Webcuts Music

Ah, Barcelona, your beaches are beautiful, your women are smoking jewels (literally), and this festival by the beach (really an explosion of concrete by the seaside) is clearly the diamond in the rough for the travelling roadshow of bands that litter the skies with one thing in mind – a paid holiday. With a selection of acts that suited this weary hack like a good pair of tight jeans and a band tee, Primavera was a stage to stage delight. The current crop of new band like The Drums, Surfer Blood and Dum Dum Girls rose up to meet the challenge of the ’90s alternative old guard of Pixies, Pavement and Superchunk.

Spoon‘s latest album, Transference, seemed to show the band finding new ways to tie their own shoelaces, searching out their own “Mystery Zone” or what Britt Daniel will later say in the interview “we gotta try to please ourselves first”. Notable for being our first interview where the band asks us the questions, Spoon have perhaps realised there’s more to making music than pleasing yourself. You’ve still got to please your Mom too…

In the words of the good people at Merge Records, “Spring has sprung” and to celebrate the good feelings and warm-weather frolics, Merge have opened up the doors of their digital store and hand-picked a selection of treats from their most recent releases. Featuring such stunning tracks like “Written In Reverse” by Spoon, “Thieves” by [...]

The anticipated follow-up to the fan and critic fave Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, fails to meet expectation, begging the question, ‘Where were Spoon transferring to?’.

Disappointing, is the answer, if asked the question “What does Webcuts think of the new Spoon album, Transference. Probably for the first time in this Austin, Texas quartet’s career would we feel obliged to say this. Having gone from incredible strength to incredible strength with each successive release from Series of Sneaks on, it seems even the hardened, unwavering fan knew this day would come. “Written in Reverse” has all the pieces, the clatter and clank of piano keys, Britt Daniel’s hoarse voice riding atop of his see-sawing guitar, yet it feels like a song adrift in the search for a tune. Much of Transference feels like it was built from unfinished demos and studio jams in which “Written in Reverse” was chosen as this year‘s “The Underdog“. Unlikely to win new fans and unsettling to old, it will be interesting to see how Transference rides out the year. Out now on Merge in the States and Anti- in Europe.

First there was Something for Kate now singer Paul Dempsey has gone it alone and produced something for everyone.

North America’s finest show their charitable side with this awe-inspiring collection. Just call it “No Alternative Part 2″.

Spoon Centre Stage, Atlanta, GA 14th April 2008 It’s Britt Daniel’s birthday but you wouldn’t know it. There’s no cake and candles, no rambunctious behaviour or jokes. You’d be expecting the band to be soused and swaying, playing covers and celebrating the occasion, using the opportunity to cut loose. In fact Daniel looks embarrassed as [...]

Legendary indie rock band Spoon ventured down to Australia earlier this year for the Big Day Out. Static’s Chris Berkley caught up with razor tight drummer Jim Eno about 2007′s superb Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, the art of recording, Britt Daniel’s soundtrack work and getting remixed by Diplo. Chris: Joining us on the phone [...]

We graze of the green pastures of 2007 and find the cream of the crop including Damn Arms, Grinderman, Spoon, The Concretes, Feist, Faker, John Doe, The Shins and more.