Handsome Furs Thursday, Jay Reatard Friday

Wolf Parade has so many like-minded spin offs that I'm starting to wonder if the name "Wolf Parade" is more a state of being (or sound) than a band.

Handsome Furs, not Sunset Rubdown, who will also be at the Echoplex, completing a dynasty of Wolf Paradians, tomorrow. People are comparing it to Bruce Springsteen's butt-jean record, Born in the USA - which means I'm buying a ticket. Both are repped by big time indie labels - Jagjaguwar (Dinosaur Jr, Bon Iver) and Subpop (everyone that's good).

Also, Aquarium Drunkard is sponsoring the speed-punk Jay Reatard on Friday at the Echo. Be sure to stop by for pizza, and some serious teeth-rattles. Reatard is on Matador records.

Both bands have new albums coming out the next few months, so look out for that.



Handsome Furs - Radio Kalingrad

Handsome Furs - I'm Confused

Dinosaur Jr. - Daytrotter Session

Dinosaur Jr. did a heavy-as-bear-fur set for Daytrotter a few days ago - further proving their two-day stint at the Troubadour in LA (June 22, 23) is going to melt amps like plastic cups.

Not to mention proving their new CD, Farm, is going to be way more than a Pearl Jam rip-off, as I've heard people mumbling about. Dinosaur sound is gruff but eerily sentimental, a vein running deeper than the usual cock rock. Take what you want from it, but in the absent of Jack White's lo-fi rock, we all need some love.

Dinosaur Jr. - I Want You to Know

Concert Review: Cotton Jones

On Friday, Parsons Redhead opened up for Cotton Jones. Since I last saw them at Spaceland, a soporific acoustic show, they have sufficiently Conor-Obersted themselves, pouring heavy alt. country steel guitar all over their music. Something about it was off to me, like it wasn't genuine.

"Last night while we were sleeping / I had a dream that we were talking"

Usually, this kind of lonely folk gives me the chills. Perfect for the warm bar and the cold beer - but this was different. It felt forced, like they were trying too hard to be Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Damn if I wasn't tapping my foot along with the music though - they were good at it.

Cotton Jones is from Nowhere-Maryland, which is extraordinary considering their sniper accurate sound: the nostalagia of Motown and soul, a sadly moaning steel guitar. The came on unpretentious and leaderless - it was unclear at first who was the frontman for the band. Quickly resolved by the vintage coat wearing, kind-of-drunk Michael Nau. His song writing skills are fairy tale-esque, dark and startling good:

"My mother kissed me between the eyes / I called it love"

or

"I just wanted to tell you / All the demons have been slayed"

NPR compared Cotton Jones to Beach House, here, but I disagree. Cotton is more out of time. Listening to their best song, "Blood Red Sentimental Blues," (see below) I forgot where I was. For a few minutes, it could have been a prom dance in the fifties, or stoned on a couch in the seventies. I certainly wanted to be the hell out of a major city: their music is rural and starry.

Low-fi folk is not new, but this is different. After Parsons Redhead, I was fiery with opinions about the genuineness in modern folk bands. There's a way to play music that speaks without being asked or want you to know it, it just is - that's the music, the record, that follows you around, the lyrics morphing with your life as you grow up. Parsons had the "right" sound, but it wasn't genuine. There was something condescending about it. Good folk, I think, happens regardless of what you think about it - because it's a person's unfiltered pain or loneliness.

Half way through Cotton Jones magically real show, they played a ballad. It was gorgeous. Michael Nau's voice cut through the yapping crowd like a trumpet, and Whitney McGraw matched him on the organ. It hit the ceilings.

Cotton Jones is not too lo-fi that you miss it. At times it felt formless and drifted, but Nau had a swagger about him that always saved it. Their harmonies were beautifully constructed, and they owned it. There was no question, no affecting the kind of music they were playing - it's just what comes out of their instruments.

Cotton Jones - Blood Red Sentimental Blues

Cotton Jones - Gotta Cheer Up

Grace Around the World

A few years ago, Mojo asked Jimmy Page what he was listening to. He said one name: Jeff Buckley.

This week Grace Around the World came out, a super-special edition of the timeless CD. In honor of this, Rolling Stone is putting out some seriously cool podcasts from artists and musicians on the power of Jeff Buckley's music. Today's interview from Duncan Sheik is especially touching.

Ryan Adams singing about New York always reminded me of Buckley - especially the beautiful song Blue Hotel:



Jeff Buckley Podcast Rolling Stone Jones - Duncan Sheik Up

Cotton Jones Tonight, Clues Tomorrow

In Los Angeles today and tomorrow, there's a couple of fun shows - Cotton Jones at Spaceland and Clues at the Echoplex (part of a bad ace summer lineup).

For some news roundup, they just announced Conor Oberst a the Echoplex, John Vanderslice is playing with the Tallest Man on Earth the end of June at the Troubadour. Before that, Dinosaur Jr and Holy Fuck (playing with the Crocodiles). It's a good summer.

Hot Rock in the Field

Filmed in a field in Texas, with the guitarist from My Morning Jacket, which makes my knees all buttery. This is a track from Dan Auerbach's solo album Keep It Hid. He's one of those bearded rock stars that should consistently be putting out albums to replace the withdrawls I have for De Stijl-like White Stripes.

The Dodos (Not the Damn Miller Lite Commercial)

Pitchfork TV has a bad-mother session of the Dodos playing Red and Purple / Eyelids. The big clumps of snow falling made me instantly want to be in Brooklyn. For those who saw them at Sasquatch, I salute you.