A BETTER OFFER

Arizona: Contest Winners!

2007-08-13T06:52:00.000-04:00

Alrighty folks, sorry this post didn't go up on the weekend, but I'm a freakin slacker... Anyways the winners are;

Tim K. and Alan G! Both of you will receive a copy of FATM and a t-shirt in the size/color of your choosing. Ian will get in touch with you for mailing address and size.

And as promised, here are the winning stories.

Tim K.

I was in love with this French girl. So I listened to Diventa Blu about a million times to try and figure out what to do with this girl. And alas I figured out that Diventa Blu was actually Italian...so needless to say, my attempts failed miserably with her.

Alan G.

One day, while driving home, listening to Arizona to alleviate as much stress as possible, I had reached Splintering and as I always do, I began wailing the lyrics along with the song until I came to the Ferret St. and Palmer Ave. intersection. Distracted by the electric guitars finding their way into the song, I completely missed a car speeding from my right. Well, in my state of euphoria, I managed to slam right into the driver's side of the white Nissan. Needless to say, the side of that car was pretty badly crunched, but my car, protected by Arizona's sonic aurora came out virtually unscathed. True story.

And if you haven't picked up your copy of Fameseeker and the Mono, you can do so right here.

Arizona: Photos and a contest reminder...

2007-08-10T16:55:00.001-04:00

So tonight at midnight (eastern standard time) we will stop accepting contest entries. Oh okay actually if you send it in tomorrow morning, you'll probably get accepted...But I'm not making any promises. Don't forget to send your stories about how an Arizona song has played a role in your life (factual or fictional) to arizona.storytime@gmail.com. The winners of a sweet Arizona shirt and a copy of the wonderful Fameseeker and the Mono mini-LP will be announced some time tomorrow. We will also post the winning stories. We've had a nice time reading the entries we've already received...but keep them coming.

And as an added bonus Ian (Arizona's manager) sent over these photos as one of the many exclusives he's provided A Better Offer. So enjoy these last few photos, and check back tomorrow to see if you win the contest!

Arizona: ...Imagining You

2007-08-08T15:13:00.000-04:00

So in my humble opinion, ...Imagining You is the best song on the Fameseeker and the Mono EP. It seems to tie the whole record together for me--you know brings it all home. But even as a single track it's beautiful in it's own right. I first heard what would become ...Imagining You when Arizona sent over some tracks to the Two Mirrors last August for me to post. ...Imagining You was the lead in for a live version of Surviving the Savior. It didn't even have the ending that it has now. It's fun to hear this song before it became what it is now. But it is no longer available for download. But I digress...

In my interview with the band Arizona, I asked Ben specifically about this track. Check out his response.

ABO: The track "…Imagining You," is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful songs you've written to date. The lyrics and melodies seem to resonate in my mind every time I hear it. It seems like we all tend to focus on the future and what may happen, when in fact the present is all we have—especially with the ones we love. Can you talk a little about the inspiration for this track?

Thank you! I'm very gratified that "...Imagining You" is hitting an emotional trigger in people. It was a song I felt very passionately when I was writing it, although it was very whimsical. I wrote the whole thing in about the amount of time it takes to sing it, but the band really brought the song to life. I had almost nothing to do with the production of that song- laid down the guitar structure, which was re-done by Nick, gave a scratch vocal performance which ended up as the keeper lead vocal, and suggested that Alex use the upright bass instead of a too-fat electric tone we were originally using. Everything else was created by the guys, and I think they are to thank for how that song comes across. It's also my favorite mix that Danny Kadar has done for us- something about the reverb. The work of all of these people is why the lyrics and melodies pop out.

Every ballad I write, whether it be "Through the Soot" or "Some Kind of Chill" or "Imagining You" or even "Diventa Blu", the original inspiration is a specific person who I'm focused on in my life. I write these songs hoping that their heartfelt nature and catchy melodies will convince that person (who is almost never the same from song to song) to love me unconditionally for the rest of eternity. It's never worked.

And now you too can hear "...Imagining You."

MP3 Arizona--...Imagining You

Arizona gets reviewed in Under the Radar

2007-08-07T15:34:00.000-04:00

Here's what the Under the Radar magazine said about the Fameseeker and the Mono EP. I'm not sure I agree with the 7 out of 10 rating, but their write up is quite supportive and accurate.

A lovely, intimate offering from Arizona, who have a lazy, charming swagger. They apply it to guitar-driven, Neil Young-flavored rock, gentle folk numbers, and dense Elephant Six-style psychedelia, covering a lot of ground in the short 23 minutes of this mini-LP. Always leave them wanting more. 7 out of 10 stars. By J. Pace, Under the Radar.

Arizona: "Everybody's not on the same page"

2007-08-07T09:33:00.001-04:00

You see I listened to WBDC more than any other record last year. I mean I really listened. But for whatever reason, "Through the Soot" didn't really resonate with me until recently. One of the things I like to do here at A Better Offer is to look back into a band's catalog--to look at where they came from. And most of you out there already know how wonderful Welcome Back Dear Children is. But I thought I'd take a minute to talk about a track that you may have missed over....

"Through the Soot," begins with a gentle vocal melody that leads into a catchy little acoustic guitar hook. Ben begins his trademark vocals with "Well, it took me a long time to get there." And when I hear it I have to laugh--because as I explained it took me a long time to get there too. The track continues up and down with vocal and musical melodies that seem at times dark and depressing and other times they seem uplifting. The first time Ben sings the hook it's "I'll never stop riding that train..." and that idea shifts rather quickly to "You'll never stop riding that train..." It seems to me that sometimes moving is the only thing we can do. Towards the end of the track Ben asks, "How am I supposed to step on the brakes?/When everbody's not on the same page." And it's a fitting conclusion to this beautiful little gem hidden away amongst Welcome Back Dear Children."

MP3--Through the Soot, Arizona

Arizona: Week Two

2007-08-06T08:28:00.000-04:00

I know you didn't come here to read about me...And I normally don't post on personal stuff here. BUT yesterday was my 31st berfday (say it phonetically--you'll laugh)...and my family got together and had a basketball game (not quite as exciting as last year's whiffle ball fiasco) on my son's 8 foot goal. Wildness ensues, limbs are sore, and a whole lot of sweat was produced.

Why on earth would I bring this up? Because I dunked on my much taller brother (see above) wearing my super powered Arizona shirt--that you too can own, for free. All you need to do is enter the Arizona contest. It's easy folks...just send in a story (either factual or fictional) about how an Arizona song played into your reality. It doesn't need to be long, just send it to the special email address, arizona.storytime@gmail.com. And this Saturday, the band and I will announce the winner of a copy of their new EP Fameseeker and the Mono and super powered Arizona T-Shirt. Fun Times...

So what do I have left in week two of my coverage...oh only the best stuff EVER! I have the rest of my interview with the band, insight from Ben into the beautiful track "...Imagining You," exclusive lyrics and photos, and a couple more MP3's for you to check out. Stay tuned.

And finally if you are looking to hear some more Arizona, they were played on the incomporable Shifted Sound podcast. You should be listening.

Arizona: The interview

2007-08-03T14:43:00.000-04:00

Okay folks, sit back enjoy a thought provoking and insightful intervew with the Neil Young loving boys from Arizona. They were ever so kind to sit down and hash out their responses to my questions. I considered breaking this interview into two parts, but I decided to leave it up as the main post through the weekend. I hope you enjoy!

ABO: How's North Carolina treating you? What was the motivation in coming to NC for the summer? You guys doing any writing while you're there?

