Cougar Microbes

The sad news came through this week that legendary artist Gil Scott-Heron has passed. In many ways it was fitting that his last album ‘I’m Still Here‘ was released just last year. It was through this work, and the recent Jamie XX remixes, that a generation of new fans could discover his great body of work.

I have seen many eulogies in the past few days but perhaps the best tribute I have read comes from Justin at Aquarium Drunkard who wrote this touching post. I feel there is not much more to add. Rest in piece.

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“I could never pretend that I don’t love you, you could never pretend that I’m not your man, it’s exactly the way that I want it, it’s exactly the way that I am.“

I’ll be honest, I haven’t heard such a poetically honest lyric on love since “I’m not saying you treated me unkind, but you just wasted my precious time” from Dylan.

It would be very easy to compare this exciting gritty folk band to Mumford & Sons given their recent huge success with break neck speed pop folk. But Im not going to. So there.

‘Wait So Long‘ Trampled By Turtles from their debut album Palomino is a train on fire heading toward a raveen with a fella full of regret but not fear. It has the wisdom of Willie Nelson and the energy of the whole of Minnesota.

The finest part of this song is that not only has it kept the grit and dirt of it’s roots keeping it timeless and honest, but it’s modest in it’s effort. Even it’s over blown cacophony of strings cannot drown out the catchiest sung country chorus of the year.

This Minnesotan quintet will surely go far.

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Post by T. R Wicks

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Scoundrels are the latest addition for recently revived blues label ‘Blue Horizon’. Their trademark sound is bluesy American rock,think Matchbox Twenty but with a palpable portion of southern comfort and soul.

Title track ‘Sniff It Up’ quickly commands attention acting as a ballsy and confident rock opener whereas ‘Hangman’s Lament’ provides a more narrative nod to its country inspired sound. There’s an upsurge in pace in ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’ with unsupported vocal touches adding clout to its runaway rifts.

In contrast the final two tracks ‘Arrogance Blues’ and ‘Outta Town Blues’ rein back the pace completely to reach a slow dance state, proving just how versatile the band can be.

This fiesty five track EP has provided us with a decent taster of what’s to come and i’m pleased to say it’s flexed enough musical muscle to prove there’s more to Scoundrels than their blues background would have you believe.

In other news the band are set to release their self-titled debut album on 27th June 2011. This will be preceded by brand new single ‘Gulf Of Mexico‘ on 20th June. They have also announced a bunch of shows in this period.

Scoundrels EP ‘Sniff It Up’ is out now on Blue Horizon.

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Post by Ruby

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A huge sun and a huge moon hung in the Old Vic Tunnels as part of a cosmic art installation when I went to see Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros. It was the light and the dark, symbolising very well what the band express to the extreme, amidst a psychedelic backdrop of beautiful wierdness.

Alex Ebert takes the bright side of their sound and takes it away from the demons and the bad memories and gives us his debut solo album; Alexander.

It seems as if, rather than a departure from Edward Sharpe, Ebert just had too many ideas and too much zest for life to be able to wait for the next album. His rasping yet joyful wails float dreamily upon distant eukele, and guitar echoes, whilst rhythm is rarely more than the shaking of a tamborine or a hand clap. And it needn’t be more. The more lo-fi sound, suits what is Ebert‘s biggest asset; his massive voice.

Had Ebert been around in the summer of love in San Francisco he could have been at the center of the face painting and the casual fornication, and converted thousands to his visions and great music. Not that he doesn’t have this now, I just doubt he hears quite as many cries from audience members as “I’m going to get naked because I’m free and I can! Who’s with me?!” Or maybe I’m wrong.

The truth is, despite the beautiful pictures Ebert paints, he’s actually a very diciplined song writer, that carefully crafts his sound into accessible songs. ‘Old Friend‘ sounds like a long lost folk tale from the turn of the century sang into a canyon. Whereas ‘Lets Win!‘ could be a country song from the early sixties that sounds so familiar, yet fresh sounding enough to brighten any Monday morning.

‘Glimpses‘ is an epic confession that because Ebert‘s voice is so raw, sounds like it was sang on the spot, and as with ‘Bad Bad Love‘, his voice couldn’t be more evocative. It’s like Dylan if he was a little less of a miserable sod.

Basically, Alexander Ebert sounds like an epic travelling gypsy who has told his tales far and wide giving him a true gift for writing and performing. This is course ss opposed to the kind of singing travelling gypsys who I usually encounter that sound like they should be gently put down.

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Post by T.R Wicks

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Cougar Microbes caught up with Little Tybee‘s vocalist Brock Scott to discuss the “nuclear” family, viral hysteria, bringing back the mullet and LA rich little white girls. Here is how it went:

Cougar Microbes: What time did you wake up today? Was it out of choice or necessity?

Little Tybee: I woke up at 8 this morning. I’m usually the early riser. a.m.is usually between 12- 3 pm for the rest of the band (we all live together).

