure a band that blows, said band is South by Sucking — as in, sucking the life out of you.

South by Skating: Everyone has a friend at SouthBy who South by Skates. He's the one who refuses to endure any South by Sucking by South by Squatting, leaves his staked spot at a key show, and then always manages to eek his way back into the club for the main act, no matter how close he cuts it. We envy the South by Skaters, but were never confident enough to try it ourselves for our favorite acts (and hence, endured our fair share of South by Sucking).

But enough with the vocabulary lesson. Let's talk about the shows!

As much as I believe in lexicon, I'm also a strong believer in omens and beginnings. I tell you this so you'll understand that the first show of SXSW was an important one for me; I felt certain it could make or break the festival for me. So imagine my dismay when I booked it across town for the Pipettes show at La Zona Rosa at 8:30pm, only to miss their closing notes by mere seconds. Curses!! Was this going to be a SXSW full of frustration??!?

Buck up, little camper! I wasn't worried.

I knew the Pipettes would be playing at least 27 showcases in the next 72 hours, so I was nonplussed. Missing the Pipettes just opened us up for more cross-town rock and roll adventures.

Really, our trip even before the first show (or lack of first show) was a sign of good things to come. Did you all hear about SXSW-sponsor Yaris and their crafty campaign to make us fall in love with them? They took reservations to give folks rides from the Austin Airport to their hotel. For free — tips weren't even accepted! I mean, who isn't already in love with a fuel-efficient car with that new car smell? (Me, falling for marketing?) But one that meets you outside baggage claim (on time!) with a sizeable trunk ripe for large luggage and a friendly driver that takes you to your hotel hassle-free? Nathan, my group's driver was a peach!

And then we looked at our schedules and realized there was a Yaris party to head to right off the bat, one with poster screenprinting and free drinks! Yeah, we missed the Pipettes (this time) and free food, but the Yaris goodwill and SXSW high hopes were still intact.

Yeah, I don't want to give too much away, but let's just say Liz was right: we had plenty of moments for Pipettes, and it didn't turn out a bad omen at all. Silly superstitious me.

Neither Liz nor I nor our respective posses stuck around for the next band at the Yaris party, the Rapture (I'm sure somewhere an indie-rock angel has lost its imaginary cred wings for admitting that), and Liz and I parted ways. She headed to see Langhorne Slim at the Beauty Bar, while Kaley and I headed a couple bars down to the Merge Records showcase at Antone's to catch Imperial Teen.
As a huge fan of all-things power-pop, I've always enjoyed Imperial Teen, but have never seen them live. Upon entering the club, the most immediately apparent and noteworthy fact was that drummer Lynn Perko was quite obviously expecting! Now that's something I've never seen before!

She was seriously the hottest pregnant thing I've ever seen, pounding her kit and singing along throughout the set, obviously blissed out by playing and not all encumbered by being with child. What an inspiration for all women!

Zow!

I wonder what power-pop sounds like through the amniotic fluid?

I know right?!? I have no idea, but I'm sure that if there's any truth in either the nature or nurture theories, that baby's a kicker!

This was Imperial Teen's first show since July of last year. "And we know we sound fantastic!" quipped the band, charmingly.

And they did. They have mastered the art of effortless power-pop. All members of the band chime in for gloriously bright boy-girl vocal harmonies, and they frequently enjoy a good game of musical instrument Chinese Firedrill. The band announced that they're working on a new record for later in 2007... I wonder if it's coming before or after the baby?

While we were enjoying ourselves immensely at the show, I was starting to feel panicked about the shows we weren't seeing (I had a big bad case of South By Squatting Anxiety). So after 4-5 pop gems, we headed on out and back toward 6th Street.

First off, we headed to Emos to try to get into the Beirut/Emma Pollack. But Beirut have gotten way bigger than their (barely of age) britches, and we were denied. Damn you, you music-blogger- hyped, incredibly talented, not coming near Seattle any time soon band, damn you!!! Ahh well. You know when a show has a mile-long line for badge holders even on Wednesday night that things are going pretty crazy well for said band, and from what I've heard from friends who did make the show, it couldn't have happened to a more talented group. I sure hope there's a Seattle show coming soon.

