Category Archives: Indianapolis
Arbouretum – The Gathering (Thrill Jockey)
Arbouretum
The Gathering
Thrill Jockey Records
Rating: 4.5 of out 5
Link: http://www.thrilljockey.com/artists/?id=10145
Arbouretum’s fourth album, The Gathering, is dark and seductive. The frontman, Dave Heumann, developed his inspiration for this album from Carl Jung’s The Red Book. With only seven tracks, the album isn’t too lengthy, but still manages to be pretty hardy. The first song, “The White Bird” is a mellow song that isn’t heavy on the lyrics, but definitely heavy on instrumentals. The song meanders for a little over seven minutes and with its entrancing melody, it’s easy to get lost in. The second song “When Delivery Comes” is more lyrical and shorter than the first. Heumann’s voice, along with its drumbeats resonating throughout the track give this song a mystical feel. With lyrics that describe speaking in tongues and travelling into the woods, “Destroying to Save” has probably the most interesting lyrics on the album, the band describes this album as numinous and this song definitely embodies that.
“Waxing Crescents” has galloping drumbeats, and like “The White Bird” is very instrumental. The second to last song “The Empty Shell” has a solid guitar riff that makes you want to shred the air guitar, after a good minute and half Heumann’s voice cuts it off with his abrupt arrival into the song. This song is more up-tempo and is a definite toe-tapper. The last track, “Song of the Nile” is over ten minutes long, I must say it’s a little drawn out at times, but overall it’s probably the best song to wind down the album. It’s starts of loud and strong and as the track progresses it slows and mellows out a bit, but just when you think it’s about to die it comes back and swallows you up.
Arbouretum’s sound is similar to that of Deep Purple, and dare I say…Jethro Tull, just add in a little jazz flute and you’re set. Heumann’s echoing vocals and raw guitars are reminiscent of 70’s rock. After listening to this album, one would imagine that the inside of their tour bus is adorned with plenty of shag carpet, lava lamps, and a penetrating aroma of Nag Champa. Overall, I like this album, it’s music that isn’t really being experimented with lately, and I personally find it refreshing.
Cheyenne Marie Mize, At Long Last
Cheyenne Marie Mize will be returning to Indianapolis, this time performing at The White Rabbit Cabaret in Fountain Square, Saturday, July 31st.
Her breathtaking visions of parlor music, her collaboration with Bonnie “Prince” Billy, and her exquisite folk nature , this Louisville musician takes haunting sounds from the past and makes them realistically current. Her voice will sooth your soul while hypnotizing you to gaze into her expressionistic ways. It’s hard not to fall in love with her songs. With her debut solo album Before Lately, due out soon, she talks about why she decided to record a solo album now and what it means to her and the future of her career.
Links:
Cheyenne Marie Mize: http://www.shinyplaces.com/
White Rabbit Cabaret: http://www.whiterabbitcabaret.com/
You went from collaborative musical endeavors to your debut solo release. Why decide to finally record your debut? How was the transition, and did you feel more in control of this release or was it similar to your previous releases?
The songs on Before Lately were songs that I had wanted to record for myself for quite some time, but had just not gotten around to it. After last year’s touring stint I finally was able to get to the studio. All of the other recording projects I have worked on have been me doing my best to bring someone else’s songs to life. This recording is me bringing my songs to life, so just in that it was/is very different. The level of attention and effort were about the same but I was able to make all the decisions for this one, to be the “producer,” if you will.
What influenced you to write Before Lately? How did the ideas come in play?
Some of the songs have been swimming around in my head for years, others were written just before or during the recording process. So there were many different influences over that time period. The ideas generally just come- I’m not very calculated in my songwriting process, the songs just come out when they need to.
What elements do you feel stand out on Before Lately? What are you most proud of?
Although I don’t think I’ll ever choose to do this again on an album, I played all the instruments that you hear on Before Lately, except for one banjo part on “Lull” played by Ben Sollee. It was more a matter of necessity than anything, but I was really excited to try my hand at upright bass on “Rest” and take my first go at the cello on “With(out).”