North Carolina has been great. Everyone in the band has been able to dig their fingers into the soil of the city we're living in now, Asheville, and bask in the chilled-out pace, the mostly progressive social/spiritual vibe, and good natured company it affords us. The mountains are nice; lots of little magical spots to sit and write music. I haven't written that much new stuff, but the rest of the band has been going crazy. I feel like it's probably just a matter of time before the plasma tentacles of the vortex reach out to my sleeping mind and massage my creativity centers. It's nice to be somewhere that is consistent, and on the whole very positive, and we also have found that people down here are really drawn to what we're doing through our music.

It's very gratifying to see local musicians find ideas in our music, or our production, that they feel they can use to enrich their own music. A teenaged musician from Raleigh recently sent me an mp3 of a song he wrote for a friend's movie that started out as a cover of "Some Kind of Chill" and one of the first friends I made down here already knew how to sing/play most of our songs. That sort of desire to bring aspects of someone else's music into one's own music is something we didn't experience in New York City, where lots of musicians (ourselves very much included) seemed to be competing for an imaginary "most unique and un-influenced band" award. While we've witnessed some catty/back-talking elements down here that are universal to all music scenes, the overwhelming openness and lack of pretense is very refreshing.

We were doing very well on the local level in NYC, and we made a decision to leave during a time when the gatekeepers to that scene were just starting to consider forging us a set of keys, which a lot of people found weird. New York City spawned this band and nursed us on high-octane, transsexual breast milk rich in psyche-spiritual nutrients. Its where we learned how to speak and take our first steps, broke our first bones, and had our first kisses (you know, with people not in this band). Many of us got to a certain level there where we felt deeply connected to the city, a relationship that was passionate and dynamic, and city imagery more than any other thing besides maybe the Sun has informed the lyrics and concepts behind our songs. But we're a globally minded band that can't afford to be tied down to or associated with just one geographical location, and certain folks within the band also weren't able to sink their meat hooks into the prime roast beef of NYC for whatever reason. We all love the NYC scene and the great friends we've made there, but we want to show the world we're more than just a Brooklyn-based indie rock buzz band.

ABO: I know many of the tracks on "Fameseeker and the Mono" were completed before this tour, but did playing those songs live change the final versions of them? And what was the crowd's response to those new tracks?

Just about everything we did for Fameseeker and the Mono was finished in 2006, months before our first national tour, so unfortunately none of the nuances we picked up from our audience were translated to the recorded version. Live, we've found that "Street Sweeper" has a lot of resonance with the crowd, and when we play it right, "Thimble" seems to turn a lot of heads. Those are the songs that have evolved the most in our live arsenal- we've added lots of dramatic moments or guitar layers live that would have been nice to get onto the record. In general, we've never gotten live-audience feedback before unleashing an album into the wild. Virtually nothing from Welcome Back Dear Children saw the light of day before being released- but we recorded that album as a way of saying 'herro there!!'- you know, introducing ourselves to an audience. So fortunately, those songs do very well with both veteran and virgin Arizona audiences.

Fameseeker was more an album we did for ourselves, to get Andrew and James initiated into the 'making an album as Arizona' experience- the songs are more contemplative and exploratory than what you hear on WBDC, and I don't think it was really designed with an audience in mind. I think more cerebral audience members respond to the Fameseeker stuff.

ABO: I can't help but believe that there is a bit of cynicism in the track "Life is Great." I mean as a country right now, we are involved in a senseless war, gas prices are astronomical, and the majority of us are eagerly awaiting election day. Was this track written from that standpoint or was it a more personal take on life…? But the line "this'll get better, let your inner golden heart out for awhile," seems to provide some hope for those of us who still believe that love and goodness will prevail.

This is lyrically probably my favorite song in the Arizona collection, especially since each verse was written by a different band member. The "let your inner golden heart out" line is a tip of the hat to Neil Young. We started writing and recording this song just minutes after we finished listening to Young's "living with war" album in its entirety. I guess our response was to say "yeah, thank you for pointing out all of these things, it's about time someone used the power of music to do it, but we'll go one further: this will get better."

The idea for "Life is Great" as a title actually came from a friend of mine, a girl I was trying to date, who had me wrapped around her finger. One night she asked me if we could do something I really didn't want to do. I said "Of course" and her response was a jubilant "My life is great!!" We're a nation of submissives addicted to being dominated by screwed up rich dudes with a fetish for power. With this administration, as addicts, we've hit our low- which means the only two ways we have available are either total extinction via our habit, or rehabilitation and striving to rid ourselves of the addiction. It's my personal belief that we'll choose to "get better."

The other idea with the "Life is Great" title has to do with terrorists. Ever see one of those post 9/11 shows with kamikaze terrorists? They always have them going "God is Great!!!!" before blowing themselves up, or if they get shot in the lungs, that'll be the last words they utter with their dying breath. I was just thinking... yeah, God may be Great, but if God exists, of COURSE he's great and he knows it! You think he needs a murderer to tell him he's great? Life is also great, and it doesn't get nearly enough respect. If these people were dying with "life is great" on their lips well, they probably wouldn't have just killed anyone or died themselves. I'm really pro-LIFE, if you know what I mean. As in, if you're on this planet, I want you to have the best life you possibly can, and I'm going to try not to screw it up by bullying you, let alone trying to kill you. I feel other people could stand to adopt this policy.

So, I would say that the song is of course about all the things you mention- I'd be shocked and awed to find out that someone in this band supports George W Bush's administration. The one thing that they did for us though, is announce to the American public "uh... btw, yeah America was well known for this whole 'constitutional democracy' thing, but... that's not really how it works, as we're making painfully obvious to you now" - which at least tells us where we stand honestly. We're not living in a Democracy, really, and I don't think we have been for a while. We've got generations upon generations to thank for that. But this song is an assertion that every human being has a heart of gold, and you don't need to go searching for it across the planet's surface, just gotta mine for it in the love geography of any person's life.

ABO: The intricate details and sounds on this record seem much more pronounced than on WBDC. How much of your energy was spent on the background tracks, the string and key arrangements, and all of the other wonderful sounds on Fameseeker?

I'd say that the same amount of time and energy is put into every song we do, between 24 and 72 hours of more or less non stop (except for sleep) work. Some songs on WBDC were recorded in way shorter amounts of time- "Waking Up" "Judgment Day" "Old Man With a Bad Back" and "David" were each made in under a day. But most of the tracks you hear from us are done in one sitting, between a day and 3 days worth of time and energy and mind-wracking.

The difference with Fameseeker is that instead of 3 musical psychos running around, you've got 5. And these two guys play every instrument under the sun. Andrew is a phenomenal trombone player, and he plays a number of other brass instruments. James wails on the sax - but more importantly, he's our first permanent drummer and brings a unique approach while providing a sublime fusion of the drum stylings (guitarist) Nick Campbell and (bassist/engineer) Alex Hornbake displayed through their kit performances on Welcome Back Dear Children. Andrew and James are both excellent keyboard players although Andrew really truly scares everyone with how good he is on keys. He took over for me as the main key-man in Arizona, and for the greater good, believe me. Now I get to spend more time playing the erhu! (a 2 string chinese fiddle featured most prominently during the ending of "Thimble")

After recording The Sun and The Room and Welcome Back Dear Children, Alex Hornbake's engineering chops were amazingly sharp and he was very eager to capture the new sound of the five piece Arizona. So you've got this whole new brass element, a lot of stuff with sound manipulation ( Fameseeker's title track), this elegant keyboard playing, a new guitar sound via Andrew's telecaster wailing, and two new brains who can also be processing detail and coming up with ideas. So it's the same number of hours and joules of energy, but the two extra guys is really what makes all the difference.

ABO: Tell us a little bit about the movie score you've recently completed…And will the songs ever be available commercially?