Nirvana and I went to go see a nuclear power plant outside of Cartersville, GA this morning so we were up earlier than usual today. There is a small Edward Scissorhands neighborhood directly outside the gates of the power plant. Kids are playing in the streets, wives are pruning their questionable perennials and an overwhelming Niagara of ignorance floods the whole scene.

CM: How do you kill time on the road, hobbies?

LT: Josh is often our entertainment on long drives. He usually reaches that state of delirium hours before the rest of us… Throw a smart phone with Internet access in the mix and you’ve got enough viral hysteria to last from New York to Dallas.

CM: What has been your favorite venues on your latest tour? Any Venues you hated?

LT: We played a house show in Marion, VA on our way up to NYC. We have an old friend who lives there on a beautiful farm in the mountains. She has a baby grand in her living room that faces a breathtaking view. She invites a bunch of people to hear us play and then cooks the most delicious food for everyone. Paradise is a word that is flawed in its description of this place… I wouldn’t say we “hated” any venues on this last tour. Some were more fun than others but it was a pretty solid tour overall.

CM: Any plans to visit the UK any time soon?

LT: We would leave on the next flight out if travel weren’t so dang expensive… We are hoping to be over the pond by years end. You can donate to our travel fund at paypal (account). We are well past the point of subtle fundraising. heh

CM: Are you able to write on the road or do you do this in your off time?

LT: Our touring experience is much different than that of bands with higher budgets and buses. Our first two tours were done with 5 people in one Subaru Forester, without a trailer, driving for 7 hours a day.

When all you are thinking about is how uncomfortable and hungry you are; songwriting is one of the farthest things from your mind.

CM: Favourite track off the album and why?

LT: We each have different songs on the album that appeal to us for different reasons. My favorite bounces between “Passion Seekers” and “Revolutionary”. I really enjoyed singing with Adron on ‘Passion Seekers‘. I think our voices flow together nicely.

Usually the rule of thumb for me is that our newest song is going to be my favorite.

CM: If you could record any cover what would it be?

LT: We are working on a cover of the Family Matters theme song and also Paul Simon’s ‘St. Judy’s Comet‘.

CM: Do your songs go through many revisions via demo recordings?

LT: We do most of the recording at our house in Atlanta. Since we aren’t restricted to a studio clock of any kind, we are a lot more open to trial and error with our compositions. If we find we don’t like something in a song a couple of months down the line, we just go back and re-record it. Our songs change so much the more and more we play them.

We look at our recordings as almost a time capsule of the song. Buried in shallow shallow soil; They are ever evolving in intricacy. We do make demos of the songs but they are never heard by anyone except for the band and are used mainly as a writing tool.

Its always interesting going back and listening to those early demos after the song has been fully recorded. It’s like looking back at a picture of your 80’s hairstyle. We are bringing back the mullet!

CM: What is more important, the lyrics or the melody?

LT: I approach each song differently. Some songs almost write themselves lyrically. These songs more often then not have a narrative progression that tends to follow a more repetitive chord structure. For the songs that are more musically complex; I will usually wait to see what the rest of the guys come up with and then figure out how and where to throw vocals into the mix. I think lyrics and melody are both very important in songwriting but I wouldn’t put one over the other as every song we write has a different voice and story to tell.

CM: What are your views on auto tune?

LT: I find the dehumanizing qualities of auto-tune intriguing as a commentary on the accessibility of simulated talent. However, in our pursuit for the bionic man, there are still those who can see the marvel in our natural abilities. Charles Spearin is a multi-instrumentalist who is most known as a member of Broken Social Scene and Do Make Say Think. A few years back he released an album that featured conversations he had with his neighbors on the subject of happiness.

Spearin then took the recordings and, based on the cadences and inflections of the conversation, composed arrangements around the musical qualities of the human voice. In his case, the conversations paved the route for the melody of each song (see here). I wanted to note Spearin’s process because he works in the opposite direction of auto tune. Instead of approaching the voice as a flawed attempt at perfection, he uses his talents to glorify the inherent beauty every voice possesses.

On our last stint in NYC we became friends with The Gregory Brothers. They have made a name for themselves for “auto tuning” the news. Unlike Spearin, they use auto tune as a tool in which to almost violently force melody and pitch upon random lines of speech. They usually have a comedic approach and are obviously not trying to fool anyone. It really works for them and I would consider The Gregory Brothers as artists utilizing technology.

Auto tune is a tool like a pen to paper. Some still prefer to use quill and ink and their craft is revered for it, but I’m not one to shun the progression of tools in the arts. As auto tune technology becomes more and more refined I’m sure we will see a sort of Vonnegut-esque vocal utopian society where we all have processed voices that allow every father to read bedtime stories to his son wielding the voice of Patrick Stewart.

CM: Any other band/bands from your local scene we really should know about?