My South by Squatting Anxiety, reinforced by missing Beirut, made us decide to arrive at Stubbs early to catch Lily Allen. This was to be Ms. Allen's only official SXSW performance, so I wasn't taking any chances. Amazingly enough, there was no queue to get in — but as we came to find out, the price to pay for early admission was some serious South by Sucking while South by Squatting.

While all that was going on, I was at the Langhorne Slim show at the Beauty Bar. Last year's Jane Party at the Beauty Bar was a highpoint and has been oft recalled over the last year. So, it was exciting that the first live performance I see at SXSW 2007 was here. The inside is decorated in an ingenious hipster retro beauty salon motif that makes me feel fancy just walking through the door.

The Langhorne Slim show was in the backlot tent. It was poetic to have the cool Austin night breeze softly touching the crowd as Langhorne and band evangelized through song. In the same school of "Tom Waits Old Soul" as Two Gallants, Langhorne Slim rip through lyrics like they're tearing pages from a bible. Each line is drenched with the blood and tears resulting from a lifetime of heartache and despair. Sure, a little heavy for the post-Yaris high, but also a grounding reminder of the power of song and a stand-up bass.

Then, about three-quarters through the set, it was time for some South By Selecting. Imaginary Dana text messaged with "At Stubbs, no line!" I showed this to my companion and we knew what we had to do... jet over to Stubb's to South By Squat for Lily Allen. We'd agreed that seeing her at SXSW was a priority, so getting there before a line formed was an exciting prospect.

Of course, what did we find when we got there? The aforementioned South by Sucking in the form of opening act Jamie T. I had only read the Jamie T. headlines in the British music tabloids, so thought he couldn't be that bad (classic Anglophile defense technique). Alas, we were wrong. And the crowd surrounding us warned us as much. Other than the nearby group of four girls who were singing along the whole show, we were surrounded by heckling Brits throughout the set.

Yeah, just before the show started a overheard a Brit say, "The "T" stands for twat." I thought he was just being cheeky and British, but as it turns out he has a pretty accurate way with words (imaginary note: why can Brits say "twat" and "cunt" and it sounds completely charming, but on American tongues the words sound so crass and shocking?).

I could think of a few more selective "T" words for Jamie: why not start with "terrible"? Or tedious? Or totally tired? Or tinnitus?

Jamie T. was our first South by Sucking experience. He was like England's answer to Ben Kweller (physically) meets Sublime (the band, not the adjective). And because we'd staked our front-row claims for Lily Allen, we ended up standing next to the speaker throughout the set, which made my entire body vibrate (unpleasantly) and I'm pretty sure I was having base-induced heart palpitations. I'm going to send him my cardiologist's bill if I notice any lasting effects.

Jamie looked about 14 years old, and my friends and I were half-wondering if he the real-life version of Lily's brother "Alfie" who we'd heard so much about in song? It would at least explain what he was doing on this bill. I guess he's pretty big in the UK and I know KEXP has started spinning him a bit, but in my humble opinion, dude was very lucky to get to play in front of such an amassed crowd -– and what an uninspired waste of a great opening spot.

Overall, 'twas an uncomfortable and unpleasant show. Damn South by Squatting! But next up, LILY!! I was excited!!

Lily Allen was high on my list of things to see at SXSW. With her Seattle show sold out, I knew this was going to be the only time I was going to see her in any time soon. I had seen her on Saturday Night Live a month or so ago and found that performance to be lackluster — although, really, who actually comes off well as a musical guest on SNL? Bands give it their best but either nerves or a weird sound system steps in and makes them look fairly boring and off-tune. Which, in Lily's case, happened. During the SNL performance, she stood in one place (I blamed a poor footwear choice — high heals are scary!) and looked fairly indifferent (not to mention her dress choice wasn't all that flattering).

So, with that, I pretty much expected to see a stationary girl in not-so-sensible shoes/dress counting the minutes until her set was done. But Lily in full-set form was so much more. She came out and instantly charmed us toting a beer bottle and lit fag and calling the show's corporate sponsor, NME, names (not so nice ones). Anyone who has the balls to comment on the penis size of his/her show's sponsor is a great performer in my book. And, hmm, how odd that NME's recap of the show didn't catch that part?

And her live renditions of album favorites was spot on. With beer and cig in hand at all times, she effortlessly swayed with the ska-influenced rhymes.

