Today's Hotness: Crooked Fingers, LightGuides, Peg Simone

>> The opening number from Crooked Fingers' hotly anticipated seventh full-length Breaks In The Armor showed up on Soundcloud a few days back, which has made us all the more excited to have the record in our hot little hands. The opening verses of "Typhoon" crest and ebb while working a Southwestern motif; midway through the song things get increasingly dynamic, with some controlled, dense guitar crescendos and the introduction of a female vocal harmony. And while the distorted guitar continues through the rest of the song, it is spangled with what sounds like punchy arpeggiation on a vinyl-stringed acoustic guitar. And then suddenly there's a keyboard denoument. In a word, "Typhoon" is terrific -- check it out at the embed below. Merge releases Breaks In The Armor Oct. 11; one can pre-order the collection right here. Haven't seen the affecting album trailer yet? Have a look. Crooked Fingers, of course, is the primary vehicle of sometimes solo artist and former fronter of Archers of Loaf (and one-time member of Small 23, etc., etc., etc.) Eric Bachmann. A reunited Archers Of Loaf has been laying waste to theaters and nightclubs across North America for several months, and if you haven't been voraciously digesting YouTube videos of same, well, you clearly have a more active social life than we do. The quartet has four live dates in September, including a two-night stand at Great American Music Hall in San Francisco (ATTN: MATT GRAVES). Full dates here.

Crooked Fingers - Typhoon by MergeRecords

>> Scottish emo superlatives LightGuides crafts soaring guitar anthems, and we like soaring guitar anthems, so this is great, right? The trio -- anchored by the brothers Cowan on vocals/guitar and drums respectivly and abetted by second guitarist Martin Murray -- are days away from releasing the mini-album Samba Samba Samba, which features seven hook-filled rockers filled with amped-up sentiments and guitar work that alternates between slithering and smashing, between accented and flat-out huge. We're particularly partial to the bombastic thumper "Starboard Superhero," which opens with a chunky riff under a chirping lead, wastes little time getting to an undeniable and shouty chorus, and then stumbles into a wonderfully choppy bridge. It's ace; check the Soundcloud embed below. Samba Samba Samba will be released by the incredibly reliable Alcopop! Records Aug. 29 in the UK, on the typical CD and digital releases as well as a glow-in-the-dark t-shirt bundle, because that is how Alcopop! rolls. Pre-order that jawnsawn right here. LightGuides are in the midst of a 12-date UK tour with labelmates Jumping Ships supporting, and have apparently already recorded some or all of a follow-up EP (no word on when we'll be hearing that). Rock.

Starboard Superhero by alcopop

>> The appearance of Oktoberfest-styled or pumpkinized beer is a sure sign that the short, dark and spooky days are coming, and to complement those beers and days it's nice to have some seasonal music. Our top-of-mind recommendations for autumn listening typically begin with The Replacements' All Shook Down, although these days we may just as soon reach for Greg Lyon's wonderul 2010 solo outing Nowhere Near Poughkeepsie. But New York City-based music lifer Peg Simone, who we're told has been playing in bands for 25 years, has a smartly understated strummer with impressionist vocals that we think marvelously suits the fall. "Wait For Night" is one of a planned series of songs Ms. Simone is releasing in the lead-up to her sixth, as-yet-untitled record, which is slated to grace new release bins in 2012. The tune reminds us a bit of Barbara Manning's more free-styled compositions, like "Aramoana." Simone's most recent collection Secrets Of The Storm was issued by Radium/Table Of The Elements last year.

Peg Simone - Wait For Night by PlanetaryOnlinePR

That Was The Show That Was: Neko Case, Crooked Fingers

[PHOTO CREDIT: Flickr User SetOutRunning | We are pleased to welcome to these digital pages D.P. Dean, our former bandmate, schoolmate and all-around cool guy. We had hopes of leveraging Mr. Dean's recent stint of unemployment into some excellent Philadelphia-based reportage, but alas even in this economy Deano is far too skilled and credentialed to stay out of the game long, and as this item goes online he is prepping for the first day of the rest of his life at a new job. -- Ed.]

