Indie Dispatches: The Unstoppable Local Natives & The Shins New Album
Local Natives Building Momentum with Non-Stop Touring
One look at Local Natives upcoming tour schedule should leave little doubt that the LA five-piece are one the hardest working young bands out there. The group has always been a touring machine, but the list of forthcoming shows for the remainder of 2010 would make even a seasoned road warrior gasp in admiration. And showing that rewards are there for those who work, all their time on the road seems to be paying dividends. It was barely 15 months ago that Local Natives were playing SXSW for the first time, getting a Local who? response and a collective shrug of the shoulders from record labels; few suitors stepped-up with an offer to sign the band before they ultimately inked a deal with NY indie label French Kiss. Since then the group has become a global presence and have built a fan base the old-fashioned way, by touring, touring, touring. This summer sees them playing a host of A-list festivals worldwide – Oya, Glastonbury, Pitchfork, Reading, Leeds, Roskilde, Summer Sundae and Fuji Rock in Japan to name a few. This is all before setting off on North American dates that stretch from September 17th to October 28th. The opening show of the tour at the Henry Fonda Theater in their hometown sold-out in a matter of hours, requiring the addition of a second date (the sell-out nights also seem to have brought some bigger labels sniffing around). Whether or not the sales of their album Gorilla Manor are commensurate with their live business, there’s no disputing that Local Natives are rapidly turning into the indie rock version of The Little Engine That Could.
In an interview for Pitchfork last week, James Mercer announced his next project will be a fourth album from his main combo, The Shins. Since the band have fulfilled their initial Sub Pop record deal, the two million dollar question is, which label is in line to release the album? Will it be the Seattle indie in some new-model arrangement? Or will Mercer follow the path of former label-mates Band of Horses and bring The Shins to Columbia Records – also the current home for his Broken Bells project with Dangermouse? There’s always the possibility of another label stepping up with an offer too good to turn down, but Mercer & co. are also in a position to go it alone and turn their backs on the traditional label system. With the three prior Shins releases selling in massive quantities (both Oh Inverted World and Wincing the Night Away received gold certifications) and Mercer currently riding high with Broken Bells, to say the album is highly anticipated is an understatement.
-Cool Hand Luke
05.19.10Indie Dispatches: Columbia’s Horseplay & Remembering Ian Curtis
Band of Horses Release New Album 'Infinite Arms'
This week marks what will be another interesting case study in the annals of indie-artist-gone-major with the release of Band of Horses third full-length, Infinite Arms, the act’s first album on a major label. After two well-received and bestselling albums for Sub Pop, the former Seattle-based combo’s latest effort is out via Columbia Records. The question for many is whether they can achieve the same level of sales as their prior releases – both of which easily topped the quarter of a million mark on the legendary Northwest indie label. In making the switch, Band of Horses are following a similar path as former labelmate, James Mercer, who transitioned from Sub Pop to Columbia for his Broken Bells release. That album has seen healthy sales so far, but is it poised to out-strip the numbers The Shins sold? The jury is still out, but the history of indie rock is littered with tales of bands making the switch from independent label to the major label world, many times with damaging consequences. So will the new Band of Horses album embolden more indie bands to make the leap to major labels, or will it reinforce the grass isn’t actually greener attitude of acts like Spoon and Arcade Fire?
An altogether different milestone is this week’s 30 year anniversary of the untimely death of Joy Division singer Ian Curtis, who committed suicide on the eve of the band’s US tour in 1980. Joy Division, of course, were a groundbreaking act. Recording for legendary UK indie Factory Records, they were a major influence for a host of maudlin rockers since. Their neo-gothic majesty has been a template for everyone from New York’s Interpol and UK acts like Elbow and The Editors, right up to current day favorites The National - whose new album High Violet just smashed into a #3 chart debut this week. Even three decades later, the argument could be made that the Manchester band’s run of singles from “Atmosphere” to “Love Will Tear Us Apart” remain unsurpassed through today.
And a final notable item for the week… Treats, the debut album from Sleigh Bells that was released last week on Mom & Pop Records, looks to have unexpectedly smashed into the top 40 chart. With no prior records this is quite an achievement for the Brooklyn duo, though maybe most significant is the fact that the sales were 100% digital – a physical release is slated for next month. Welcome to 2010 – it’s a different world out there…
-Cool Hand Luke
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SXSW 2010: Who to Watch Pt. 1
Danger Mouse & James Mercer are Broken Bells @ SXSW Kick Off Show
Recently SXSW announced that their kick-off show on March 17th will be presented by NPR Music and will feature indie icons Spoon, Broken Bells (the uber-duo featuring Brian Burton aka Danger Mouse and The Shins’ James Mercer), as well as Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, The Walkmen and Visqueen… Every year the festival features a wide array of artists; from up-and-comers, to established artists, to “unknown” potential breakout acts -it’s a mixed bag. We thought it was timely to pick out some of the artists who should be on your Austin calendars this year in part 1 of SXSW Who To Watch…
Brooklyn’s Cymbals Eat Guitars are making SXSW stops as they cross the country on their headlining tour with support from Bear in Heaven and Freelance Whales. With recent features and nods in Pitchfork, NY Times and NME to name a few, be sure to find ‘em at the Alternative Press, Dickies/Filter and WOXY parties among others… Lots of curiosity around fellow Brooklynites Das Racist who exploded online last year and have become infamous for their antics – at one of their recent shows instead of performing they simply popped on the Beastie Boys Paul’s Boutique, leaving fans confused and us impressed… L.A. local Lex Land has had a #1 iTunes folk album, has played live on KCRW and can belt out a version of the Habanera from Bizet’s “Carmen” better than any opera singer you can name… You may know the young Swedish pop-singer Miss Li whose ridiculously infectious song “Oh Boy” is in the new Volvo car commercial, she’s at the Victorian Room at the Driskill on Saturday… Other internationals to keep an eye on include Manchester’s Ten Bears and kiwi pop-rockers Kingston. Stay tuned for part 2…
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