We've now done a bunch of work for movies. We give these projects the full Arizona session treatment and usually turn around mega-quality songs in 12-60 hours. It's actually easier for us than coming up with stuff for our own records, which is why we want as much film work as we can get! It's the most fun we've had in the studio for sure. We've gotten super quick at finding the moments of scenes that have the most "pop" and emotional resonance, and we isolate these tiny little moments and will build an outline around them, and very quickly flesh those outlines out. I like to sing to the actors when we do these sessions, look them right in the eye and serenade them as though my words might actually reach them and change the scene.

We love timing out a song perfectly to highlight these subtle but emotionally huge moments, which can be scattered all throughout a scene. Making something that sounds like a coherent song out of all of this is the challenge, and I think we've done very well- most of these songs sound cinematic, but would be just as happy appearing on a record without the visual accompaniment.

It's unclear if the movies will ever see the light of day, but the songs will. We'll either do a "we like to score" type record, or re-record the songs for the upcoming LP. Or something. The songs will be made available.

ABO: What does the future hold for Arizona?

Danny Kadar and the band are going into the studio again to make another full-length record. We know that this is to be the most adventurous record yet, and I pray every night that I'll be able to write songs for this record that will stand up to what I've done in the past. Nick and Andrew already have some mind-meltingly cool songs up their sleeves.

If the royal light of Art Gods shine upon us, we will create some exciting pieces in collaboration with the terrifyingly talented Deems, who has done all of our album artwork. We are also eager to work on our first properly financed music video, which we'll be doing with our longtime friend and artistic contributor Cyril Besnard (an incredibly gifted filmmaker/editor living in France) along with his collaborative partner Ben and the mysterious Dr. Breint.

Hopefully there will be lots of film work coming our way. We could seriously score movies all the livelong day and we'd be happy. We're doing some production and arrangement for a massively creative platinum selling pop artist who has become a friend of ours, and we hope our work will make the cut for that album!

It is my sincerest hope that we'll start to see Arizona start to become a more distinct presence, something people can understand a little better. We've been such chameleons, I'm hoping that some sort of "Arizona sound" will coalesce in the minds of our audience, which we also would like to see take some sort of shape. We have fans, and the fans we have are usually quite passionate about us, but it's all extremely scattered. The more coherent the audience gets, the better our music will become. Bands like Modest Mouse, Arcade Fire, The Shins- they all know who their fans are, and so they have that dimension of knowledge to draw upon when they are making a record. It's a dimension I feel I lack when I'm working on a record, and it's one I badly want because it always makes the music better in my opinion. But for this to happen, Arizona has to work harder and harder, and we're looking forward to pushing ourselves to the limit starting this September!

Arizona: Farily Light

2007-08-03T11:50:00.000-04:00

Oh my stars, I freakin love this song. You can find out more about the band and their work with movies in my interview (which I'll post later on this evening). But for now just keep hitting play again to hear the beauty of this song. Wow!

And don't forget about the contest. The guys were kind enough to put up a post on their myspace blog about the contest! It should be fun times.

Arizona: Life is Great video

2007-08-02T08:45:00.000-04:00

This video for "Life is Great" was directed by the Young Francis who also directed the Pant + Whisper video (which is a track from the lovely Sun and the Room EP). And it has been floating around the blogoshpere quite a bit, but my coverage of Arizona would be woefully incomplete if I didn't post it as well.

It's an interesting take on the track. The premise of the video focuses on a group of French dancers who do an interpretive dance to the song...It's a bit like that old Bjork video for "It's Oh So Quiet." The video certainly looks how the song feels sonically to me. And it doesn't hurt at all that the dancers are incredibly attractive females. So check out "Life is Great"...

Life is great / Arizona
Uploaded by theyoungfrancis

Arizona: The contest

2007-08-01T10:29:00.000-04:00

Alrighty ladies and gentlemen...Do you want to win some free Arizona goodies. The band has offered a free copy of their new EP Fameseeker and The Mono as well as a free t-shirt up for two lucky winners! After months* of careful planning in our plot to create the most amazing contest the blogging world has ever seen** we have come up with the following.

Readers should submit a specific story (either fictional or factual) about how an Arizona song played a part in their reality. Like the time I listened to Somersby so many times in a row, I purchased a spaceship to follow in the footsteps that the deranged scientist takes in the song. That really happened to me by the way. But you can make yours up if you like.

Anyway after writing your story, send it to arizona.storytime@gmail.com. This is an email address that Ian (Arizona's manager) has set up specifically for this contest. And we will announce the winner at the end of my coverage of Arizona. It doesn't have to be long...just make us smile with your story.

*by months I really mean two or three emails

**Or at least a really fucking cool contest

Arizona: Thimble

2007-07-31T07:32:00.000-04:00

So, I'm in Moultrie, GA. If you'd like to know what Moultrie is like, just say the name aloud with a deep southern drawl, and I'm sure you can get a picture of this town. I'd thought I'd quickly share some thoughts on "Thimble" the leading track of FATM.

"Thimble" is the leading track off the new EP. The boys begin the track with the distant sound of a storm that slowly getting louder. Then the the drums kick in. It's one of the most prominent openings of an EP that I have heard in a while. It certainly sets the stage for the tone of the record. "Thimble" then weaves in and out of sounds and lyrics in a such a way that you feel like the trip you're about to take will be well worth your time. Probably the most amazing thing about the track "Thimble" is the bands attention to detail. The band and I talked about this attention to detail with this record and I'll have more on that this weekend in the interview. I strongly suggest you throw on a pair of headphones and sink in to oblivion while listening to the sweet sounds of Arizona.

For now, take a listen to "Thimble" by Arizona (link fixed, Thanks...)

New (sort of) Featured Artist: Arizona

2007-07-29T06:00:00.000-04:00

Ladies and gentleman, it is my distinct pleasure to announce that I'll be covering Arizona for the next two weeks. Arizona was the first band I covered at A Better Offer and they've got a new EP out and it so exciting to have them back. I've got an amazing two part interview, MP3s to post, tons of info about the new EP and movie scores, videos, and an awesome contest. I am thrilled! Check back often because things will be happening quickly around here. For now check out...

You can now purchase (yes!) Fameseeker and the Mono (now forever to be known as FATM) from Itunes.

And their first EP The Sun and The Room (most if not all physical copies are gone) can also be purchased from Itunes.

Pela: Some final thoughts

2007-07-28T00:48:00.000-04:00

This will be my last post on the wonderful band Pela. The guys were exceptionally friendly and giving in supporting my little project. I hope over the past few weeks, you've gotten to know their music and the band a little better.

And just one last time...I urge you to purchase their latest release "Anytown Graffiti." It'll more than likely end up on your best of 07 list.

And again, I do not make any money (its an ad free blog for goodness sake) and by no means represent any of the bands featured on A Better Offer. I simply love their music and want to share that passion with you.

Pela: Review of "Trouble with River Cities"

2007-07-25T21:55:00.000-04:00

Anytown Graffiti is really a brilliant collection of songs that rock and roll with the best of them. And one of those fine tracks was even featured in an Express advertisement. But another track, that may not be the most representative Pela song, is exceptionally wonderful. "Trouble with River Cities" nestles in at track four on Anytown Graffiti and it is moving to say the least.

The song is much more mellow than a typical Pela song, and it begins with Billy singing "float like a sparrow/t-top camaro/is the wind done blowin you down?" and it reminds me the past. You know the days when you were growing up and we were much more care free. I asked Billy about the inspiration for this track in my interview and he replied, "Ya know its one of the oldest songs that i still play. I wrote it when i was 19. Its a snapshot of a period of time i spent with someone i loved and that theme again of being doomed to keep returning to an undesirable town." It is simply a beautiful snapshot of that time, and to me it's reminiscent of a small town friendliness.