One of the disorienting side-effects of being on the wrong side of 30 is the feeling, at times, that your taste in music is getting "old." Or, rather, that what once was young and hip has evolved (or has been repackaged) to fit into the "adult contemporary" bin at your local Borders. Friday night's sold out Neko Case/Crooked Fingers show at the Keswick Theater had all the trappings: plenty of grey hair in the audience, ubiquitous WXPN flyers, assigned seating.

Any worries about the music itself were easily dispelled as Ms. Case treated the Keswick crowd to a 90-minute set that leaned heavily on her new long player Middle Cyclone and 2006's Fox Confessor Brings the Flood. Case has really come into her own as a solo performer in recent years (and has also become quite a supporter of retired racing greyhounds, endearing her both to this correspondent and our renowned editor-in-chief [True dat -- Ed.]). She bantered easily with her bandmates and the audience, providing a fluidity to the set during her frequent guitar changes. But the key to the performance was the power of Case’s voice -— not always obvious in her work with the New Pornographers -— and the strength of her songwriting. Case's new material continues the trend away from the simple country/honky-tonk of her early solo work toward a more difficult-to-define blend of Americana.

Throughout the set, Case transitioned easily from older favorites like "I Wish I Was the Moon' and "Deep Red Bells" to newer cuts such as "Star Witness," "The Pharaohs," and "Prison Bells," while the band laid a groove behind her, buoyed particularly by Kelly Hogan on backing vocals and Jon Rauhouse on the pedal steel. Of note was Eric Bachmann jumping in on guitar for "This Tornado Loves You" to close out the pre-encore portion of Case’s set.

Bachmann and the current incarnation of Crooked Fingers (Miranda Brown playing occasional bass and adding backing vocals, Tim Husmann on keyboards and drums) had opened the show with a nine-song set featuring a smattering of tunes from Red Devil Dawn and the band’s self-titled debut, Bachmann’s recent solo record, and of course last year’s Forfeit/Fortune [review here]. Though your correspondent was hoping to hear "The Rotting Strip," or perhaps "New Drink for the Old Drunk," Bachmann more than atoned with a rollicking rendition of "Angelina," and a spirited performance of "Your Control" (which was conspicuous for the absence of headliner Case, who added backing vocals on the album version). Truly the highlight of the set (and perhaps the entire evening) was the band’s reworking of Red Devil Dawn's "Bad Man Coming." Husmann pounded out an insistent beat on the drums, while Bachmann and Brown's a cappella harmonizing turned the song into a haunting, almost-Appalachian tub-thumper. -- D.P. Dean

[Ms. Case's tour continues through April 26. Full tour dates can be lingered over here; note that these dates are selling out like crazy, so if you'd like to see the tour, you'd best act quickly and decisively.]

Neko Case: Internerds | MySpace | YouTube | Flickr
Crooked Fingers: Internerds | MySpace | YouTube | Flickr

Review: Crooked Fingers | Forfeit/Fortune [MP3]

Not long after we got up to speed with Crooked Fingers (at the time of the release of Bring On The Snakes in 2001), the band began to background the electronics and loops that made the music so interesting to us. So, while we had very nice things to say about Crooked Fingers' Red Devil Dawn here in 2003, the ensuing releases from the Eric Bachmann-led project did not capture our imagination with the same intensity. But a recent renaissance of Mr. Bachmann's Barry Black records at :: clicky clicky :: headquarters -- as well as this recent video of Bachmann reworking his Archers Of Loaf classic "Web In Front" into a folk strummer -- renewed our interest in his contemporary work. So it was with no small amount of anticipation that we approached Forfeit/Fortune, Bachmann's fifth record (sixth if you count the excellent Reservoir Songs EP) under the Crooked Fingers banner.

The set was recorded in chunks in various locations across America, including Denver, Nashville and Tucson, and Forfeit/Fortune is overlaid with what would seem to be a corresponding variety of styles. The wall of sound that comprises the verse of album opener "What Never Comes" is underpinned with saxophones and keys; the overall effect is reminiscent of David Bowie's '80s catalog. "Give And Be Taken" may be Bachmann's funkiest composition. Bachmann does not even sing on the track "Luisa's Bones," which is driven by a dry drum machine track recalling earlier Crooked Fingers material. The clear album highlight is the soaring closing track "Your Control," a spirited duet between Bachmann and regular touring compadre Neko Case whose lyrics provide the title to Forfeit/Fortune. Bachmann says the track "almost sounds like New Order," and we definitely hear therein echoes of classic New Order tracks like "Your Silent Face" or "Age Of Consent." Of course, with Bachmann and Case's Buckingham/Nicks vocal rejoinders layered over the proceedings the Mancunian flavor is altered considerably. Even so, the song's airy synth strings and upbeat tempo give it an affecting, optimistic tone that will cause many to hit the repeat button.

