Indie Dispatches: Real Estate’s ‘Days’ evokes the best of bygone indie era
Real Estate 'Days' (Domino Records) heading for 'best of' lists for 2011
There seem to be two words coming out of a lot of people’s lips in the latter part of 2011, usually with some sort of glowing acclaim attached, with those words being, Real Estate. We are of course talking about the New Jersey indie rock band, not the housing market (whose fortunes are nowhere near as buoyant in comparison). And justifiably so, as the band’s second album, Days, their first for Domino who beat out some stiff competition from other notable indies such as Sub Pop to sign them, is definitely one of the year’s best. The record is a true jangle-fest, steeped in the 90’s (particularly the Creation Records sound of the era, and bands such as Primal Scream and Felt), and receiving deserving praise both from fans (old and new) and a large swathe of the media, where it looks it will rate very highly in many of the top 10 lists for the year.
Speaking of Felt, there have been great reviews coming in from the UK regards the debut screening of Lawrence of Belgravia – a new documentary on the band’s enigmatic and eccentric frontman, and the first release on Heavenly Films (an offshoot of the record label). It looks like the US debut for the film could be in March next year, during the SXSW Film Festival. And on the topic of Creation Records – can it be true that My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless celebrates the 20th anniversary of its release this month? Amazingly, even two decades on, the album still stands as a unique and vital piece of music, and staggeringly influential. No word still on the mythical and long-anticipated follow up full length release from the band.
One 90’s group that did send the internet abuzz with news of a recent re-emergence, is Mazzy Star. The duo of Hope Sandoval and David Roback released a new single “Common Burn”, news of which appeared seemingly out of the blue, with an album rumored early next year. And yet another influential 90’s act that resurfaced recently, with information about a new release, are orchestral pop pioneers Cardinal. The band – Eric Matthews and Richard Davies – made one highly rated self-titled album, and served as the inspiration for everyone from The Polyphonic Spree to Vetiver and beyond, before imploding. Cardinal just announced the impending release of a new full-length, Hymns, in January, a mere a mere eighteen (!!) years after their storied debut, through UK-based Fire Records.
- Cool Hand Luke
08.26.11Indie Dispatches: Requiem for the 90’s; aka Remembering Creation Records
As a logical segue from the recent piece on 4AD is a discussion about the other of the twin towers of British independent labels from the 1990’s – Creation Records. The two companies took very different paths in the end, with the 4AD remaining a true independent label (selling out to the equally indie, Beggars Banquet), and continuing as an entity to this day, meanwhile Creation sold to the majors (Sony), and then flamed out when the two founders – Alan McGee and Dick Green – thought the time was right, around 1999, to pack it all in – living by the live fast, die young… adage and leaving a legacy untainted by any current musical flavors du jour.
The history of the legendary Creation has been a topic of conversation this year after the debut US screenings of the documentary Upside Down: The Creation Records Story. The film, which tracks the history of Creation from the chaotic early days in the mid-80’s to the later days, which were equally chaotic, for different reason, and highlighting the status of the label – and especially McGee – as true mavericks. Upside Down also represents an amazing reflection on a very different time in the music business – a period where there were no 5-year marketing and promotion plans, no 360 deals, no American Idol, and when it truly was, more often than not, just about the music. An era, I’m sorry to say, that was in many ways infinitely more exciting. Think of bands and labels devoid of the obsession with social media, alternative income streams and the quest for that elusive TV license as an essential marketing tool, a time of seat-of-the-pants decisions, borderline craziness, and yes, the archetypal “sex, drugs and rock’n'roll”. And the documentary shows that Creation was fueled by all three.
But it was truly about the music. Fancy that – a company run by music fans – and the artists who signed recognized that, and as a result the label put out a range of some of the best tracks of the era. It is staggering to realize that Creation issued My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless, Primal Scream’s Screamadelica and Teenage Fanclub’s Bandwagonesque albums, all within the space of a few weeks in 1991 – releases that are both hugely influential and legendary, and still stand up some 20 odd years later. Something tells me you’d be hard pressed to find any of the 2011 crop of indie labels such as Neon Gold or IAMSOUND releasing one album with that status or lasting impact, let along three at the same time! And then of course on Creation there are the rest… Felt, (the massive selling) Copper Blue by Sugar, along with Ride, Super Furry Animals, the Boo Radleys, Saint Etienne… the list goes on. There’s no disputing Creation did release its fair share of duds, especially in the years when they were skating on thin-ice and releasing as much as possible to keep the doors open and stave off bankruptcy, but in 2011 their iconic status still stands, in no small part due to that little band called Oasis… While there is an argument that Adele is successfully flying the flag for indies in 2011 (on XL ex-USA at least), it’s hard to comprehend an artist nowadays having the sort of impact Oasis have had. Watching the jaw-dropping footage in Upside Down of the band’s now legendary Knebworth concerts, gives an indication of just how truly massive in size Oasis became, and how they were part of the fabric of daily life in the UK at that time. And of course the Creation story wouldn’t be complete without the band that punctuated both the beginning and end years of the label – the Jesus & Mary Chain. So it is fitting that the documentary – a rollicking, fun, inspiring journey itself – draws its title from their notorious debut 45. Upside down indeed. Alas, there is no current news of further screenings, or a DVD release for the documentary in the USA, but once the film secures distribution, it should be on the agenda for every music aficionado.
- Cool Hand Luke
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Indie Dispatches: See Here, Now Do This!
Ten activities to make this week a fun one…
1. Head to the Urban Outfitters website to get a sneak preview of the debut album Crazy for You from Best Coast, before the official release date on July 27.
2. Contemplate booking a last minute trip to New York to see the final live performance by blissed-out rockers Spiritualized of their classic record Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space on July 30 at Radio City Music Hall. If you cant afford the price of a summer air ticket, plan B may be to search out the vinyl reissue of the album, recently released by SF’s Plain Recordings.
3. Head to the LA show by Phosphorescent at the Troubadour, Tuesday July 27. The latest album, Here’s to Taking it Easy from the NY group seems to be a tastemaker favorite. The band have had a rollercoaster time recently, having their van and gear stolen recently in Brooklyn on the eve of a national tour, before (thankfully) getting it recovered by the police a week later.
4. Buy Admiral Radley’s album I Heart California. AdRad are, of course, the veritable indie rock supergroup featuring Jason Lytle and Aaron Burch of Grandaddy, paired with Aaron Espinoza and Ariana Murray of Earlimart.
5. Pre-order your copy of Mines, the fourth full-length from much beloved Portland combo Menomena (due out on Barsuk Records July 27… a busy day for indie rock it seems!) Listen to it here
6. Watch the trailer for Upside Down, the forthcoming documentary on Creation Records – quite possibly Britain’s greatest independent label. The film is scheduled for release in the UK in September.
7. Check out the latest in the ever growing list in the 33 1/3 series. If you haven’t yet discovered these wonderful music books, each tome is a marvelous and individual treatise on a classic album – everything from the Beastie Boys Paul’s Boutique to Nick Drake’s Pink Moon and My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless. Just try to stop at reading only one…
8. Early evening on July 27? Plan a visit to the Hotel Cafe in LA at 8pm as Ireland’s Villagers finally hit the west coast.
9. If you happen to be in Kansas City (or Leawood, KS to be exact) – head to the Apple Store on Thursday July 22 for the free instore by locals The Belles, supporting their S-Curve album Time Flies When You’re Losing Your Mind.
10. Fire up an iTunes pass for the 4th season of Mad Men, which premieres Sunday July 25. Well, it can’t all be about music can it?
-Cool Hand Luke
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