Webcuts Music

Having spent a large portion of 2010 writing and recording with Roky Erickson and touring as his support band, Okkervil River haven’t exactly been laying on their laurels. A 12″ single “Mermaid” slipped out quietly late last year, but we’re sailing ever closer to the release of their 6th album entitled I Am Very Far [...]

Dynamite Steps the new album from Greg Dulli’s The Twilight Singers is an extraordinarily cohesive album in every aspect: from production to the vocals, the masterful songwriting to the clever sequencing. Grunge guitar workouts give way to piano balladry, shoegaze meets folk and punchy rock. These are all anchored by that remarkable voice which ranges from ragged roar to velvety tenor to strained falsetto singing of love, libido, mortality and the devil. A couple of weeks before the release we spoke with Greg, a man who has seen more than his share of highs and lows in his twenty odd year career, clearly relaxed and affable, about all things dynamite and twilight, from the gutter to the (guest) stars.

Originally they were The Muslims but now they have a less volatile name, The Soft Pack, and a more polished repertoire as heard on their self titled debut. Presently in Australia for the Sunset Sounds festival when they were last here Dave and Brian had some quality time with Static’s Chris Berkley who got to the beginnings of how the band formed, that name change, the San Diego and LA rock scenes, surfing, the prestigious honour of being covered by Nada Surf and the possibility of covering some Australian indie classics.

So that was 2010. What does Webcuts remember most about it? It’s hard to say, really. The landscapes shift, the memories flickr and 365 days blur into one long unending soundtrack. One thing our favourite tracks of 2010 all had in common was that they appeared like one night stands that lingered a little longer than usual, almost all of them attached to a singular memory of the song being performed, either from a distance or elbows resting on the stage in mute admiration, or maybe just there emanating from a speaker aimed direct into our inner consciousness, refusing to budge.

So that was 2010. What does Webcuts remember most about it? It’s hard to say, really. The landscapes shift, the memories flickr and 365 days blur into one long unending soundtrack. One thing our favourite tracks of 2010 all had in common was that they appeared like one night stands that lingered a little longer than usual, almost all of them attached to a singular memory of the song being performed, either from a distance or elbows resting on the stage in mute admiration, or maybe just there emanating from a speaker aimed direct into our inner consciousness, refusing to budge.

Alternative rock bands of America you’re not fooling anyone with your “we love the beach” attitude. We know you’re too enchanted by leather jackets, guitars, thin limbs and pale skin to actually venture to the beach, let alone surf, except for video shoots. Another band to add to the list which includes Surfer Blood, The [...]

New York electronic-pop duo The Hundred in the Hands get a Parisian cafe style acoustic makeover for La Blogotheque. Shot by indie film deviant Vincent Gallo the disco vibe of the single version (and electricity vomiting effects of the original video) are replaced by mellow guitar harmonics effects, a gothic synth line and a more pronounced rendering of Eleanore Everdell’s mellifluous voice which could fool many people into thinking the band are French themselves so well do they blend into the Gallic surrounds. Taken from their self titled debut LP out now on Warp/Inertia, the song is called “Pigeons” but it’s not actually about those rats with wings instead being about longing, escape. And sex. Obviously. The band have also released a 60min mix of music that has inspired them which includes disco/soul (Roy Ayers), indie (Grizzly Bear, My Bloody Valentine), post-punk (X, The Fall, New Order), electro-pop (Depeche Mode) and hip-hop (Run DMC). It’s a pretty damn good mix which you can listen to at their website.

Sometimes the best music is just under your nose, as in literally right under your nose on your desk hiding in a spindle of CDs. That’s what happened with Melbourne’s Black Cab as after receiving a promo of their third album Call Signs mid last year it was put on said spindle and largely forgotten about until the video for the first single, the chugging rock epic “Church of Berlin” was seen, which quickly made me hunt out the promo disc and give it my full, rapt attention. With Calls Signs recently being given an European release we talked to Andrew and Steve about their visit to the sunshine state, the sexiness of “Sexy Polizei”, the allure of Germany as a source for lyrics, covering alternative classics and new recordings.

It seems Stars’ Amy Milan has a passenger along for the ride as the band recently announced that she and dad to be and co-member Evan Cranley are expecting their first baby due March 2011. Hang on… March 2011, isn’t that when Evan said they were aiming to tour Australia? Expect bottled milk instead of vodka in the rider from then on but in the meantime they’re cramming in as many US dates between now and the end of the year. Also we reveal dates for The Church’s “An Intimate Space” acoustic tour of Australia and Passenger’s “Golden Thread” wonderful video clip.

Brooding psychedelic rock with some Zeppelin-esque undertones, Canada’s Black Mountain let loose on their third.