How has Louisville affected you throughout the years and your songwriting?
My KY heritage definitely comes into play with a great deal of music that I play. It creeps into Before Lately with some of the instrumentation for sure. But above all it’s really the people that I’ve met- the great community of musicians and wonderful folks that I’ve had the pleasure of knowing, loving, and working with.
What influenced you to try your hand at parlor music? Do you feel adventurous with your music? What would you like to try?
Long story short I was familiar with most of these old tunes from my Music Therapy training in college. I had wanted to record them in an effort to preserve and bring them to a new audience. They are too beautiful to be forgotten. I am interested in playing way too many types of music right now. I’m doing my best to pare down.
The album does not come out for more than a month, why tour in preparation for it now? How will it benefit you?
I play music for a living. I play as many shows as I can because that’s what it takes to make a living playing music. I am just super excited to be playing some of my songs for different audiences in different cities.
Have you been to Indianapolis to perform before? If so, where, when and what was your impression? What do you anticipate your impression to be this time around?
Most recently I played at Radio Radio with the Dear Companion touring band. It was really before our tour had even started and one of our bandmembers was really sick that night so I think we were all a bit distracted…but I hear good things about the White Rabbit Cabaret and the music-loving people in your city- don’t let me down Indy!
How will your songs translate to the stage? What can we come to expect?
Right now I’m travelling with the lovely Joan Shelley (a fellow Louisvillian)- we play several different instruments to try to convey the heart of each of the songs and she sings some mighty fine harmonies. It’s definitely not the same singer-with-an-acoustic-guitar set up (not that there’s anything wrong with that).
We will be the last date on this tour, how do you feel to wrap it up here and what has this tour taught you?
I hope that it’s a great last show. Most of the shows are still to come this week so maybe I’ll have a “tell all” moment on stage in Indy where you get to hear about the inner workings of my growth as an artist…but probably not. I’d rather just play music.
10. After this tour, what are your plans?
I have lots more shows to come this summer and fall, including one in nearby Bloomington with The Hollows and The Spinning Leaves on August 12th at The Bishop. It’s been a crazy year so far and I’m not planning on letting up any time soon…
Freelance Whales Blows Into Town
The Vogue
Indianapolis
MOKB Presents: Tokyo Police Club w/Freelance Whales
Thursday, July 29, 2010
7:30 p.m.
Link: http://www.freelancewhales.com/
Since January 2009, Freelance Whales has been pouring coal into the steam train with no end in sight. You may have heard about their brief residency at New York’s Farm Colony. Or maybe you saw them standing around in a Subway station, stomping out some tunes. Or maybe you saw them on one tour with the Shout Out Louds…or another tour with Bear In Heaven and Cymbals Eat Guitars…or another…
“The tours seem to keep getting bigger and bigger,” said Kevin Read, one-fifth of the orchestrated indie-folk art pop conglomeration.
This time around, the band is packing the van to the ceiling and latching on to indie big hitters Tokyo Police Club. They are landing in Indianapolis at the Vogue, July 29th.
“There is a lot of equipment,” said Read. “When we first started, we packed the front of our 15-passenger van. All of our gear, our clothes, and us. Now we pack the back of the van. It is so packed you cannot see out the back. It is pretty intense driving because you cannot tell who is behind you. We are in talks to get a trailer.”
From city to city, it’s easier to search out more instruments for the band to add to their collection. But now instead of more instruments, they are buying better instruments, better amps, and better pedals.
“If we kept buying more instruments and more gear we would not be able to go on the road. The vehicle would be so stuffed, we would not be able to fit inside.”
All of this gear and the tours they schedule surround their debut release Weathervanes (Frenchkiss/Mom + Pop Records), released earlier this year. The orchestra of various folk and antique instruments, combined with the comforts of modern instrumentation and a group who can belt out some gorgeous melodies and harmonies combined, these are the factors that make people stop and take notice.