Towards the end of the track Billy sings, "Yeah there's an undertow/but it ain't got me..." and it seems like there is some hope in the ending to this track. It's like an acknowledgment that trouble may remain, but moving on is an option. I asked Billy specifically about this lyric, and he wrote, "I really like mixing the dark and difficult aspects with fantasy where your imagination can sort of alleviate the grittiness that life can be. There is a dreamy highway escapism going on in that song....probably hatched from a stuck 19 year old me daydreaming. Daydreams are fucking valuable and i try to do it as much as possible. Really the process of creating is meditative and seeing it through from the bedroom, to a record, and later seeing fans sing it back to you a enormously gratifying."

I did not get permission from Pela's management to post this track, and I whole heartedly respect that. So if you're inspired to hear this song, go purchase "Anytown Grafitti." I assure you that it's worth your $13.

Thanks for reading.

Pela: Lost to the Lonesome video shoot

2007-07-24T16:24:00.000-04:00

I got this email today from Pela. Check it out and get your little self out there to be part of this if you can.

Hey all,

Just wanted to send out a quick (and last minute) invite to see if you wanted to be in a video we are shooting this Sunday July 29th.

The video will be for the song 'Lost to the Lonesome', and it will be filmed in Woodstock, NY. It will be an all day event and you would have to provide your own transportation. You may also have to bring certain clothes as the video will be a period piece from the late 1800s/early 1900s. Food and fun will be provided.

If you are interested, please write us by Wednesday (tomorrow) at theband@pelamusic.com for more details. Again we'd like to stress that we will not be able to provide any transportation, so if you need to steal a car we completely understand.Hope you can make it down, sorry for the lack of notice.

All the best to you....

Eric

Pela's thoughts on a new record

2007-07-22T17:44:00.000-04:00

The following was posted on Pela's tour blog on the 16th of July. Check out their initial thoughts on a new record.

We’ve been driving all day. Conversation has bounced from topic to topic, mostly landing on thoughts for our upcoming record. All of us are excited about the new material that is being brought forward. There is also a growing realization that this record will be quite different from Anytown Graffiti.

With Anytown we did the best we could given circumstances it was birthed in. We battled a lack of funding, a lack of a cohesive schedule, and the daily struggles of being independent artists living in New York.

For the new record the atmosphere is different. In many ways we are now given a chance to make the record we’ve always dreamed of, an opportunity we are all taking seriously. So, as we drive across this country we’ve been writing incessantly, reviewing our demos, and talking in great detail about everything that will go into making this record come to life. It’s a wonderful quest ……

I, for one, am in love with the sound on Anytown Graffiti. I think it's a brilliant compilation of rock songs that sound like the best of yesterday and tomorrow. I can't wait to hear what their music will sound like if they have funding, a cohesive schedule, and a more dedicated fan base.

If you haven't bought Anytown Graffiti yet, you can do so here. I highly suggest you do so.

More to come...

Pela: Calvary live with Chris Herb

2007-07-18T20:00:00.000-04:00

So this post is a blatant rip off from Pela's website...but I really wanted to share it with you. And my time is short right now--but it's looks like Pela is going to get a bonus week next week for a number of different reasons. But the most important is that they freakin rock! Trust me--I have more from my interview with Pela, a contest, and many more thoughts about Pela. Check back often.

Anyway here is the info directly from the band's website about this video...

A couple of weeks ago, we announced that a video of Pela playing an acoustic version of Cavalry. No sooner than we announced it, it disappeared. We’re still not sure what happened to it but it has been reposted. It shows the lads playing with Chris Herb, an old friend and bandmate of Billy, who wrote the lyrics. The video is not the best quality but you may never see the song being done this way again.

And here's a version of them playing Calvary in it's rocking glory...

Pela: New Tour Dates Added!

2007-07-16T06:37:00.000-04:00

Just a quick update for those of you who will get the chance to check out Pela in all their glory. They've added some more tour dates, and expect to add some more soon. Here's the info released via their website...

New Dates Added to August Tour

The following dates have been confirmed for the August tour. In addition, we expect to add another 3 or 4 in the near future.

8/09 The Cavern, Dallas, TX
8/10 Mohawk, Austin, TX

8/21 400 Bar, Minneapolis, MN

For a full list of tour dates, click here. Check them out if you get the chance.

Pela featured on Dinner With The Band

2007-07-16T06:21:00.000-04:00

You may have seen this referenced in one of the questions in A Better Offer's interview with Pela. But, Pela was on the Dinner With The Band Podcast. The band cooks up two recipes with host Sam Mason and plays three songs live. (Waiting on the Stairs, Lost to the Lonesome, and Philadelphia). And please, if anyone knows better than I correct me, but Philadelphia is not on either Pela release, and as far as I can tell it's previously unreleased. Also on the episode, Sam talks with the band about food, life, and the making of Anytown Graffiti. It is well worth your time to watch.

Here's a little blurb about the show itself, Here's a cooking show that breaks the mold - the perfect mash-up of indie music and edgy food for total entertainment. Chef Sam Mason has been raising the stakes in the culinary world for the last ten years. Now join him as he invites his favorite touring bands to dinner for an intimate evening of cooking, conversation and live performance. Part rocker, part chef, Mason creates "intellectual food" that stimulates the palate as well as the dialogue. Rock on.

Check it out here. Now the episode is broken into five parts--for easier viewing. But I'm guessing if you subscribe to the podcast, you can see it all in one episode.

And don't forget to pick up Anytown Graffiti!

Pela: A Better Offer Interview

2007-07-13T13:25:00.000-04:00

So, the guys from Pela were kind enough to respond to some questions I (and a guest writer) sent over to them. I'm sure you'll see soon, but they are extremely authentic and well spoken. Hopefully this will entice you to purchase their record (if you have not already done so). Make sure you read the bold faced quote from the fourth question down. It is the reason that A Better Offer exists. Hopefully, my little project is attempting to fight this. Enjoy the interview.

ABO: Can you tell me about how Pela the band came to be?

Pela: We met in late 01. There was a subway that my best friend and i had been playing in for change post 9-11. Jobs weren't easy to come by because NYC was still in shock. So there we were trying to make some money in a tunnel when Eric walked by. He was really gifted and i dont think we played a whole lot in the subway after that. Eric came from a great community of musicians and thats how we came to play with Nate. After a couple drummers Tom came into the fold and only lived blocks from us on Columbia st on the waterfront in Brooklyn..

ABO: You guys seem to have a do it yourself attitude with your music. You seem to have a large amount of input in everything from the artwork to the production of the records. Can you talk about how important this is to you as a group of artists?

Pela: Honestly we always made flyers, t shirt designs and produced our records to the point were somebody would have to really be committed to step in. We take alot of pride in our Independence.

ABO: What inspires you to make the music you do? What other musicians inspire you?

Pela: I dunno just following our hearts i guess.Our tastes our always changing so its hard to pinpoint. I'm a great fan of writers like Shane MacGowan,Joe Strummer, Springsteen, Steve Earle etc.

QUESTION FROM JEFF AT OUT WITH THE KIDS

You recently said (On "Dinner with the Band") that Anytown Graffiti is essentially three concepts/records in one. Would you please explain what you mean by that and how you put your debut record together? Also, do you feel that there is going to be a space for concepts/full records that are meant to be listened together in an increasingly singles-oriented music business (with single-song digital downloads becoming the new norm)?

