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February 13, 2006
Frog Eyes for the Wolf Guy
First things first, let me apologize for two things:
1: The incredibly lazy title. Shameful.
2: Yes, I know that Gorilla vs. Bear beat me to the punch on the Sunset Rubdown track. My fault for waiting/ taking a break from blatantly blogging at my job.
Man's gotta pretend to work sometime. Anyway...
When describing new bands, a reference point is only effective if folks can easily conjure up a mental idea of what something might sound like. So, in the mountain of press for last year's champion of a Wolf Parade album it makes sense that indie heavyweights Arcade Fire and Modest Mouse where the most mentioned. Your average indie fan was likely to know what that might sound like, and feel free to start getting psyched up. Busting out the more marginal description of "Frog Eyes-esque?" Not so much. I mean the Vancouver B.C. freak out squad definitely has a growing cult presence, the mere sight of their name isn't going to be responsible for setting thousands of hearts on fire.
Clearly, it's a comparison the band might be more comfortable with, as evidenced by the double FE name drop in a recent Pitchfork interview;
Arlen Thompson: "We have a pretty strong, more musical kinship with Frog Eyes than with Modest Mouse."
Dan Boeckner: "Some of my favorite records have these weird open-ended statements like The Golden River, the Frog Eyes' record, which is kind of an open-ended statement about I guess, movement, movement of people. In so many of those songs people are fleeing somewhere-- right?-- there's an exodus. And then you take another record of theirs like The Folded Palm, which is more about city life-- it seems like that whole record focuses on some mythical large town, this metaphor for a big city."
This close musical tie is even more apparent in the new EP by the Sunset Rubdown, the side project of WP co-frontman, Spencer Krug. In predicting a terrifying post-Wolf Parade future at the end of last year, I failed to take into account the fact that Mr. Krug was already happily following his own more obscure muse right now. Maybe there's hope for our boys yet. Obtuse keyboard art 4eva!
the Sunset Rubdown - Three Colours II
While the backing track is unquestionably sunnier than your average Frog Eyes cut, the real similarity here comes in Spencer's vocal delivery. He sings in breathy run-on sentences, a quivering desperation complicating the jangly guitar. Both bands successfully use this method to suggest a narrrator seeing a world of frightening clarity, but struggling to relay their impressions. In the rush to communicate, the urgency of the skewed wordplay fails to provide a concrete meaning, but provides passion in earnest.
In spite of the similarities, Krug deserves originality points for the songs's neatest trick. 2:20 in as the lyrics give a shut ins point of view, as a tempest of multi tracked moaning voices simulate a wind tunnel howling at the window pane. The sonic results are impressive as SK's voice takes on an even more desperate tone, alone, facing down the chill outside.
Wolf Parade - Claxxon's Lament
Exhibit B
A cover of an unreleased Frog Eyes song that appeared on the CD for the Believer's 2005 music issue. It was sort of the Silver Surfer to Apologies to the Queen's Mary's hype Galactus (love for the nerds) and might have slipped some by unnoticed.
With no official release it's hard to say, but it's difficult to imagine a Frog Eyes recording of this track being so subdued. Even their slow songs are frought with psychic tension due to the caustic vocal inflection. With a hushed and echo drenched sound, the surreal lyrical content is put on display. The mix is rich, incorporating non standard Wolf Parade elements like a mournful Roxy Music style horn part and what could be the faded voice of recently deceased children's choir on the chorus melody.
Frog Eyes - the Oscillator's Hum
But its a tall order to out Frog lead Eyes' man Carey Mercer. About as catchy as this band comes, but also characteristically uncompromising. A maniac stomp from it's first seconds, it slows down to console with the cryptic "It's a pity, It's a pity, It's a pity your baby died," before overlapping it with the non sequitar yell, "idon'tdodrugs, idontdodrugs, idon'tdodrugs, I don't DO drugs!"
Whatever you say, Carey.
Compare and contrast for yourselves, as the Sunset Rubdown opens for Frog Eyes in a typically eccentric stagger across North America this May.
Tour Dates
5-3 - Portland, OR - Holocene
5-4 - Seattle, WA - Crocdile
5-6 - Victoria, BC - Logan’s
5-9 - Calgary, AB - Broken City
5-12 - Winnipeg, MB - Collective Cabaret
5-13 - Fargo, ND - VFW
5-14 - Mount Vernon, IA - The Orange Carpet in the Commons Building, Cornell College
5-17 - Northfield, MN - Cave, Carlton University
5-20 - Montreal, Quebec, El Salon
5-24 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
5-25 - Cambridge, MA - TT the Bear’s
5-26 - Hanover, NH - Fuel Rocket Club, Dartmouth University
Click here for;
Sunset Rubdown via Absolutely Kosher records
Wolf Parade via Sub Pop records
Tags: Frog Eyes, Sunset Rubdown, Wolf Parade
Posted by Jeff Klingman at February 13, 2006 11:37 AM
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