The musical superduo Ashtar Command, composed of Chris Holmes (Sir Paul McCartney‘s go to DJ) and Brian Liesegang (Founding member of Filter) first showed up on our radar with a track on the PS3 game ‘Red Dead Redemption‘. Their debut album ‘American Sunshine‘ was an unexpected and delightful revelation.
Chief Cougar Microbes collaborator Kyle hailed it as an “incredible masterpiece that should be known collectively throughout the web as the most underrated album of 2011 .
The album is slightly conceptual, non-surprisingly themed around an “American Sunshine” indie-super-collabo-album idea. Which basically means they have everyone from Har Mar Superstar, Rachel Yamagata and Alex Ebert, to Joshua Radin and Z. Berg doing their thing.
However it never feels that these artists were just added in ‘just because’. There is no gimmick here, its pure music. The tracks combine a range of haunting algorithmic synth-outs to indie progressive rockfests that leave your ears and soul wanting more.
Hopefully Holmes and Liesegang feel that yearning and continue to release incredibly original and unique musical experiences long into the future. If 2012 isn’t the end of the world that is“.
Recorded in his off time from touring this album sounds like the stripped down extension of his Edward Sharpe persona. Ebert dips into and mixes different influences from Dylan to Springsteen in what is a spontaneous mix of ideas all loosely linked under the folk umbrella.
Cougar writer Thom said “although Alexander Eberts solo effort didn’t quite match the epic ‘Up From Below‘ of his dayjob, what it did deliver was painfully pretty and haunting concise pop songs. It is modest, timeless and irresistible“.
Last month Cougar Microbes took over Tom Robinson‘s Now Playing @6Music program selecting some of our favorite tracks. By popular demand here is a full audio version of the show as well as the live tweets that accompanied it.
Every time I think I have covered every possible angle I could write about Alex Ebert and his Alexander project (or indeed anything Edward Sharpe related) he’ll surprise me in one way or another.
For example he could re-offer us the single ‘Truth’ - which we featured back in December- only this time featuring a guest verse by Wu-Tang legend the RZA.
His contribution is so elegant it’s hard to imagine it ever not being there.
I get the feeling we will be featuring a bunch of other Alexander tracks.
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.
Back in the summer of 2009 I caught Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros storm through their first London performance in the intimate surroundings of The Lexington in North London. Their debut album ‘Up From Below’ was already a regular fixture on my ipod and would deservedly end up as this sites number one album of the year. That night it was immediately obvious to me and the 100 or so people in attendance that we were witnessing something very very special and, dare I say it, spiritual.
In the time since the multi-membered musical cult have played shows across the planet charming and seducing new audiences along the way. Their name has been steadily rising as the music press and blogs began to pay attention helped in no small amount, I’m sure, by the mass appeal of standout track ‘Home‘. My immediate fear when I found out about these upcoming London performances was that some of the intimacy I had observed back in August would be lost on a larger audience.
The counter argument of course is that that that their heightened success has given the band the freedom to further their creative ideas. Ideas like playing 5 consecutive nights at The Old Vic Tunnels for example….
As far as London goes I haven’t experienced many venues as concealed as this one. It took us a good twenty minutes to find despite it only being 5 minutes from Waterloo. On any other day this may have resembled one of the many graffiti blanketed passages in the area but a throng of people outside as well as a massive Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros mural were kind of a giveaway.
Walking into the venue we were presented with a carnivalesque mood with performers and art installations all around. After being frisked by some alien cops (and being rewarded with sweets for it) we wandered around the venue stumbling across one crazy happening after the next. In between massive moon and sun effigies and wandering characters we witnessed a Mardi Gras style funeral whilst avoiding the overpriced beer in the Texan Tavern. The band were not due on stage for another hour but arguably we were already starting to get value for our money.
All of these side shows would have counted for little if the music had not been up to scratch and that was soon put to the test. With the introductory sounds of ‘Janglin’, the band’s de facto anthem, playing over the PA the 10 or so members began zigzagging their way right through the audience to reach the front. With an outbreak of smiles hitting both the stage and the audience the band burst into their first number and I was reminded of what made me fall in love with The Magnetic Zeros to begin with.
