Big, rad Bar Mitzvah
Stomach bounce, ears bleed, Black Dice
Bubbles and arcade

Sufjan Stevens

Circulatory System


Amazing dude in the lobby



Black Dice

Wayne Coyne checking out Atlas Sound

Antipop Consortium

No Age chillin

Shellac

Deerhunter


Animal Collective

Words & Photography by Jenn Hernandez

The good weather continued for giddy Outside Lands second day concert-goers eager to soak in as much sun as possible while also getting their fest on. As we listened to a smooth Raphael Saadiq croon from the main stage – who started out dressed in a three-piece suit to later strip down to a rolled-up collared shirt – it was worth admiring the diversity in the crowd as well as the lineup we were about to drink in. We had metal time with Mastadon, the most magical five minutes with Bat For Lashes, and rumpshaking with TV On The Radio courtesy of Tunde Adebimpe’s hips, all in the course of one day.

The big news of the night, however, happened at 7:40 p.m. at the Twin Peaks stage. As I got situated in the photo pit, The Mars Volta were into their second song and more or less blowing out my ear drums. My camera was in love with singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala, following him everywhere he went: handstands, spazzing and tossing the mic stand effortlessly into the air. At one point, he dived belly first onto the floor, popped back up, grinded against his mic stand, and then shuffled off to the side of the stage to drink tea out of a white mug.

Bixler-Zavala then grabbed the sign adjacent to the band that spelled out “THE MARS VOLTA” in giant capital letters, hocked it on his back, and then proceeded to kick the shit out of it, breaking it in the middle before nearly throwing everything into the crowd and grabbing another photographer’s camera in the process. All photographers were promptly bounced out of the photo pit breathless, and I was just glad to not have been caught in the crossfire. Best ten minutes of the whole weekend.

Other boring highlights included:
- find out trampolines really are as good as you remember from childhood
- the awkward hug I received at the Hug Station
- the Os Mutantes broken string incident
- TVOTR absolutely dominating “Wolf Like Me”
- Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox not knowing who else was on the festival bill with his band: “Who is Conor Oberst? Is he a singer?” (after being clued in by an audience member: “Oh, you mean Bright Eyes?”)
- eating something called a cookie pie
- nearly getting demolished in the photo pit during The Mars Volta set, but getting bomb Indian food to make up for my near-death experience

Sadly, news of DJ AM’s untimely death the day before had gripped everyone, and lots of people in lines, drinking near each other, or standing near one another in the crowds discussed the tragedy.

Raphael Saadiq

Portugal. The Man

Mastodon

Os Mutantes

TV On The Radio

Deerhunter

The Mars Volta

That extraordinarily long mess of letters in the headline is either the birth of a breathtaking new word whose meaning and definition will be determined at later date, OR it’s just a metaphor for what your brain’s going to look and feel like should you catch three of indie rock’s marquee names on stage together simultaneously this summer.

Dates for No Age, Deerhunter and Dan Deacon’s collab-o-rama were just announced by Pitchfork today, the site also reporting that all three will actually be playing together at once, to help flesh each other’s song out further. So, not the “round robin” originally reported but something much, much more interesting.

Are You Reading This?

I don’t know if I would be.

In 2009, how does one offer an over-saturated musical blogosphere another column worth reading? How does one differentiate themselves from the legions of blogs offering the same imitated or emulated musical opinions as the next? Can we expect a Darwinian effect that will see the demise of websites and blogs that have no sustainable reason for their existence? Or can we expect a continued influx of under-qualified and over-spoken neophytes wanting their own site on Wordpress? I voiced my online-existential anxieties to Stuart Berman (of Pitchfork Media and Eye Weekly) a few months ago. “Where is there left to go? What’s left to offer when there’s already a Pitchfork, already a Rolling Stone, already a BBC, etc.?” I asked, knowing full well the impossibility of actually addressing such inquiry in a casual discussion. He was unbothered. “Honestly, good writing is good writing. At the end of the day, that is the stuff that will make it.” Touché, Stuart. Cynical Me wanted to say, “Well, easier for you to say when a part of wildly reputable organization with a cult-like following.” Reasonable Me stops Cynical Me from actually saying it.