Forfeit/Fortune will be released to select indie retailers and digital outlets tomorrow by Bachmann and his management Constant Artists' new imprint Red Pig/Constant Artists. In July Bachmann discussed the economics behind the decision to self-release the set in this Billboard article; he bluntly sums up in his press materials "It's not like 17 years in... big retailers are going to start giving a shit about Crooked Fingers." The act's previous record, 2005's Dignity And Shame, was released by Merge. You can watch the trailer for a DVD that comes with the deluxe edition of Forfeit/Fortune right here; the deluxe edition also carries "extended" artwork. An MP3 of the klezmer-tinged promo track "Phony Revolutions" is posted below to download. Crooked Fingers are on tour now supporting Okkervil River, and the remaining five weeks of dates are listed at the bottom of this item.

Crooked Fingers -- "Phony Revolutions" -- Forfeit/Fortune
[right click and save as]
[buy Forfeit/Fortune from Newbury Comics here]

Crooked Fingers: Internerds | MySpace | YouTube | Flickr

10/06 -- Webster Hall -- New York, New York
10/07 -- Webster Hall -- New York, New York
10/08 -- Pearl Street Nightclub -- Northampton, Massachusetts
10/09 -- Mr. Smalls Theatre -- Millvale, Pennsylvania
10/10 -- Tralf Music Hall -- Buffalo, New York
10/11 -- Les Saints -- Montreal, Quebec
10/12 -- Phoenix -- Toronto, Ontario
10/14 -- Metro -- Chicago, Illinois
10/16 -- Turf Club -- St. Paul, Minnesota
10/17 -- The Waiting Room -- Omaha, Nebraska
10/19 -- Bluebird Theater -- Denver, Colorado
11/06 -- Urban Lounge -- Salt Lake City, Utah
11/07 -- Neurolux -- Boise, Idaho
11/08 -- Chop Suey -- Seattle, Washington
11/09 -- Doug Fir Lounge -- Portland, Oregon
11/11 -- Great American Music Hall -- San Francisco, California
11/12 -- Troubadour -- Los Angeles, California
11/13 -- Casbah -- San Diego, California
11/14 -- Plush -- Tucson, Arizona

Muxtape #5: Just Like You Said, Everything Is Happening

As promised to Twitter scrapers and Facebook noseys, here is the link to the new Muxtape. Assorted notes and musings below.

1. Come -- "Yr Reign" -- Don't Ask, Don't Tell
(In an era of good feel-bad songs, this one might take the cake. Perhaps the closest Come gets to sounding like Nirvana, with the same sort of primordial, the-gods-are-against-me pathos. The title to this Muxtape comes from the terribly affecting lyric in this number. This song is a four-minute rain of sledgehammers with the word "BUMMER" embossed on one of the long dimensions.)

2. Moped -- "Does Your Back Hurt?" -- It Won't Sound Any Better Tomorrow
(We saw what might have been the final Moped show at Philadelphia's Silk City Lounge. They may or may not have opened for Idaho, those dudes with all the custom four-string guitars. We requested this song. And then they played it. And for a moment we had the world by the tail. This whole song is a best part, but perhaps the best part of the best part is the screamed backing vocal in one of the final verses. Exhilarating. We used to scream along in our silver Volvo sedan after charging 12 packs of beer to the family gas card when we were sequestered in Virginia. A memory that makes us wonder where our copy of Bardo Pond's Amanita is.)