The band effortlessly reeled off big tracks like ‘Up From Below’, ‘Carries On’ and a spooky rendition of ‘Desert Song’ inducing mass sing-alongs at every possible occasion. Their sound has seemingly evolved after constantly tourign so that these songs appear to be much bigger and much more of a collective effort in comparison to the recorded versions.
This impression of cohesion and harmony was reinforced by a succession of band members lining up to play “their” songs. This gave us a chance to hear a new song fronted by cool as ice guitarist Christian as well as a sweet Simon & Garfunkel like number titled ‘Every Part Of You’ by excitable pianist Aaron. The highlight of course was hearing the amazing Jade Castrinos deliver a spine chilling rendition of ‘Fire & Water’ which was previously released only on their ‘Itunes Sessions’ EP. With so many talented musicians and vocalists on stage every song culminates in an explosion of melody and energy.
No Edward Sharpe review would be complete without a mention of frontman Alex Ebert. Even in those moments when he is not directly involved in the singing you feel you can’t take your eyes off of him. The shamanistic singer guided his band mates and the crowd throughout the night creating a very real connection. Spending a good portion of the set in the middle of the dance floor he is, as ever, the charismatic cult leader shepherding his followers along the path to ultimate enlightenment.
A brilliant rendition of ’40 Day Dream’ peaks and soars but by this point you got the feeling that half the crowd were waiting for one thing in particular. Of course they wouldn’t be disappointed as the familiar guitar and whistle intro of ‘Home’ eliciting a huge cheer. I fear that this may someday become the band’s equivalent to Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ but for now they still manage to play it with gusto. Compared to the last time I saw them there was noticeably less interaction between the protagonists Alex and Jade as they sung they parts. As a result the song took on a spiritual significance rather than a romantic one but was not worse off for it.
With the glorious notes of ‘Om Nashi Me’ ringing around the venue this would have been a fitting conclusion to a brilliant night but The Magnetic Zeros had more yet more surprises in store. After inviting the audience to a serving of milk and cookies (yes, really!) on the way out they continue continue playing for an extra hour or so just outside the venue surrounded by hundreds of new and old adoring fans.
It would have be sufficient to just show up and play a few songs but once again it feels like I have subscribed to a complete audio-visual experience. It’s precisely this willingness to always go the extra mile that makes this crazy talented bunch a true delight to witness live.
More than anything I get the feeling that Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros are having fun doing what they are doing and most of all having fun being together. Perhaps that is the secret to their magic.
Having only just recently bigged up a new Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros track because it DIDN’T feature the vocals of Alex Ebert, something you can forgive when considering the lovely Jade Castrinos takes over vocal duties, I feel I should immediately compensate.
The idiosyncratic frontman has had a busy year; On top of recording an ‘Itunes Sessions‘ EP with ‘ES&MZ, being on a seemingly non-stop tour and releasing a new album with his original band Ima Robot he has also found time to unleash his first solo single under the Alexander identity.
The track ‘Truth‘ is not a million miles away from ‘Up From Below‘s more introspective moments once again radiating a feel that is ”like a Sergio Leone picture“.
It will be interesting to see how he balances all these projects in 2011 as we await new EdwardSharpe material.
Before Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros showed up on the map lead singer Alex Ebert was the frontman for Ima Robot. Now he has returned to his first love with a brand new Ima Robot album entitled ‘Another Man’s Treasure‘.
Gone is the spikiness of the earlier material from the band replaced with a more reflective and dare I say more complete sound. Check out the awesome live action and animation video the band made with director Noaz Deshe for the track ‘Ruthless‘.
to feature an array of amazing releases and artists (past, present, old and new) with the goal of promoting them to anyone interested and anyone who stumbles across this site.
If you like any of the tracks, please go buy the albums and help finance the artists producing this great music.
If there are any issues with the tracks featured do not hesitate to contact: "team (AT) Cougar Microbes (DOT) com and we will happily oblige.
The musical superduo Ashtar Command, composed of Chris Holmes (Sir Paul McCartney‘s go to DJ) and Brian Liesegang (Founding member of Filter) first showed up on our radar with a track on the PS3 game ‘Red Dead Redemption‘. Their debut album ‘American Sunshine‘ was an unexpected and delightful revelation.