I talk to Derek about this.

mcranston: How does a music blog sustain itself?
derek: realistically, or theoretically?
mcranston: both …
derek: theoretically, it’s through ads and sponsorships, etc
derek: but realistically, it’s traffic
mcranston: isn’t that more realistically?
mcranston: theoretically, i think blogs sustain themselves through constant updates, contemporary relevance, and expositions of new bands.
mcranston: realistically, it’s obviously just about money.
mcranston: and site traffic is intrinsically linked to money.
derek: yeah, i agree
derek: ultimately good content will bring people in
derek: or i should say, keep them there
derek: but honestly, that’s not so true
derek: it’s really about luring them in
mcranston: Exactly.
mcranston: and that’s the question I’m trying to ask.
derek: it can also mean a big exclusive story or MP3
mcranston: okay …
derek: the first site to post an Animal Collective MP3 is going to get a ton of traffic, so it’s a game a little bit. bit then a pfork or fader they have a built in audience, so they can kind of expose new people and not worry about whether they have enough “big” content on their site.

We don’t get very far and my queries subsist. How does any music blog sustain itself? Berman’s right: patience, trust in quality writing, patience, a unique voice, patience and some sort of cohesive/organized body. Granting these elusive qualities, what then is the ultimate aspiration of the Music Blog? Perhaps to present a mode of thinking that allows the reader of any genre to appreciate a sound or style to which he or she may not commonly gravitate (I guess?). Successfully articulating why an artist is worth listening is no easy task. Most websites don’t accomplish this feat, and few writers come close. Besides, this presupposes the reader is willing to read past the rating.

Being Jaded Is Easy

The torrent of information has already flooded and we’re bored and stagnant. The stories on Stereogum take two minutes to read. Pitchfork’s precise numerical grading system renders a careful reading of the actual review completely extraneous (i.e. an 8.1> is worth getting when you have time, an 8.8> should be downloaded within the day). Hipster Runoff is the absolute pinnacle of a frighteningly self-aware (and self-referential) media that has come to realize the ridiculousness of its environment. It’s like a fish being aware he swims in a fish tank. William Bowers, under the Puritan Blister pseudonym, recently explored Twitter’s insidious effect on the written word. To synthesis his article (though his distinctive prose should encourage a close reading): Bowers worries about the ADD of today’s technological culture and its affect on aesthetic taste (and cerebral development). Is the 140-character limit Twitter all we have to say? Whereas Bowers worries about the macro state of reading and writing, I worry about being read at all. Sure, I post the occasional link on my Facebook page when an album is really fucking good, but familial support via social networking sites only goes so far.

It’s tough not to worry I’m the journalistic equivalent of a Pitchfork echo. What am I to offer other than further confirmation that Animal Collective reign over indie-rock, or that TV on the Radio are the celebrated post-Dubya era band, or that Joe Satriani is suing Coldplay? Hell, even further, how do I strive to not become a Pitchfork-related derivative while simultaneously lauding Deerhunter, Fucked Up or Okkervil River?

Attracting Readers

I’ve given great thought how to attract more readers to The Tripwire, particularly in the vein of new sections. But most of my suggestions were predicated on sensationalist or dumbed down journalism: giving a ranking system to our album reviews, offering 250-word controversial opinions that would at least “get people talking” or just writing trivial details on our favorite bands (you know, like, who Sufjan’s dating). Inevitably, the question comes down to site credibility and reputation. Do we want to be the Perez Hilton of music journalism? After all, Hipster Runoff is as nauseating as it is funny. Actually no, the question comes down to attracting a large and consistent reader-base. How do I get you to read our site more? Is it a matter of venerability?

mcranston: okay, so with the sites that don’t necessarily have the fortune of a “built-in audience,” how do they establish one?
derek: that’s the “game.” one is persistence. doing something well and doing it over time. the other, which is easier for sites that specifically post news (like us and Daily Swarm) is SEO-friendly titles and the kind I like to consider “yellow journalism” that help lure people in
derek: but yes, also having a unique angle like hipsterunoff
derek: oh, and social networing assets, but that’s a whole other conversation

I can only hope it’s venerability. After all, my blog created this past summer, In The Gnar, joined the landfills after just one entry (but what an entry it was).