At first it was all about this album and celebrating the reality that it all came together. But now, they are looking to the future and while traveling from city to city like medicine men selling their wares, they are spending more time writing and working out new material in their heads, at least whenever they can.
“When you are in a van for six hours, you get out and you want to stretch your legs or get a beer. It’s hard to write on the road when the opportunity comes around. You have all of these distractions.
“We have a lot of people in the band who write. Not everyone can have a banjo or harmonium at the same time. You have to play it out in your head what a banjo will sound like, then you play it during sound check.”
With the help of their portable digital recorder, they can hash out ideas.
“We don’t have any kind of developed dynamics or structure, we just jam out ideas. It’s the ones that stick. We take these ideas and finish them when we get home and make them better.”
The band is currently getting excited to head up to the Windy City in a few weeks and perform at Lollapalooza, which is a first for them. But what they really want is a headline tour, which could be in the works. But for now it’s the art of playing live as much as they can, prepping for a UK stint of the tour, and road testing new material that consumes them.
And when they decorate the stage of The Vogue with their comfort sounds of countryside banter and tales of sincerity, you can expect to stomp your feet and sing right along with them.
Not To Miss: Bloomington’s New Wave Night comes to Tru
New Wave Night: http://www.newwavenight.com
FaceBook Group Invite: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=733546995#!/event.php?eid=101395926581339&ref=ts
New Wave Night on The Mixdown: http://www.zaptownmag.com/2010/05/dj-mason-williams-and-jonny-yuma
Who do you side with? Team beehive or Team energy dome? Which ever you represent, come on out to Tru Nightclub this Saturday, July 17, for a special Indianapolis appearance of New Wave Night and plan to dance like it was — well — 1984!
What: New Wave Night: B52s Versus Devo plus other New Wave goodness
Where: Tru Nightclub
When: Saturday, July 17, 9 p.m. to the wee hours
How Much: $3
A little bit about New Wave Night and its DJs Mason Williams and Jonny Yuma, but first the dirt:
New Wave Night began with a love for that era of music and all that it had to offer. There is nothing trendy to Mason Williams’ and Jonny Yuma’s record collection, they bring out all the platters and 7 inch collections. Usually located at The Root Cellar in Bloomington, the basement floor gets quite a workout as fans of the event flock to feel the joy and relish in the fun you will have dancing to not just all the songs you once loved, but discover rarities you may have missed or just discovered. There is something for everyone at New Wave Night, and Williams and Yuma will try their hardest to make sure you walk away with your ears and dancing feet satisfied.
Not To Miss: Child Bite with Sohns and D.O.U.G.
Links:
Child Bite – http://www.myspace.com/childbite
Sohns – http://www.myspace.com/wearesohns
DOUG – http://www.facebook.com/pages/DOUG/116797191689389?v=wall
Locals Only: http://www.localsonlyindy.com/
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (7.0MB)
On Friday, July 9, Child Bite will be power blasting the stage of Local’s Only, showcasing the best in eclectic indie rock while flexing their muscles . Transpanther (http://www.transpanthergroup.com/) will get the show started at 9 p.m., it’s $5 to get in, and Sohns (think of this Texas band as a cross between Kind Diamond and Jesus Lizard) and D.O.U.G. (a duo that, according to their FaceBook, categorizes them as an Atari being fed through Marshall Stacks on 11) will open.
Calling Child Bite avant garde is like calling the poop from your cat art. This band rips through technicalities like it was origami. It’s indie rock that Amphetamine Reptile Records and Skin Graft would mud wrestle over. The band looks into the future while wearing the glasses of the past.
On their latest release The Living Breathing Organ Summer (Joyful Noise), they are random enough to keep you on your toes without turning their sound into chopped liver. Blending a little bit of pop into their jerky rhythms makes listening to the album all that more enjoyable.
Is Child Bite quirky? Yes. Will they have you wrapped around their fingers by the end of the night? Oh..yes!
For info about their latest release, check out the Joyful Noise website: http://www.joyfulnoiserecordings.com/catalog/jnr54
