Made the Cougar Microbes Top Albums of 2011 list here
2: Kanye West & Jay Z – Watch The Throne
Made the Cougar Microbes Top Albums of 2011 list here
3: Atlas Sound – Parallax
Made the Cougar Microbes Top Albums of 2011 list here
4. Thurston Moore – Demolished Thoughts
For those who don’t know Thurston Moore he’s the genius behind Sonic Youth. With his solo work he offers something very different from the raw material that characterizes his band. This album is very personal, folky and acoustic, oh and it’s produced by none other than Beck. Perfect on a rainy autumn day.
5. John Maus – We Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves
John Maus sometimes sounds so stereotypical that we might wonder if his music is just a big joke ! Everything is exaggerated and weird, from the way he inserts strange sounds when you least expect it, or his obvious nonstop mimicking of Ian Curtis. It’s a lot to handle, but somehow it works perfectly.
6. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues
Made the Cougar Microbes Top Albums of 2011 list here
7. Cut Copy – Zonoscope
Made the Cougar Microbes Top Albums of 2011 list here
8. Nicolas Jaar – Space is Only Noise
Jaar is only 21, but he already released one of the most acclaimed and talked about album of the year. I think that says it all.
9. The Kills – Blood Pressures
Made the Cougar Microbes Top Albums of 2011 list here
10. Metronomy – The English Riviera
Made the Cougar Microbes Top Albums of 2011 list here
Following the success of Fleet Foxes‘ debut self titled album interest in their follow up was understandably high.
Cougar writer Jazmin added them to her year end list adding: “Fleet Foxes embody everything about why I love indie-folk- consistently brilliant albums, and consistently wonderful live shows, both of which combine simple musical elements to make complex songs. ‘Helplessness Blues‘ maintains that holy grail- 12 songs of heart-rendering songs that mix modern day indie rock with elements of 1960s Americana.
Whilst, third rate bands such as Mumford & Sons continue to claim that they are flying the flag for folk, Fleet Foxes are actually doing exactly that without all the fanfare developing meticulously crafted albums that radiate musical authenticity”.
Our girl Olivia added “Like The Beach Boys, I always thought of Fleet Foxes as the type of band that has the ability to project a cute and naïve image while still managing to sing about death and quasi-Nick Cave-esque songs without people really noticing. I just love this ambiguity. This album is darker than the previous one, Pecknold‘s voice more prominent and confident, but other than that it’s almost the same perfect recipe from their self titled debut.
Imagine Ian Curtis singing ‘Near Wild Heaven‘ by R.E.M. That’s pretty cool, right?
‘Werefolf‘ is one of two stadium sized and uplifting yet dark country pop songs, downloadable from Daddy Lion‘s debut EP ‘Habitat‘ released later this year.
It has the wide open ethereal space of the early nineties but with modern production and some pretty beguiling backing vocals. Although, I reckon if you played this through a record player it could sound as classic and timeless as The Byrds.
There’s plenty of artists who can put a contemporary take on folk, but not many that do it with such bold and evocative execution.
The best thing about ‘Werewolf‘ is the way the backing vocals mix with the wall of synthesizers. Well chosen notes and almost Fleet Foxes style howls that reverberate through the night, whilst the synths are the sunset dissappearing back behind a thick forest waiting for ‘Werewolf‘ to descend. I’m assuming there is an actual werefolf involved and it wasn’t just a figuritive one. I will of course, carry on assuming.
‘The Scientist’s Lament‘ is a breezier breeze. One could say that it makes one almost want to run screaming like fuck over rolling hills on a warm summer day just because it conjures up images of montages that include this sort of outlandish behaviour.
“You never know, do you?” Daddy Lion calls across from one side of a reveen to the other. And you know what? You bloody don’t.
We caught up with the five members of Tigercatsthrough the medium of email to discuss playing public toilets in Berlin, Rebecca Black as well as the best way to part your hair.
COUGARMICROBES: What time did you wake up today? Was it out of choice or necessity?
GILES: 9 out of necessity, 10.30 after I went back to bed through choice.
JONNY: About 11.45. And yes, out of necessity. I went back to bed about 6.30pm – it’s been a good day.
LAURA: About 9.30am. Necessity. Had to go meet a friend, but I suppose it was also my choice to go meet said friend.