Effable Solipsism

Can I talk my shit again?

I suppose it takes the most vain (and dubious) of solipsists to open a column with self-referential concerns. It’s very Klosteran-esque to be reviewing oneself in the first place, let alone with such scrutiny. But my considerations are not ill founded. I honestly don’t know if you’re reading his. I don’t receive feedback. I don’t know how many of you there even are.

mcranston: Puritan Blister by William Bowers of Pitchfork is one of the best columns I’ve read on a music website
mcranston: he’s wildly erudite. his prose is unique. he’s complicated. a very fascinating read,
mcranston: so why do you think his column isn’t a staple among p4k readers?
derek: you just answered it
derek: he’s wildly erudite. his prose is unique. he’s complicated.
derek: people want simple and easy to understand
derek: Filet Mignon is amazing, but more people eat MacDonalds
derek: I guess what I’m getting at is it’s so broad and generalized (his topic that is) that people don’t really understand what Puritan Blister is until you delve into it
derek: which is why it’s so great
mcranston: Yes.
mcranston: so with that in mind, what lessons do we take for this column here
mcranston: – simple idea?
derek: I think the answer is talking to these people who’s opinions we take as “experts”
derek: because that allows you/us to delve into these very broad and expansive topics under the veil of a very simple concept

Or maybe I need a change of scenery. Writing in Starbucks is too cliché, too rom-com-esque, too “You’ve Got Mail”-ish. I need to start smoking, and get a type-writer, and probably grow a better beard. I bet that’s how Pitchfork does it.

Three bands. One stage. No, it’s not another festival line-up announcement. It’s the second coming of the round robin, and this time Dan Deacon’s bringing his whole band and playing alongside No Age and Deerhunter.

The round robin concept has all three bands set up on stage at once, alternating songs, just as Deacon did this past fall. It’ll all be going down this summer. According to Pitchfork, no dates or venues announced yet, just epic, pants-wetting excitement. Brace yourselves for the full details coming in the next few weeks. In the meantime, you can follow Dan Deacon’s current tour via his blog on Impose.

California’s Nite Jewel, also known as Ramona Gonzalez and Emily Jane, just released their latest album, Good Evening, this past March, right around the time we saw them in Texas. Now the avant dance-pop duo will be taking to the road again in support of the album, when they go on tour later this Spring accompanying some of our favorite bowlers.

Nite Jewel has already toured with the likes of Deerhunter and Glass Candy this year, and will now be out with Telepathe for seven North American dates and one show opening for Abe Vigoda at The Smell in Los Angeles this June.

Nite Jewel tour dates
05.28.09 – Los Angeles, CA (The Smell)
06.04.09 – Oakland, CA (Oasis)
06.05.09 – Eureka, CA (Aunty Mo’s)
06.07.09 – Olympia, WA (Northern)
06.09.09 – Vancouver, BC (Biltmore Cabaret)*
06.10.09 – Seattle, WA (Chop Suey)*
06.11.09 – Portland, OR (Holocene)*
06.12.09 – San Francisco, CA (Bottom of the Hill)*
06.13.09 – Los Angeles, CA (The Smell)*#
06.16.09 – Costa Mesa, CA (Detroit Bar)*
06.17.09 – Pheonix, AZ (Modified Arts)*
* w/ Telepathe
# w/ Abe Vigoda

Deerhunter is releasing a new EP called Rainwater Cassette Exchange digitally in May and on CD and vinyl in June, and since we are big fans of Bradford Cox and all of his projects, we’re assuming that this new EP will be a great follow up to last year’s Microcastle. But that’s not for us to decide, so take a listen of the first single, which is also the title track.

The new EP will be released, once again, on Kranky, and was recorded at Rare Book Room studios in Brooklyn, with the help of, once again, Nicolas Verhes. If the new track is any indication, Rainwater Cassette Exchange will follow a similar formula to Microcastle, seeing Bradford stick to a more constructed tone, maybe pulling the reigns in on his noisey world even a bit more. The new track has a vaporous feel, yet stays true to the Deerhunter sound we’ve become familiar with. And while it sounds as though Cox may have pulled out some unused Atlas Sound loops and thrown them into the mix for “Rainwater Cassette Exchange”, it looks as though Deerhunter is becoming more of a “real” band sonically, leaving the weirdness to solo endeavors.