LT: I couldn’t begin to name all of the bands worth checking our in Atlanta because there are so many amazing musicians filling the woodwork here. A few of my favorites: Adron (Which has 4 of the members of Little Tybee in it), Book of Colors, Noot d’Noot, REPTAR, Cousin Dan, Sealions, Venice is Sinking, Jeffrey Butzer, Oryx and Crake, Tealights, Hello Ocho, etc…

CM: Most flattering thing you’ve read about yourselves?

LT: It’s seems like I only remember the insults we get about our music…heh. Our Youtube channel gets some pretty awesome zingers. Here are a few gems: “they do a really good job of sounding like a Dave Matthews cover band” and “The motherfucker on the 8-string has more talent in his fingers than the rest of the band” We are accepting more insightful reviews on our facebook.

CM: What was the first record/tape/cd you ever bought?

LT: I have a pretty random and late blooming music history. I listened to a lot of classical music growing up as my parents were avid NPR listeners. When my brother finally drew me into rock music the first CD I remember buying was Red Hot Chili Peppers‘ ‘Blood Sugar Sex Magik‘. I loved their sound was so new to me and I would dream about what it would be like to be in a band like that.

CM: What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

LT: That “Friday” song by Rebecca Black. God bless LA and rich little white girls.

CM: What was the last show you paid and queued up for?

LT: I remember growing up in Savannah, GA and not really have much of a music scene. So whenever a good musical act came through town I was sure not to miss it. But in Atlanta, there is great music every night of the week and after a while you start to get numb to it. I try to keep the feeling in me.

We go to a bunch of local shows throughout the week but those shows seem almost like visiting the family after a while (Love you Grandma). I’ve got Paul Simon and Fleet Foxes coming up in May. I’m Excited for those.

CM: If you had to bring an artist back from the dead in exchange for sending a living artist down, which artists would it be and why??

LT: I’d really love to see Ray Charles play live and living. Georgia has the most beautiful state song because of him. Django Reinhardt and Wesley Willis would be cool as well. Maybe they could all form a super group! I’d pay for that.

I don’t know if I could send anyone to the afterlife in exchange though… Life is to short as it is…

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Last month we featured Coyol‘s retro aesthetic mentioning that the band were planning to release six individual EP’s for each track in time for the start of September.

Now the duo have unleashed the second installment in the shape of ‘Gone Gone‘. The track took failing relationships and the feeling of hopelessness as a way to inject some authentic emotions into this song. The result is bleak but moving

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As part of their NEVER HIDE campaign Ray-Ban have been involved in all sorts of cool events this year including a massive water gun fight at SXSW, a sweet Iphone app as well as continued support for Northern Irish stalwarts Two Door Cinema Club on their current tour.

We are teaming up with the legendary eyewear company to give away some Two Door Cinema Club t-shirts from the band as well as a Ray-Ban NEVER HIDE frame (as shown in the video) to a lucky Cougar Microbes reader.

To enter the competition is answer the following question:

Which item would you NEVER HIDE at a live concert?

Winners will be picked at random on the 1st of June. Submit your question via the comments below, our facebook page or by tweeting directly to @cougarmicrobes.

Good luck!

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When a band of 20-somethings announce they are releasing a ‘ concept album,’ the proper reaction is generally scepticism. Even Manchester Orchestra’ s loyal fans may have had their doubts. But the ‘ concept’ is not your usual fantasy bus ride through self-indulgent musicianland—it is the searching journey of a 23-year-old songwriter, as he struggles with God, marriage, and life’ s difficult questions.

‘ Simple Math’ is not an album for the faint of heart; there is a gravity and a weight to every song that reaches beyond the typical alt-rock formula. There were hints of this on the band’ s previous two albums—particularly “ I Can Feel a Hot One” from their sophomore release—but this new album seems to perfect the style. The topics tackled on the album range from the spiritual to the everyday, but always in a questioning, thoughtful manner. Maybe it’ s because I’ m 24 and gearing up for a quarter-life crisis, but I was drawn to the vibrant honesty of this admission of youth’ s doubts and discomfort, even when you’ re not quite young anymore.

The first release from ‘ Simple Math’ is the title track, a well-crafted and well-chosen single. If Manchester Orchestra had a recipe for creating this dramatic, forceful song, it would most likely be one part emotive vocals, one part stirring use of a strings ensemble, and two parts honest and skilful songwriting. Lead singer Andy Hull is also the primary songwriter for the band, and this song showcases his talents as a lyricist. True to the album’ s theme, the song is structured around hefty questions and doubts—a series of “ what if…” questions that build gradually into a forceful bridge climax. “ Simple Math” has all the power and intensity of a great Snow Patrol song, but without the ad nauseam radio airplay. The second single, “ April Fool,” is more upbeat and energetic, with the vocals of Motion City Soundtrack and the guitar chops of Biffy Clyro.

After cutting their teeth on tour with top acts like Kings of Leon and Biffy, the boys of Manchester Orchestra head out for a headlining tour through America this month. The album was released on May 10—but you can a;sp unlock and stream it now from the band’ s website by correctly solving a (debatably) simple math puzzle.

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Post written by Emily

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