CM: Describe Tigercats to the uninitiated?
STEFAN: I always say poppy indie, rather than indie pop. Bit of Buzzcocks, bit of Tom Tom Club, bit of Violent Femmes. All pretty poppy. Not much shoegazing. Not much shoes, even.
CM: How have you been killing time when on the road when, hobbies?
JONNY: Horse!
DUNCAN: Allo Darlin taught us how to play Horse. If you see a horse you have to shout “horse”. Mike also taught me and Jonny how to play Suck Out, you get a plane full of celebrities and then the window breaks and the all get sucked out the last one is the winner.
STEFAN: The van wasn’t ever working long enough for boredom to be a real issue
CM: What have been your favourite venues to play? Any Venues you hated?
JONNY: That toilet in Berlin was pretty awesome.
DUNCAN: We played in an old public toilet in Berlin with some German punks and a semi-naked Goth. I think that is why Jonny enjoyed it so much.
STEFAN: I liked playing the Betsey Trotwood a lot. Far too small and sweaty. Ideal. Plus it was the first show we put on ourselves and we got to pick the support (Omi Palone and Moustache of Insanity) and they were both aces.
CM: Is there a song you are simply sick of playing?
STEFAN: Nah, we’re still full of wide-eyed wonder with the world – we love all our songs as if they were our children. We’re a bit new as a band to be refusing to play the hits.
CM: What is the songwriting process like for Tigercats. Are you able to write on the road or do you do this in your off time?
DUNCAN: I have started talking to unfinished songs as though they were people. If they come to me when I am on a bus or such I ask them to come back later. This is something Tom Waits does, obviously to more success.
CM: Favourite Tigercats track and why?
JONNY: ‘Jonny‘, for obvious reasons.
DUNCAN: We have a song about being in love with a man called Jonny. Its not about Jonny. And its not my favourite.
CM: If you could record any cover what would it be?
GILES: ‘What Presence?!‘ by Orange Juice
JONNY: ‘I Don’t Want To Go To Chelsea‘ by Elvis Costello.
DUNCAN: I would like to cover something by Leonard Cohen maybe ‘In My Secret Life, or ‘Boogie Street‘ or ‘Don’t Go Home With Your Hard-On‘ or ‘Memories‘.
LAURA: I really want to cover something like ‘Don’t You Want Me‘ by the The Human League…or ‘Everywhere‘ by Fleetwood Mac.
STEFAN: ‘September‘ by Earth Wind and Fire
CM: Do your songs go through many revisions via demo recordings?
DUNCAN: I used to make demos of all the songs and bring them to the others but now we write them all together from the start.
GILES: Oh yes. We ain’t playing nothing till Jonny‘s happy with it. He’s a perfectionist and we secretly love him for it.
STEFAN: Yes, I secretly quite like Duncan‘s demos but he doesn’t do them any more – I thought we were going to sound like No Age when I heard them.
CM: What came first, the lyrics or the melody?
DUNCAN: Melody
CM: What are your views on auto tune?
LAURA: It’s funny when you autotune people talking and put it on the internet.
GILES: I love auto-tune when it’s used as an outlandish effect, like it is in a lot of middle-eastern pop music and by Lil Wayne and the like. Bands who use autotune to attempt to cover up what they perceive to be failings in their records aren’t fooling anyone but themselves. I once had a singer in my studio break down in tears when I told her I didn’t have auto-tune. She presumed it was industry standard, but I think we were talking about different industries.
JONNY: I love Rebecca Black. This doesn’t need to be included in the interview – I just wanted to let you know.
CM: Any other band/bands from your local scene we really should know about?
GILES: Owl and Mouse, and Moustache of Insanity. Heart-breaking ukulele pop and exhilarating casio madness.
DUNCAN: Omi Palone, Fever Dream, No Cars, Hexicon
CM: Most flattering thing you’ve read about yourselves?
LAURA: That I remind someone of Daria.
DUNCAN: this isn’t something I read about my self but I heard that you should change the way you part your hair so that it looks bad in the mirror because in actual life it will then look good, so i have gone from a life long left parting to a new right parting. So far my life hasn’t really changed.
This doesn’t need to be included in the interview either does it but I do want to talk more about this.
