Syncopated rhythms, droning synth squarbles and hushed harmonics were all prominent in Arthur Russel’s ever-evolving blend of progressive New York musics. Whether it was disco or avant-pop or interstate strumming, the sound Russell conjured was undeniably his own. The same can be said of White Hinterland, neé Casey Dienel, whose latest tour-only offering features a cover of Justin Timberlake’s “My Love” that sounds like it was recorded in a million gallon steel cistern, as well as an extremely faithful, though completely evolved reworking of Arthur Russell’s “Lucky Cloud.” Released posthumously on Another Thought, “Lucky Cloud” is aligned with Russell’s World of Echo work, an obvious touch point for Dienel, who seems to take Russell’s lyric “the more I look ahead, the more I see behind” to heart. A visceral lullaby by an apprentice, White Hinterland’s rendering finds a student paying respect to a mentor. A lucid homage to a teacher who did more for Dienel than any professor, “Lucky Cloud” is a rare example of a cover reaching the same heights as the original, to the point where it almost feels like Russell remixed the track himself.
White Hinterland, Lucky Cloud (Arthur Russell Cover)
10.14 Cambridge, MA @ Middle East w/ Former Ghosts
10.15 Brooklyn, NY @ Bruar Falls
10.16 Philadelphia, PA @ Milkcrate Cafe
10.17 Charlottesville, VA @ Random Row Books w/ David Sickman
10.18 Richmond, VA @ The Triple
10.19 Charlotte, NC @ YAUHAUS
10.20 Atlanta, GA @ 529 w/ Tea Lights
10.22 Houston, TX @ Rudyard’s Pub
10.23 Austin, TX @ Mohawk
10.26 Phoenix, AZ @ Trunk Space
10.28 San Francisco, CA @ Hemlock Tavern w/ Former Ghosts
As we relayed to you yesterday, Bon Iver and his bandmates played their last show together as a unit for an “indefinite” amount of time. The show came on the same day Justin Vernon was the honorary chair of AIDS Walk Wisconsin and took place at Milwaukee’s Riverside Theater. In case the news of the brief “hibernation” has you down, RadioMilwaukee broadcast the whole performance live. And we can now share the stream of the show with you thanks to the fine folks over there. Enjoy, or drown your sorrows, or do whatever it is you do. Regardless, click away.
No real surprise that a member of Of Montreal would be a full-fledged Numanoid, right? James Husband, a face you’ll mostly likely recognize if you’ve witnessed that band’s disco spectacle on stage, is preparing to unveil A Parallax I next week, a most excellent album of solo material he recently recorded with his OM bandmates. Pre-order the album and you’ll acquire an additional bonus disc featuring six cover songs, one of which is this faithfully groovy take on Gary Numan’s “My Shadow in Vain.”
James Husband, My Shadow in Vain (Gary Numan Cover)
Every mention of Grass Widow in the music press is like, “did you know that the definition of Grass Widow is ……….?” Not here at Tripwire. No way. We feel we’re doing more than enough by sharing “Lulu’s Lips” off Grass Widow’s new 12″ on Captured Tracks. You want an English lesson in addition to musical epiphanies? Then give us $40,000 instead of handing it over to your fancy private college’s admissions office. And until we receive that check in the mail, you’re just going to have to look up info on Grass Widow’s upcoming New York City shows yourself. Consider yourself lucky.
Stripped of the Shrines, the Almighty Defenders and regular co-conspirator BBQ Show (aka Mark Sultan), “Desert Mile” finds King Khan going back to basics. However, in this case it doesn’t mean a one-man, three-chord garage stomper, rather a jangly downtrodden number, fleshed out by Khan and a mysterious female backing vocalist. The two reminisce about love lost and searching for a place to call home, at times giving “Desert Mile” the feel of a Lee Hazelwood-Nancy Sinatra collaboration, a nod to the classic American song. Surely Khan’s country-western leanings shouldn’t surprise anyone, as his understanding and consistent re-contextualization of uniquely American genres (doo-wop, garage, soul, punk) has proved Khan an apt educator for children looking to delve into the annals and archives of radio stations come and gone. “Desert Mile,” along with an interview with Khan dubbed “We’re bending the spoons of our minds!,” appears on the forthcoming Viva RadioThe Best of Me + You Vol.1, along with fifty-plus other interview/exclusive cuts recorded on Viva Radio, featuring takes by Fiery Furnaces, Growing, Tyvjk, Amazing Baby, Jennifer O’Connor, Dark Meat, Fiasco and Khan co-conspirators the Black Lips.
Featuring music from: North American Halloween Prevention Initiative, Maserati, North Atlantic Oscillation, Yeasayer, Deluka, Division Day, Logan Lynn, Donkeyboy, Chromeo, Woolfy, Neon Indian, Vampire Weekend, The Yearbooks, Fanfarlo, Frightened Rabbit, Middle Distance Runner, Headlights, The Very Foundation, Bloc Party, The Soft Pack, Wolfmother, A Mountain Of One, Field Music, and Yo Majesty