Halfway through her set, she lovingly introduced her backing band, the Lilettes. Do you think it is coincidence that the back-up band was staffed with hunky models dressed in a rainbow of pastel golf shirts?

I liked Lily, but I didn't *heart* Lily by any stretch. Maybe it's because I missed the SNL appearance and had higher expectations? I think her debut record Alright Still is remarkable, with stellar sampling, fantastic and saucy lyrics, and Lily's dulcet voice providing the perfect sweetener to hold all the schadenfreude and naughtiness together. The simple sophistication of the pop songs seems wise beyond her years.

After seeing Lily live (I think I get to call her by her first name since we were so close throughout the set), my hunch is she likely just got very lucky when her cute poems were set to music by some folks who were way more musically talented than she is.

Lily was cute and obviously drunk — and in case anyone in the audience didn't notice, she made a point of proclaiming just how drunk she was. Her performance was nice enough (she could still hit her notes and recall the lyrics), but overall, it was a bit uninspired. Her band was great: three horn players, a bass player, and a drummer sounding their Dancehall best. But I got the feeling they were all bored, wondering how they ended up backing up this silly white girl.

On the fashion-side of things, taking the stage clutching a bottle of Bud and smoking a fag is one thing, but wearing quite possibly the least flattering mumu sundress ever is another. I've taken final exams in more flattering outfits. She doesn't need to be a supermodel or anything, but geesh, she could have made some effort. For a moment I wondered if I was seeing my second pregnant performer of the evening, but with all the Buds, I'm hoping no.

Then Lily bemoaned how bored she was with playing her hit-single "Smile" (this Aversion article about Lily's ennui is hilarious and says it all). To which I say... L-A-M-E. And unlike most of the US-based audience (and imaginary Liz) who seemed titillated by her calling NME — the sponsor for tonight's showcase — a bunch of C-Bombs, I was underwhelmed. As I said, I think it's cute when Brits say "cunt," and Lily has said it so many times in reference to NME that there's simply no shock value left. Besides, NME should have known better than to stick her on their bill without telling her (as she alleged), she's slagged them so many times. But then I'm sure they love it when Lily calls them a bunch of cunts.

All in all, I enjoyed the set alright (still), but left feeling increasingly suspect of how much she had to do with the actual writing and crafting of her songs.

We might have had different impressions of the show, but at least Lily Allen united our two posses. Another SXSW tidbit: it's hard to wrangle 10+ people who all have different show-going needs and levels of South by Stressing.

Totally! After Lily Allen we parted ways, and Kaley and I went across Congress Ave. and back to the Merge Records showcase at Antone's where the Broken West were playing. They've been a new power-pop fave of mine since I first heard "Down in the Valley" on KEXP a few weeks back and proclaimed it as one of my favorite new songs of early 2007 (along with Nicole Atkins and the Sea's "The Way It Is" and Sleeping in the Aviary's "Gloworm").

The band satisfies a musical void that falls somewhere between the Long Winters and Wilco, which is particularly fantastic since they'll be touring with the Long Winters this Spring (Seattle readers, look alive for their Showbox show on 4/14).

The rest of the songs I heard during their set had a bit more of an American / roots flavor in their pop tones. Their debut full-length release on Merge is called I Can't Go On, I'll Go On and it's highly delicious. While I had to leave this set early to ensure I could catch Peter Bjorn and John, you can bet that this imaginary girl will be at the Showbox on 4/13 to watch the Broken West play with the Long Winters.

On the way out to the next show we saw Imperial Teen unloading their gear. I think I proclaimed, "You guys were AWESOME!!!!" or something equally lame and dorky as I walked past.

Imaginary Dana is nothing if not a good superfan. I'm sure you made their nights!

Did you take a photo?

Nah, I didn't want to be that girl. Even though I am that girl.

Instead we booked it to La Zona Rosa where I was again shocked not to see a queue, this time for Swedish pop heavyweights of the moments Peter Bjorn and John, who were headlining the Yaris party where we'd started the night (by missing the Pipettes). I must confess I had my doubts as to how Peter Bjorn and John would translate to a live setting. I of course know "Young Folks" inside and out, as any KEXP listener in January 2007 would, and have liked the other tracks I've heard from their latest, indie-star making release, Writers Block {review}. But I thought their live show might come across a bit tepid, without the benefits of studio magic. Boy, were my worries unfounded.