Pela: I dont remember the 3 in one thing. Maybe what you are thinking of is that we recorded in 3 waves. I find it conceptual by way of its themes. The songs sort of weave in a perspective from a person living in a smaller environment that is not convinced that that this is what life has to offer and then little betrayals or dramas that has led up to the lyrics. I come from a town of 6100 people and those were hard years to start realizing i was gonna have to leave to follow my heart and of all places i ended up in New York....As for the digital I tunes listening experience,we obviously are losing so much...-Who didn't sit down and pine over a record and its art/lyrics? So the thought of younger fans maybe never having that by way of being raised with a home computer, surfing around and downloading singles is just hard to accept...i think we are missing out but that's just me. Something that im seeing alot is a frenzied reception to talented upstart bands...its great for all of us but in a way it makes a shorter shelf life for bands. Its difficult for anyone to sustain that sort of underground swell for too long and with the webs density with constant bands coming out, or awareness of all things in the national music scene ,its hard to keep up. That said, shelf life or not we are not a slave to the dreaded old school magazine subscription or your older brothers back issues of maximumrockandroll anymore. Its your generation now and you can plug in and shape your tastes by youtube, itunes, myspace...ect. It would be a tragedy to try to strategize how to streamline a record to meet the demands of the i tunes generation. Not to fair to your soul if you ask me. We recorded in our bedrooms,in studios and really anywhere we could. We paid for it out of our pockets and self produced it. Id say after a year and a half and running out of money several times, its nice it saw the light of day. I was worried at times if we would crack (lol)

ABO: "Tenement Teeth" was featured as the song of the day from KEXP (and it may well be the song of the year, in my opinion). What's the story behind this track?

Pela: I meant it as in "cutting your teeth" and obviously a tenement conjures thoughts of poverty. So in a sense getting used to or an acceptance of being among the downtrodden. It isn't about me but a couple and their love story. I like the thought of listening to a record player crackling because the records done and a couple so defeated from their mismanagement of the great gift of love that they actually need each other. I like the visual thought of them leaning on each other and dancing to the skipping record. My favorite lyric is "i kissed you lips of ruby red and this is what was said......Land." Who hasn't felt adrift and the thought of reaching the shore via a kiss makes me smile its a nice thought.

Pela: Waiting at the Stairs (live)

2007-07-11T06:39:00.000-04:00

Here's a clip of "Waiting at the Stairs" live taken at SXSW. I'll have lots more up by the soon, including an interview and the contest! Check back.

For now don't forget to check out Anytown Graffiti. You can stream it here.

And if you'd like to purchase Anytown Grafitti, you should purchase it from Insound. Buy at Insound and receive a free mp3 of “Present”, from the iTunes-only “Exit Columbia Street” EP.

Pela: Lost to the Lonesome

2007-07-09T23:26:00.000-04:00

Photo credit: Bob Sanderson

MP3--Pela, Lost to the Lonesome

So if you are wondering what Pela sounds like, here is the best place to start. Pela has given A Better Offer permission to post this track as part of our coverage. So grab it while you can.

We recently had a death in the family so I'll be traveling quite a bit for the next few days so my posts may be a little scarce...but stay tuned as I may extend my coverage of Pela because I've got lots to share...

For now check out Pela's tour dates and get out there and see them while you can.

07/11 - Black Cat , Washington, DC
07/12 - Local 506, Chapel Hill, NC
07/13 - Village Tavern, Mt. Pleasant, SC
07/15 - The Earl, Atlanta, GA
07/18 - Schubas, Chicago, IL
07/20 - Buffalo Icon, Buffalo, NY
08/14 - Spaceland, Los Angeles, CA with Film School

08/15 - Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco, CA (tickets) with Film School

08/17 - Douglas Fir, Portland, OR (tickets) with Cloud Cult

08/18 - KEXP BBQ, Seattle, WA (tickets) with a bunch of great bands

08/25 - Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY (tickets) THEY ARE HEADLINING THIS SHOW!

New Featured Artist: Pela

2007-07-09T06:21:00.000-04:00

Photo Credit: Bob Sanderson

Ladies and Gentleman, it is my pleasure to announce that I will be covering Pela exclusively for the next two weeks. You can expect all the usual highlights from A Better Offer. I have tour dates, background info, album reviews, an interview with the band, and hopefully another contest! Check back often during the next two weeks, to find out much more about the spectacular band Pela.

If you are completely new to their music, you can stream their new album "Anytown Grafitti" here. Or you can check out the links to the right as to where to hear more Pela. And about their sound--think good old American rock and roll. These guys make brilliant rock music. Their website describes them as being, "guided by the voices of Bruce Springsteen, Hubert Selby, Husker Du, Raymond Carver, The Replacements, Andre Dubus, The Pixies, Wilco, and the Hold Steady, amongst others, Pela’s brand of pastoral punk has been beautifully described as equal parts desperation and inspiration, which they have masterfully crafted into a signature sound."

You can go ahead and make your day by purchasing their music through any of the usual online retailers...

Buy Anytown Graffiti by Pela at Insound

Buy Anytown Graffiti by Pela at Amazon

Buy Anytown Graffiti by Pela at Itunes

Or you can buy the Shifted Sound Volume 1 cd which features "Lost to the Lonesome," by Pela

Gotye: The Winner

2007-07-07T08:33:00.000-04:00

Congrats to Sarah, from Portland, Oregon

She is the winner of a copy of "Like Drawing Blood" from Gotye. I'll get your cd out early next week! Thanks to all who entered. It was one of my most successful contests! I had lots of entries.

And if you still have not done so, I strongly suggest you check out Gotye. He is making some of the most creative music around today. It will move you.

Gotye (you can purchase his music here)

Gotye's myspace

And if you missed it, you should check out Faux Pas music also. He remixed one of Gotye's tracks on the upcoming "Mixed Blood" LP.

Gotye: Some final thoughts (and some Basics love thrown in)

2007-07-06T10:18:00.000-04:00

So as my coverage of Gotye comes to a close, I hope you have had the chance to listen to his music objectively. Gotye does not easily fit into any category. However, in my opinion, his music is heartfelt, moving, and downright fun to listen to. So if you haven't heard it yet, make sure you scroll down and download a few MP3s, or head over to Shifted Sound to hear the interview and some other tracks. And make sure you continue to check Gotye.com to find out more about the remix album "Mixed Blood."

And Wally posted the following info about his tour on his website...

In response to much demand, 500 more tickets are being released for the Gotye mini orchestra’s matinee performance at Sydney’s Metro Theatre on Sunday July 29.

Also, an extra show at the Athenaeum Theatre in Melbourne will be happening on Friday August 10.

The extra Sydney tickets and new Melbourne show will go on sale at 9am on Wednesday July 4 through Ticketmaster and the venues.

In other news, the Gotye mini orchestra will also be playing a set at Splendour In The Grass on Sunday August 5.

And tomorrow I'll announce the winner of a cd copy of "Like Drawind Blood," by Gotye! There is still time to enter. All you have to do is send me an email to thetwomirrors@yahoo.com by tonight at midnight with the subject "Gotye" and your mailing address. And in the body of the email answer this question...

Where will Gotye play on August 10th?

And I'll randomly choose a winner tomorrow morning.

And finally, I would be a failure if I didn't mention that Wally was also in another band that you may enjoy. The band is called The Basics and they are much more of a straightforward rock band, but somehow find a way to infuse more types of music into their music than humanly possible. Check out the Basics here.

Gotye: The tour, a contest, and A Better Offer interview

2007-07-03T08:43:00.000-04:00

For the record today's post was going to be about Gotye's tour (which I will still write about) but Wally sent back his responses to my interview questions. So you get a double post today, which I'll leave up through the 4th of July holiday. And there is contest information and the end of this post.