3. Drop Nineteens -- "Delaware" -- Delaware
(Title track from important record from erstwhile Boston act. Not as catchy as "Winona" and not as epic as "Kick The Tragedy," but even so this song provides the blueprints to the exceptional first iteration of this band. With My Bloody Valentine reunited and hosting that jawn in New York state in September -- which we can't go to because of work -- and with Lilys now on the bill, the only thing that would make our non-attendance at the event more tragic would be if Drop Nineteens reformed to play this record front to back.)

4. Kimbashing -- "Ultraeasy" -- Parades Of Homes EP
(We loved the K logo this band used. The act featured future members of every Philly band except the ones you were in. We recall there was a Pro-Teen single these guys did that had a blue sleeve, and if you really want to be our friend you'll email us MP3s of that. There also may have been a 10-inch, although we may be confusing Kimbashing with Buddy Sevaris on that one. Anyway, this song requires playback at heroic volumes so the churning muck of the guitars rises to waist-level. An argument could be made that this is the best track on the Parade Of Homes vinyl EP, as Haywood's "Devon Lanes" ends up sounding relatively one-dimensional compared to the exceptional material that followed it, and Barnabys/Sweeney never quite got a version of "Tiny Ships" recorded that matched the live versions we witnessed.)

5. Drunk -- "Gizmo" -- A Derby Spiritual
(Mrs. Clicky Clicky says this song sounds like it should have been on "The Muppet Movie" soundtrack. And of course she's right. Incidentally, word is our boss' cousin, who you know from popular movies and television programs, has inked an agreement to write a new script for the Muppets film franchise. Anyway, back to Drunk. This track graced an early Jagjaguwar release. When we lived in Virginia the dude who ran Jagjaguwar was the graphic designer at the arts weekly where we sold classified ads. We can't remember any of the other tracks on the record, as this song eclipses them all.)

6. Hip Young Things -- "Gizmo" -- Shrug
(This German act's record seems largely overlooked, which is too bad. It was released around 1995 and is on par with the 18th Dyes and occasionally even the Pavements of the era. We select this one because it is good, and also because it is interesting to hear two songs named "Gizmo" in a row. Every band should have a song named "Gizmo.")

7. The 6ths -- "Falling Out Of Love (With You)" -- Wasps' Nest
(Dean Wareham sings Stephin Merrit, to thrilling effect, if your idea of a thrill is hearing songs that are sad delivered by a guy who does deadpan better than most, probably without trying.)

8. Ted Minsky -- "Porque No Hablo" -- Madame Le Ted
(A curveball track from a record filled with curveballs. We've searched the Internetz now and again to see if Ms. Minsky ever released another record besides this one on the Austrian Angelika Kohlermann label, but we never find anything. Which is too bad. This record is special.)

9. Spoon -- "Me And The Bean" -- Girls Can Tell
(Many of the songs on this Muxtape were selected in response to having watched the popular film "There Will Be Blood" Friday night. The line "I have your blood inside my heart" in this track has particular relevance. We just received our copy of the vinyl reissue of Girls Can Tell and have been enjoying it thoroughly.)

10. Blonde Redhead -- "Jetstar" -- Zero Hour Threadwaxing Space compilation
(The stylistic development of Blonde Redhead is fairly remarkable if one stops to think about it. Nothing they've done this decade has really resonated with us, but there was a time in the mid-'90s when the band was dark, dangerous and boundlessly sexxy with two x's. That time was probably after this song was recorded, as we pinpoint it to the material released on the peerless La Mia Vita Violenta record. But still, this is a stirring ballad.)

11. Crooked Fingers -- "When U Were Mine" -- Reservoir Songs
(Bachmann's spin on Prince's classic is revelatory. Great backing vocal in here. If anything, Bachmann's sorrowful take seems more appropriate to Prince's tale of the lover that would not be controlled, and the lovee too weak-willed to do anything about it.)

12. Palace -- "You Have *** In Your Hair And Your D*ck Is Hanging Out" -- Arise Therefore
(This is one of the songs that plays in the movie adaptation of the sequel to your life. Incidentally, you've been chosen as an extra. You have just been told off in the hotel lobby right in front of all the bellboys and the over-friendly concierge. She walks out. This is the saddest song ever recorded, and something about the weird mix of Oldham's voice, the creaky first-wave drum machine, guitar, piano and Albini's spare production gives this the song the impact of an entire shelf of books collapsing on your heart.)