Peter Bjorn and John were great showmen. They oozed class, decked out in fabulous (sweat-soaked) outfits, and transformed the large venue with a huge sonic dance party. No lo-fi fest here. Their sound so much more lush and satisfying than I even expected it to be.

This was not the performance of a one-hit wonder band. They have loads of substance and class. They were even better than Cats. I want to see them again and again!

Later in the festival, I heard from Kevin Cole at KEXP that the band had their bass guitar stolen after this show. People, c'mon! It's not nice to steal, but there's an especially warm sub-level in hell for peeps who steal band gear. So uncool!

After the fairly sizable Lily Allen production at Stubb's (which I think is the most arena-like of the SXSW venues), we decided to kick it low-key and began the hunt for something unknown. Our South By Selecting lists aside, we wandered 6th Ave in search of something unexpected.

After a couple stops at packed parking lots and some nearly empty metal shows, our friend Curt suggested Paper Moon. The Winnipeg-based band has members of the mildly indie-cred'd B'ehl and they are quite hot on the Manitoba music scene; they recently beat folks like Justin Timberlake and RHCP in a notable Winnipeg radio top 10 countdown. Yet, tonight at SXSW, the band performed an intimate set for us and friends (and heck, by the last song, I'd say we were kin!). Paper Moon's sweet That Dog vocals overtop Cardigan pop licks made for a light, soothing set of pop songs. Their keyboard overtones stayed away from hipster moog and veered towards the more mature spectrum. The intimate setting was just right to round out the night.

Then we headed back to the hotel, exhausted and already excited to start it all up again on Thursday...

** Stay tuned for the Imaginary SXSW 2007 Report, Day 2:
Featuring our first-ever Three Imaginary Girls SXSW showcase. Plus igDana meets Amy Winehouse, igLiz catches her first Fratellis show, free Sauconys save our lives, and much more. We're writing as fast as we can!

And so it begins... our first day of SXSW 2007 coverage, with Lily Allen, Peter Bjorn and John, Langhorn Slim, the Broken West, and much, much more.

Writer's Block

Diana Salier — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 19:30:29 +0000

8.9

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000MGTFD0/wwwthreeimagi-20

peterbjornjohn07feb.jpg

The first time I heard "Young Folks," the first single off of Stockholm-based Peter Bjorn & John's third full-length effort Writer's Block, I was engaged in some late-night shenanigans at a club night in London's Soho last year. The whistling was what got me at first; it was catchy and simple like a children's lullaby. The music was as minimal as possible, relying mostly on a male-female tradeoff vocal and a heavy backbeat. I soon came to reference it as the "we don't care about the old folks" song, simply for the fact that after hearing it in seemingly every indie club in Central London, that was still the only discernible lyric. It wasn't until I returned to the States in December that I decided to Google "we don't care about the old folks + lyrics" and figure out who was responsible for all that whistling, and I'm terribly glad I did.

A full listen to Writer's Block, which releases in the U.S. this week, reveals that the album is packed with great material, and "Young Folks" is just the beginning.

The songs on this indie-pop record roll from epic, reverb-heavy, Walkmen-esque intros of "Objects Of My Affection," "Start To Melt," and "Roll The Credits" to the drum-and-guitar driven "Let's Call It Off," to the album's best track, "Paris 2004," a bouncy and lilting ode to a weekend with your lover in Paris, in which Peter Moren sings about half-eaten croissants and strolling the boulevards. The song's chorus, "I'm all about you/you're all about me/we're all about each other" is one of the most simply stated confessions of young love since John and Paul decided they wanted to hold your hand.

The instruments are perfectly melded on every song with John Eriksson's drums providing a steady foundation. The music shifts seamlessly from major to minor as the vocals change from exalting to melancholy in a constant up-down flux that gives you no choice but to stay riveted to every lyric, guitar riff, and synth line. Thematically, Writer's Block is about love, but its views on how important any of that really is change with each song. Within three songs, the album jumps from the lover's lament of "Up Against The Wall" to the carefree days of "Paris 2004" and lands in the ditch with "Let's Call It Off."

This album is powerful, fun, and heartbreaking all at once. It's already a strong contender for my favorite album of the year... and it's only February.

The song's chorus is one of the most simply stated confessions of young love since John and Paul decided they wanted to hold your hand.