This tour is set to kick off on July 26th. Wally will be hitting the four corners (so to speak) of Australia in a little more than two weeks. All the shows have sold out--which is a huge accomplishment--but some more tickets will be released on July 4th (tomorrow). Gotye will be accompanied by a "mini orchestra" and Mountains in the Sky will be opening. And according to Wally you can expect "an audiovisual treat featuring strings, skins, saxes and axes, not to mention projections and reflections (that’s lights yo)" Those of you in Australia better get out there and see at least one of these shows. They are sure to be amazing. The dates are...

Jul 26 2007
8:00P
Fly By Night - SOLD OUT
Perth, Western Australia

Jul 27 2007
8:00P
Fly By Night - SOLD OUT
Perth, Western Australia

Jul 28 2007
8:00P
The Metro - SOLD OUT
Sydney, New South Wales

Jul 29 2007
2:00P
The Metro (Matinee all ages show from 2pm) - MORE TICKETS RELEASED ON WED JULY 4
Sydney, New South Wales

Jul 29 2007
8:00P
The Metro - SOLD OUT
Sydney, New South Wales

Aug 3 2007
8:30P
The Powerhouse (all ages) - SOLD OUT
Brisbane, Queensland

Aug 4 2007
8:00P
The Powerhouse (all ages) - SOLD OUT
Brisbane, Queensland

Aug 5 2007
8:00P
Splendour In The Grass - SOLD OUT
Byron Bay, New South Wales

Aug 9 2007
8:00P
Governor Hindmarsh - SOLD OUT
Adelaide, South Australia

Aug 10 2007
8:00P
The Athenaeum - TICKETS ON SALE WEDNESDAY JULY 4
Melbourne, Victoria

Aug 11 2007
8:00P
The Athenaeum - SOLD OUT
Melbourne, Victoria

Aug 12 2007
2:00P
The Athenaeum (Matinee all ages show from 2pm) - SOLD OUT
Melbourne, Victoria

Aug 12 2007
8:00P
The Athenaeum
Melbourne, Victoria

So, Wally from Gotye is simply one of the nicest (and busiest) people on the planet. Since Shelby from Shifted Sound conducted such a great interview last week, I decided to focus in on one Gotye track in my interview and go in depth into that song. The song I chose was "Hearts A Mess" from the Like Drawing Blood LP. If you have not heard the song yet, here's the MP3 again.

ABO: Can you talk a little about the inspiration for "Heart's A Mess".

Wally: A broken relationship. Ruminating on my attempt to feel alright afterwards. One night stands versus longer term meaningful relationships. Oh...and a loop from a 60s record ;)

ABO: One of my favorite things about this track, and your music as a whole, is your ability to push the limits (lyrically and sonically). You seem to be able to take listeners to a place that's almost uncomfortable, yet not cross the line. Can you talk a little about that moment in "Hearts A Mess" where you sing, "But I'm desperate to connect..."

Wally: Sometimes pop songs have a key moment. I guess in Hearts A Mess it's that line/vocal. I think I was pretty aware that I needed to usher the listener into a tension/buildup towards that moment. I believe the radio edit (available on Gotye's MySpace) does that"ushering" less effectively because it gets to the chorus too early. That vocal is the top of my range, where my voice starts to break up, but if I keep it together it can have a certain power to it I guess. Perhaps I captured something special in that final take.

ABO: What about the technical aspects of this song? Can you talk a little about the samples used, instrumentation, and how it will play out live. I know you mentioned that you really never intended to play these songs live, and I'm interested in hearing how you expect this track to play out live.

Wally: This particular track has proven very difficult to play live. Specifically the main loop of drums and bass. Sometimes samples have some idiosyncratic vibe/sound that just can't be recreated/reinterpreted without gutting your song. In the end I've decided to use the loop from a sampler live. It's augmented by my live vocals, live bass, drums and string quartet.

ABO: Is there anything else the readers at A Better Offer should know about this track?

Wally: It's missing an apostrophe (Hearts A Mess). Should technically be "Heart's A Mess". But I'm gonna stick with the apostropheless spelling :)

And now for the contest...I have a copy of "Like Drawing Blood" that Wally is sending my way to give away to one lucky listener. Just send me an email (thetwomirrors@yahoo.com) with the subject line "Gotye" and answer this question.

Where will Gotye play on August 10th?

Make sure to send me your mailing address also (its open to anyone who reads A Better Offer regardless of where you live) and I'll announce the winner on Saturday. Good Luck!

Gotye: Faux Pas remixes "Coming Back"

2007-07-02T08:43:00.000-04:00

Gotye will release a remix version of his acclaimed record, "Like Drawing Blood" soon. The remix album is entitled "Mixed Blood." It is not your typical remix album in the sense that it will have remixes, covers, reinterpretations, and more from a number of different artist. Last week on Shifted Sound Shelby played the ENS remix of Puzzle with a Piece Missing (which is exceptionally beautiful) that will be featured on the album. You can check that out here. The full track list follows...

Joe Hardy - Hearts A Mess (3AM remix)
Karnivool - The Only Way (cover)
ENS - Puzzle With A Piece Missing (remix)
DLake - Hearts A Mess (Electro-Baltimore Club remix)
Faux Pas - Get Acquainted (A Distinctive Sound remix)
Bass Kleph - Learnalilgivinanlovin (That’ll Learn ‘Em remix)
Bitrok - Thanks For Your Time (remix)
Infusion - The Only Thing I Know (remix)
Duosseudo - Hearts A Mess (remix)
Rocky Lolo - Seven Hours With A Backseat Driver (Way Back When remix)
King Charlie - Out Of My Mind (Oceans of Dub remix)
Velure - Puzzle With A Piece Missing (cover/remix)
Inga Liljestrom - Coming Back (cover)
Fourth Floor Collapse - Worn Out (Worn Out Blues cover/remix)

But here at A Better Offer, I strive for a little more than the typical. And through a serious of misspellings and emails, I came in contact with an you fella named Tim. Tim happens to be the brains behind the acclaimed Faux Pas (who was also played on Shifted Sound). And Tim has given A Better Offer permission to post a web exclusive remix that he did for the Gotye track "Coming Back." This track did not end up on "Mixed Blood," but another one of Faux Pas remixes did. Anyways check out the remix below and check out Faux Pas music as well. I think you'll be delighted.

Coming Back (Faux Pas remix)

Gotye: Heart's A Mess video

2007-06-28T16:36:00.000-04:00

Wow!

For more info on the making of this video, listen to Shifted Sound episode 66.

Video by Brandon Cook.

Gotye: Some intital thoughts

2007-06-27T08:30:00.000-04:00

So I first heard Gotye when a friend of mine from Australia made a mix of her favorites from Australia. It included Wolfmother, Youthgroup, Ben Lee, Gotye, and many more. Well there were a few that stood out. And Gotye was one of them. The two tracks she included were, "Hearts a Mess," and "Thanks for Your Time." They both blew me away. Gotye just seemed to have a way to push things sonically and lyrically. I was impressed especially with Heart's A Mess. And still to this day that track has stood out as one of my favorites. (I'll have more on this track coming soon!)

Below is my initial review of Gotye, when I posted it on the Two Mirrors site that I used to write for. Check it out.

Gotye was next up and by far these two songs were my favorite songs from the Australia comp. His music is simply stunning. He has that quality in his music where it's almost uncomfortable to listen too. Think early Bright Eyes with an electronic edge. Both of these tracks are highly recommended! You will be hearing more from Goyte when I get the new record. You can order it here.

Gotye--Hearts a Mess

Gotye--Thanks for Your Time

Stay tuned folks, I've got lots more Gotye, including tour dates, remixes, an interview, and A CONTEST!