MP3 Download

Rainwater Cassette Exchange track Listing
01. Rainwater Cassette Exchange
02. Disappearing Ink
03. Famous Last Words
04. Game of Diamonds
05. Circulation

The line-up for San Francisco’s second annual Outside Lands Music & Arts festival has been announced. The three-day festival will take place in late August at the Golden Gate park, and headliners include Pearl Jam, Beastie Boys, M.I.A. Dave Matthews Band, and… Tom Jones. (If that’s not enough to make you want to go by itself, than we don’t know what to tell you.)

The festival runs from August 28-30, and along with it’s diverse line up, the event offers some of the best food and wine in the California region, as well as providing various eco-friendly options — like recycling and a solar powered cell phone charging station — for concert-goers.

Along with the aforementioned headliners, other acts on the roster include Modest Mouse, TV on the Radio, Mastodon, Built To Spill, Atmosphere, Deerhunter, Portugal. The Man and Matt and Kim, among a whole bunch more. Tickets for the Outside Lands Music & Arts festival go on sale this Sunday, April 19, at 10 a.m. Some of the proceeds for each ticket sold also go to a good cause, helping benefit San Francisco’s Recreation and Park Department.

Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival Line-up
Pearl Jam
Dave Matthews Band
Beastie Boys
Incubus
Black Eyed Peas
M.I.A
Jason Mraz
Ween
The Mars Volta
Thievery Corporation
Modest Mouse
Band of Horses
TV on the Radio
Dead Weather
Atmosphere
Tom Jones
Silversun Pickups
The National
Q-Tip
Brett Dennen
Built To Spill
Mastodon
Raphael Saadiq
Calexico
Os Mutantes
Midnite
JJ Grey & Mofro
Kinky
Deerhunter
Lila Downs
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
The Dodos
Bettye LaVette
Dengue Fever
Heartless Bastards
The Dirtbombs
Lenka
Akron/Family
John Vanderslice
Matt and Kim
Portugal. The Man
The Morning Benders
The Duke Spirit
Zee Avi
Blind Pilot
SambaDa
Ryan Bingham
West Indian Girl
Extra Golden

The ever-prolific Bradford Cox of Atlas Sound and Deerhunter releases another installment of his virtual 7″ series. Landing the #2 spot on our Best of 2008 list, The Tripwire welcomes any additional material from Cox’s solo project.

Posted last Thursday, March 19, the brief 7″ contains “Solo or the Square” and “Memorial Corridor”. The former features a calypso arpeggio over top Cox’s marked wash production. “I got tired of the good life,” he sings in his token murmur. “Memorial Corridor” patiently follows seemingly directionless synth noises until the bedroom-pop melody kicks in.

Click here to download the 7″ off Cox’s blog.

Many musicians try different sounds, vibes and configurations before hitting on one that seems to ring true. Josh Thomas had been through a couple of different bands prior to landing on the post-shoe gaze freak-out that is Kansas City’s High Diving Ponies.

There was Bodisartha, the Nirvana/Mudhoney alterna-grunge band that released two albums. Then came The Spidermums, a band the released a few EPs and got a mention in Pitchfork for their cover of The Amps’ “Bragging Party” that appeared on a compilation with Deerhunter. “Pitchfork is always looking for a reason to write about Deerhunter so I guess that’s how I wound up on there.”

But with High Diving Ponies, Josh says he wants to go in a entirely different direction. That’s one of the reasons his previous band is no more. “Bodisartha was too heavily associated with the Nirvana and the music I was making wasn’t fitting into that mold anymore. I just wanted to do something different.” Hence, High Diving Ponies.

The band pieced together with members of KC bluescore band The Factory Workers (Justin Brooks on drums and Al Amador on bass) along with friends Steve Williams on cello and Kyle Pugh on guitar. Although Thomas said he had the songs written before putting together the band, High Diving Ponies is not a one-man band. “We’ve come up with a lot just fucking around at practice. These guys bring out things I would have never thought of. The next record will be a totally collaborative effort.”