STEFAN: I often get worried about the side I part mine on too. I have a secret fear that I might have changed it at some point by accident and it’s been wrong ever since.
LAURA: I parted my hair on my left side for the longest time, but then last year I started parting on the opposite side. Presently I have a front fringe, so don’t have to worry so much until my hair gets too long again.
CM: What was the first record/tape/cd you ever bought?
GILES: ‘Bad‘ by Michael Jackson.
STEFAN: “Pump Up The Jam: The Album” by Technotronic — but that was a pirated copy from the Ford plant at Halewood on Merseyside, so not sure if it counts
DUNCAN: Shaggy‘s ’Bombastic‘
CM: What was the last song that got stuck in your head?
GILES: Something by Standard Fare. You should definitely check them out too.
STEFAN: ‘Blue Skies‘ by Irving Berlin. It was written in 1926 and it feels like it’s been stuck in my head ever since
CM: What was the last show you paid and queued up for?
GILES: I think it was Wolf Eyes.
JONNY: Howe Gelb and a Band of Gypsies.
LAURA: Fleet Foxes. Brilliant.
STEFAN: Houdini
CM: If you had to bring on artist back from the dead in exchange for sending a living artist down, which artists would it be and why??
DUNCAN: i would not do this.
LAURA: John Lennon back in exchange for Justin Bieber. I don’t think this needs explaining.
DUNCAN: I dont think Justin Bieber should have to die for us Laura what’d he do?
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…
When it comes to music, Brooklyn seems to be the land of cool. From The Velvet Underground to Sonic Youth, TV on the Radio through to MGMT (and this list can go on and on), whatever the generation, when you hail from BK you are seemingly ahead of the pack and, somehow, able to generate something new and ‘different’ that will shake the music world. Snowmine look set to follow this blueprint.
This indie psych-pop ensemble is set to release their debut album ‘Laminate Pet Animal‘ on the 3rd May, and something tells me they will not stay unnoticed. Fronted by new-classical music composer Grayson Sanders, the five-pice offers richness and diversity encompassing tribal beats, echo pedals and classical orchestrations.
The album shows a surprising ability to juggle between the pop-rock rhythms on tracks such as ‘Penny‘ to more afrobeat/tropical sounds on the likes of ‘The Hill‘. The strongest aspect is the frontman’s magically soothing voice which is reminiscent of Fleet Floxes‘ singer Robin Pecknold.
Needless to say that they will naturally be compared to the likes of fellow Brooklynites Yeasayer, Grizzly Bear or Dirty Projectors. Furthermore their sound undoubtedly fits that beach surf indie wave that is currently so en vogue. But instead of blindly following the current like countless other acts Snowmine’s intriguing style is representative, to follow the theme, of gloriously riding a wave.
Their inspiration comes from love, lost and found and forest trips, and this clearly transpires through their music. With its vibrant melodies ‘Laminate Pet Animal‘ is definitely a perfect record for this summer.
AspenSails are a British folk duo who have just brought out their first EP titled ‘Maud’. The release shows its credentials by skilfully interweaving crystalline melodies and great vocal harmonies without ever over stepping its boundaries.
The promising tracks are reminiscent of the folksy ways reintroduced on the American west coast by the likes of FleetFoxes, although AspenSails may still be searching for their killer single. Still, the band is in its infancy so there will be plenty of time for that.
As a collection of songs this release is perfect to warm hearts in the cold winter.
As I write, The Middle East are fresh off the back of a handful of January shows in native Australia opening for indie-folk heroes GrizzlyBear. A fellow Cougar scribe recounts an awkward performance from the Townsville outfit in support of OkkervilRiver last year in which the three-piece stumbled their way uncomfortably through a short set.
However, on the evidence of 2009 EP ‘The Middle East’, a reworking of 2007 album ‘The Recordings of The Middle East’, these Antipodeans are growing comfortable in the company of more acclaimed piers such as the aforementioned GrizzlyBear, Iron & Wine and Fleet Foxes. Complimenting the spacious song-writing this release is crafted with tasteful, minimalist production. The glockenspiels and sparse pianos on standout track ‘Blood’ in particular refresh the palette and leave the listener thirsty for more.
Let’s hope The Middle East are growing more at ease in front of audiences as the stages seem set to only grow larger.
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.