Gotye: Background info

2007-06-26T08:30:00.001-04:00

An MP3 to listen to while you read. What do you want by Gotye

Below is some background listed on Gotye's site.

Gotye is many things to many people, and, at once, many things to just one person (himself for instance), although, at times, he may be a few things to a few people. At once.
Sometimes, he may mean something to some person…or people (and we all know you can fool some people, some of the time) but it must be said: his aim is to fool himself, all of the time. Which he does.
Sometimes

But seriously…by Phil Collins was an album that informs pretty much all of Gotye’s songwriting to date. Any sounds in his tracks that sound familiar are of course, exactly that.
They come to Gotye in his dreams, and he gathers them round him like little children round a campfire, desperate (although they don’t know it) for visions of a glorious future, where all children (that is, “sounds”) can play (read: “resound”) together harmoniously… in a world where love rules and everyone will gladly “lay their body down for the groove”.
Is that how they say it these days?
Hmmm…

Variously described as (i) a reclusive hunchback with a penchant for blue cheese and a horrible flatulence problem, (ii) a leading Soviet authority on ancient and early modern Russian political, economic and social history or (iii) a debilitating affliction of the neck (resulting from a childhood inattention to spelling), in actual fact, Gotye is just a young Australian fellow named Wally De Backer who makes music in his bedroom.
But which account do you find more interesting huh? I mean, really!

Boardface (2004) and Like Drawing Blood (2006) are two lps he has released independently. Gotye also has a remix album called Mixed Blood coming out soon. You can buy his records at the following links.

Buy directly from Gotye's website

Buy a digital version via Martian music

Or from Australia's Itunes

A pricey one for the Americans via Amazon.com

And the good news, I heard back from Wally and I hope to have an exclusive (albeit short) interview with Wally in the next few weeks. And definitely a contest!

New Featured Artist: Gotye

2007-06-25T00:01:00.000-04:00

So if you haven't heard it yet, go check out the latest installment of the Shifted Sound Podcast.

We (Shifted Sound and A Better Offer) have been trying to sync up for quite a few months now, where Shelby could interview a band and I could cover them. And it still hasn't worked out perfectly yet. But here goes. I'll be writing about Gotye (pronounced gore-ti-yeah) for the next two weeks and as of right now, I haven't heard back from Wally (of Gotye fame) with the definite go ahead to cover his music. But that's alright with me, because I've got lots to say and share on the matter. If you have not heard Gotye yet, I suggest you start over at Shifted Sound and download podcast number 66 (and subscribe while you are there) to hear some music from Gotye and an EXCELLENT interview with Wally de Backer of Gotye.

Or you can check out the links to the right for more Gotye. Stay tuned!

If you are really wanting and MP3, try Out Here in the Cold

**Spelling corrected via email from Tim. A big thanks!

Okkervil River: the cliff

2007-06-19T23:59:00.000-04:00

So I'm back from the wonderful mountains of North Carolina. The first thing I'd like to point out is that I have a new "you might be indie rock if..." joke. It follows.

You might be indie rock if, you hike up this freakin mountain in jeans.

I've got many more, but I just thought I'd share that one with you. And for those of you who don't know, that is me up there 4,000 feet in the air.

Anyways how does this apply to Okkervil River you may be asking yourself? Well as I sat on this cliff the following lyrics just kept repeating in my head.

Loosen the wire, your time has expired, the only word left is “goodbye.” In my new dream the light's shining on me, little needles of sodium unstitch the seams of the sky. Hold your head higher, the heavenly choir is settling in for the night. And where I had friends I am left with loose ends; four hours of vision exchanged for four hours of fright. But enough of “the fight,” enough “you and I,” enough of “prevail” or “walk in the light.” While the angels stand by I get high as a kite.

You can download the original version (from their first record, Stars to Small to Use) of this song here...

MP3: The Velocity of Saul at the Time of His Conversation, Okkervil River

Okkervil River on KEXP (live performance podcast)

2007-06-14T00:41:00.001-04:00

So I'll be heading out of town tomorrow and won't be back until Sunday. And I have decided to keep covering Okkervil River through next week (for reasons that may or may not become more clear on June 24th). One main reason is that I still cannot stop listening and I'm sure you can't either. So I'll keep talking. Plus there's the contest. Make sure you enter.

And a big thanks to RD for giving me the heads up on the outstanding KEXP live performances podcast. Below is a link to download the Okkervil River performance from SXSW. It is really something and the version of Westfall is stellar to say the least. The setlist follows the link.

Download the Okkervil River KEXP podcast here

The President's Dead
The Latest Toughs
Our Life is Not a Movie

Interview

Westfall
For Real
Okkervil River Song

Okkervil River: A contest

2007-06-13T13:12:00.000-04:00

So as you can see, Ive been away for a little bit. But here I am again, plugging away at my little project. And I had an idea. I've gotten some emails (and comments) from you readers out there about how much you love Okkervil River. So I was thinking that you all have probably have something to say too. So what I'd like to do is propose a little contest.

The rules

1. Write a post about Okkervil River.

2. It can be about anything to do with their music, history, or future. But it must be about something I haven't covered yet.

3. Send me the post as an attachment to thetwomirrors@yahoo.com by Sunday, June 16th

4. Make it entertaining

What you get

I will judge the posts according to my own liking and for the winner (or winners--if there is more than one really good one) I will pre-order a copy of the new Okkervil River (Deluxe edition) cd that will be shipped to their door in early August. Now I'll be buying this with my own hard earned money--because really in a sense you are doing my job for me..

And here's an really fucking amazing MP3 for your listening pleasure...

Another Radio Song--Okkervil River

Okkervil River: The Pitchfork Interview

2007-06-04T23:10:00.000-04:00

Photo by Jean-Marc Luneau

I'll be brief...I have gotten permission from every band I've covered here on A Better Offer. And in my humble opinion, I have been successful in getting some quality interviews and giveaways. However, Okkervil River is just too big for this little project. I did not receive permission from the band to write about them and share their music. But I just had to do it, and I'm going to keep doing it for the rest of this week and maybe a little bonus week (more to come). And now some little indie rock enterprise has got the goods. Pitchfork has a full (and superb) interview with Will from Okkervil River. I have posted one particularly interesting part below. Read the entire interview here.

Pitchfork was asking Will about how he writes songs. His response follows...

WS: There's this weird little thing about writing, to me, that I almost think about as-- let's say you're loading film into a film movie camera, and you have to do it in the dark, so you have these little tents that you put your hands inside and you can't see what you're doing. And so, at a certain point, what are you going to look at? You can't look at anything, so you just stare into space while your hands are feeling around, trying to figure out a way to thread this film into the mechanism. And I think about that when I figure out how to write a song and assemble a record. There's this weird thing that I do where my hands, so to speak, know what to do, but I can't look at it too much. If I start to think about it-- like sit down and think about it and piece it out in a really cerebral way-- it all starts to fall apart or I start to ruin it.

I really start to think about how everything I could possibly do has been done by somebody else and how little new stuff, arguably, there is to do... but of course the point is to do things, to feel that thrill, to feel like you're doing something for the first time.

Okkervil River--For Real video

2007-06-04T06:46:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday. Check out the video for one of the greatest songs I've ever heard. And I've got a contest coming soon...

Okkervil River--The Stage Names (deluxe edition)

2007-06-02T14:47:00.000-04:00

So the new Okkervil River drops on August 7th, 2007. And true to the current trend, it will also be released as a deluxe edition. But unlike other "deluxe" editions, this 2XCD set will offer more than a few extra pictures and a hard back book. According to the description at Insound.com, the deluxe edition will contain a solo version of each of the tracks. That's good stuff folks.