Thomas sights My Bloody Valentine, The Flaming Lips, Vivian Girls, Boo and Boo Too and The Beatles as music favorites that lead to the creation of HDP and a sound he affectionately calls “danger pop.” It is a swirling dream of effects, acoustic/electric guitars and vocals that sound like they were recorded in a room a thousand years wide. Traditional song craft, melody and structure stand hand in hand with anarchy and chaos. The three songs on the band’s MySpace page (“Muppets”, “Meatheads” and “I Smell Like Smoke”) are a step in the right, unsettling direction.

An album is in the works but Josh is taking his time with the release. “Hopefully it will be out this summer,” he said. “We’re almost done recording it but I want to sit on it a month and then go back and listen to it and make sure we still think it sounds right. There’s no rush to release it.” When it is released it will be on Circle View/Chomp Womp. And he will go the old school route: it will be DIY cds with spray painted covers — and if they can get the plates done cheap enough, Josh says he’d like to do vinyl, a limited run of about 300.

Though he considers him part of the “Chomp Womp Family”, a collective made up of Kansas City/ Lawrence, Kansas bands Baby Birds Don’t Drink Milk (previously featured in Notes From Middle America), Rooftop Vigilantes and many others, he stops short at calling himself part of the KC music community. “It’s not really a good scene,” he said. “There are no good radio stations, no good zines but there are some good venues. Maybe it is a good scene. I don’t know, I’m not part of it. I’m doing my own thing.”

If doing his own thing consists of surrounding himself with great musicians making strange, dreamy, at times violent and always thought-provoking music, it’s ok if he’s not part of a conventional scene. He knows what he wants to do, he’s good at it and that’s scene enough.

High Diving Ponies – “Muppets”

Many musicians try different sounds, vibes and configurations before hitting on one that seems to ring true. Josh Thomas had been through a couple of different bands prior to landing on the post-shoe gaze freak-out that is Kansas City’s High Diving Ponies.

There was Bodisartha, the Nirvana/Mudhoney alterna-grunge band that released two albums. Then came The Spidermums, a band the released a few EPs and got a mention in Pitchfork for their cover of The Amps’ “Bragging Party” that appeared on a compilation with Deerhunter. “Pitchfork is always looking for a reason to write about Deerhunter so I guess that’s how I wound up on there.”

But with High Diving Ponies, Josh says he wants to go in a entirely different direction. That’s one of the reasons his previous band is no more. “Bodisartha was too heavily associated with the Nirvana and the music I was making wasn’t fitting into that mold anymore. I just wanted to do something different.” Hence, High Diving Ponies.

The band pieced together with members of KC bluescore band The Factory Workers (Justin Brooks on drums and Al Amador on bass) along with friends Steve Williams on cello and Kyle Pugh on guitar. Although Thomas said he had the songs written before putting together the band, High Diving Ponies is not a one-man band. “We’ve come up with a lot just fucking around at practice. These guys bring out things I would have never thought of. The next record will be a totally collaborative effort.”

Thomas sights My Bloody Valentine, The Flaming Lips, Vivian Girls, Boo and Boo Too and The Beatles as music favorites that lead to the creation of HDP and a sound he affectionately calls “danger pop.” It is a swirling dream of effects, acoustic/electric guitars and vocals that sound like they were recorded in a room a thousand years wide. Traditional song craft, melody and structure stand hand in hand with anarchy and chaos. The three songs on the band’s MySpace page (“Muppets”, “Meatheads” and “I Smell Like Smoke”) are a step in the right, unsettling direction.

An album is in the works but Josh is taking his time with the release. “Hopefully it will be out this summer,” he said. “We’re almost done recording it but I want to sit on it a month and then go back and listen to it and make sure we still think it sounds right. There’s no rush to release it.” When it is released it will be on Circle View/Chomp Womp. And he will go the old school route: it will be DIY cds with spray painted covers — and if they can get the plates done cheap enough, Josh says he’d like to do vinyl, a limited run of about 300.

Though he considers him part of the “Chomp Womp Family”, a collective made up of Kansas City/ Lawrence, Kansas bands Baby Birds Don’t Drink Milk (previously featured in Notes From Middle America), Rooftop Vigilantes and many others, he stops short at calling himself part of the KC music community. “It’s not really a good scene,” he said. “There are no good radio stations, no good zines but there are some good venues. Maybe it is a good scene. I don’t know, I’m not part of it. I’m doing my own thing.”

If doing his own thing consists of surrounding himself with great musicians making strange, dreamy, at times violent and always thought-provoking music, it’s ok if he’s not part of a conventional scene. He knows what he wants to do, he’s good at it and that’s scene enough.

High Diving Ponies – “Muppets”

Wandering while the stage was being turned around for Deerhunter, we found the secret stash of free shit in the back, with Up The Antics doing screen-printing, handing out swag, and Rock Band set-ups for our inner guitar hero to emerge at. Also making an appearance was The Ice Cream Man who set up shop from within a car trunk and handed me a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. I teared up a little bit at the sugary goodness at my fingertips, moving on to then gripe to my concert partner about my lack in smooth moves (“How do I know he’s hitting on me? And if I’m doing it back? WHY CAN’T WE JUST KNOW, OMG”).

But nothing could have prepared us for the audio that Deerhunter’s subwoofers were about to deliver to our asses. I think that perhaps I lost part of my right eardrum and all sonic-detecting capabilities for three days from the show. Massive layers and impressive walls of sound blasted throughout Mezzanine, and at one point I realized half of the audience was starting to move towards the back of the venue purely because the volume was that monumental. Singer Bradford Cox chatted with the audience in songs, though I was too distracted by his arms that seemingly had been swapped out for PickUp Sticks (Does he eat? Can I take him to dinner?).

Songs like “Nothing Ever Happened,” which carried more of a melody and catchy chorus, translated well to merit some toe tapping. I found myself comparing them to a less creepy Radiohead with Kasabian’s singer on vocals. But stuff like “Wash Off” nearly killed me, literally; I felt my heart panic from within my chest going “WTF dude!!” from all the reverb, and the guitars just swarmed all over the audience, being peaceful at first to then lay some serious assault. I walked out screaming at everyone unknowingly and hearing a “Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep” in between my ears. I think I need to start wearing ear plugs. Overall though, I was impressed with what the four-piece could deliver; I just think I’m going to stick to the MySpace page. Besides, I had to get to bed early anyway…happy hours awaited the next day.

It’s almost February, which means it’s definitely time to start the official countdown to Noise Pop 2009 — especially with the announcement today of more confirmed additions to the line-up, film fest picks and opening night party details.

Confirmed to play the fest as of today are Matt Costa, Kool Keith, Flosstradamus, David Dondero, Colossal Yes, Built For The Sea, Mike Relm, The Hooks and The Dead Trees. They join the list of previously announced bands that include Antony and the Johnsons, Ra Ra Riot, No Age and many others.

The festivities start in San Francisco on February 24 with an opening night party featuring live music, art, DJs and a special performance by Deerhunter. The event is free for all Noise Pop badge-holders, with limited additional tickets offered to the public. Closing the event will be a show by Les Savy Fav on the night of March 1.

Noise Pop is also presenting a night of free music at the downtown San Fran Apple store, featuring Themselves, Rainbow Arabia, Yoni Wolf and Boy in Static.

The Noise Pop Film Festival also returns this year, featuring (among others) Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, I Need That Record: The Death (Or Possible Survival) Of The Independent Record Store, Ashes of American Flags and Gogol Bordello Non-Stop: A Gypsy-Punk Documentary.

Advance tickets are available now through Noise Pop. They’re planting a tree for every ticket sold, so you can hear really good music and feel good about yourself. What will they think of next?

They’re being nice and calling it a postponement, but if you had tickets to see Deerhunter on their month-long tour leading up to the Breeders-curated All Tomorrow’s Parties in May then you’re out of luck.

According to a report on Pitchfork, Bradford Cox and co. will be putting their European tour on hold due to “unspecified health reasons,” with the dates to be rescheduled “soon.” The tour, which was to start in Prague on February 11 and end on March 11 in Dresden, Germany was postponed in it’s entirety, but the band still expects to play the Breeders-curated All Tomorrow’s Parties festival in Minehead, England May 15-17.

Since we’re holding our breath to find out if Microcastle is, in fact, Pitchfork’s number one album of the year, we thought we’d give the lead single another spin.

Deerhunter – “Nothing Ever Happened”