The track list follows and I have included the link from pitchfork to download the first single. If you have not heard it yet, you're in for a treat. All of the trademark Okkervil River is there, but Will Sheff's voice sounds a little cleaner to me. And I don't think it's a bad thing, just something to get used to. Check it out!

1. Our Life Is Not a Movie or Maybe
2. Unless It's Kicks
3. A Hand to Take Hold of the Scene
4. Savannah Smiles
5. Plus Ones
6. A Girl in Port
7. You Can't Hold the Hand of a Rock and Roll Man
8. Title Track
9. John Allyn Smith Sails

Okkervil River--The band and thier music

2007-06-01T09:58:00.000-04:00

Okkervil River has an incredible bio posted on their website. It is very lengthy, but well worth your reading. So check it out here.

But for my purposes here's a little synopsis. Okkervil River are currently a six piece that hail from New Hampshire. They make moody keyboard driven music that David Fricke of Rolling Stone describes it as music that, "pines and crawls with enriched instrumentation… and a gripping cross of drowsy understatement and lightning bolts of anxiety, like Pavement bursting through the middle of REM’s 'Country Feedback." They make music that I just can't seem to get enough of. I have purchased tons of music this year, but it seems like every time I turn on the old IPOD, I want to listen to Okkervil River. I have been purchasing everything I can find from their back catalog and the good news is that they have a new record coming out in August (check back soon for more details). This is what I have found listed as their catalog. There may be some other things available and if so, please leave me some comments so I can find it too.

Stars to Small to Use--1999. I'm fairly certain this is out of print, and I do NOT have a copy.

Don't Fall in Love with Everyone You See--2002. A great release. It is not my favorite, but in it's defense, I just bought it in D.C. a few weeks ago and have not given it a fair shot.

Julie Doiron/Okkervil River (split EP)--2003. It's on order. More soon.

Down the River of Golden Dreams--2003. Amazing record. Enough said. Just go buy it. MP3 Check out Blanket and Crib Here

Sleep and Wake-Up Songs EP--2004. Again It's on order.

Black Sheep Boy--2005. My favorite Okkervil River release. I already posted Black as an MP3. Check out the MP3 For Real Here

Black Sheep Boy Appendix--2005. Oh man. If ever an appendix to a record was needed. This is it. I strongly suggest when you purchase Black Sheep Boy, you buy the deluxe edition as it contains this appendix. I'll have a full write up and an MP3 of my favorite track up soon.

For Real (EP)--2005. On Order

The President's Dead (12")--2006. Two tracks. The title one is priceless. Get the MP3 Here

The Stage Names--to be released August 7th 2007. Pre order here. There is an MP3 for the first single available from pitchforkmedia here.

Okay so you too can purchase all this music from the various internet sites, but I suggest you get it from the Okkervil River website.

New Featured Artist: Okkervil River

2007-05-29T22:21:00.000-04:00

photo credit: Jean-Marc Luneau

I'm not going to apologize for being absent for past month or so. I'm not even going to pretend that many of you are still reading this. I do however realize that Shelby at Shifted Sound has been so very supportive for the past month and I understand that I would basically be starting from scratch had it not been for his constant promotion of this little project here at A Better Offer. So if somehow you still read this blog and don't subscribe to Shifted Sound, it is your duty to do so.

Onto the music. I was turned onto the brilliance of Okkervil River from Jeff at Out With the Kids (another shameless plug) and I was instantly shocked that I had not heard their music before. In fact, here is an excerpt of the email I sent Jeff after he so kindly sent me their music...

Okay so I am a complete and utter failure when it comes to music. I've got somewhere in the neighborhood of 1500 cds and another 300 records or so, and throw in a couple hundred cassettes and countless downloads from the internet and somehow, someway, the sweet sounds of Okkervil River have never found their way to my ears. I am so utterly blown away by their music. It has been awhile since I have been so enamored with a band.

If you are wondering about their sound. My best description is that they fall somewhere between older Bright Eyes, Pavement, and a little Wolf Parade for good measure. Check out this track below to get you started and then check out the links to the right and download those MP3s and then buy everything you can find from them, because it is all amazing.

Okkervil River--Black

Annuals Tour dates

2007-05-17T23:00:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to take a moment and thank SHIFTED SOUND for helping introduce people to our site. If you are not familiar with the Shifted Sound podcast, you're missing out.

Click here to subscribe thru iTunes.

The Annuals have a few shows planned, so if you're lucky enough to be in the area check them out:

5/19/07
Minehead, UK
Butlins
All Tomorrows Parties

5/22/07
London, UK
Astoria
w/ The National!

5/23/07
London, UK
100 Club

5/25/07
Birmingham, UK
Barfly
FROG

5/26/07
Bristol, UK
TBA
Dot 2 Dot Festival

5/27/07
Nottingham, UK
TBA
Dot 2 Dot Festival

6/14/07
Manchester, TN
Bonnaroo Music Festival
8pm

Video Links: Annuals - Brother

2007-05-16T18:16:00.000-04:00

I can't get enough of this song!!!

Here's the video.

Annuals: Live on KEXP

2007-05-14T18:18:00.000-04:00

The Annuals stopped by KEXP on 12/06/06 for an in studio performance and interview. I couldn't have been happier with the setlist, they played 3 of my favorite songs off of Be He Me and one song off of the Got Git EP.

Click here to listen to the show.

New Featured Artist: Annuals

2007-05-13T12:19:00.000-04:00

Here we go again, for the next two weeks we will be covering the Annuals. The Annuals are an indie rock 6 piece from Raleigh and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Their album Be He Me was one of the best albums of last year. They've gathered comparisons to Broken Social Scene and Animal Collective. Stayed tuned for more info, but for now check out Brother courtesy of Ace Fu Records.

Annuals - Brother (highly recommended)

Novi Split winners and an apology

2007-05-09T11:30:00.000-04:00

First off I'd like to congratulate the following two winners from the Novi Split contest. They correctly identified David J. as the one who booked his own tour. I will be mailing the cds out shortly courtesy of Hush Records.

Stella from Tampa, Florida

Trent from Knoxville, Tennessee

Secondly, I should apologize for my week long absence. I found out this week that I won the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching for the State of Florida. Which means I get a nice big check and an all expense paid trip to D.C for two to meet the President to receive my award. It has been absolutely wild making travel arrangements, media interviews, and answering literally hundreds of emails. And amidst all of this, I graduated from UNF Friday with my Masters Degree in Elementary Education. So needless to say my little project here at A Better Offer has been on the back burner and it may be until after I return from Washington (I leave May 14th and get back on the 19th).

Thanks to all for the emails and to those of you who kept checking back only to find the same post. Expect a new artist to be unveiled on May 20th! See you then.

Novi Split on the Coverville Podcast

2007-05-02T13:54:00.000-04:00

The incomparable Shelby from Shifted Sound let me know that Novi Split was featured on the Coverville Podcast episode 317. Now I had not previously listened to Coverville (where the name says it all), but upon my first listen I was extremely pleased. I can't think of a better artist to be featured on a podcast that focuses only on covers. I for one would like to think that Coverville could do an entire show of Novi Split covers. Folks, listen that "Dancing in the Dark" cover is most likely the best cover I have ever heard.

Check out Coverville here...

Check out the Novi Split cover project here...

And read about our Novi Split contest here...

Novi Split: The Cloak and Dagger Media Covers Project

2007-04-30T23:18:00.000-04:00

I'm Sorry. You see the hardest part of running this blog is not telling you everything I know the first day I cover an artist. I mean I just wanted to tell you every wonderful thing about Novi Split last Sunday when I revealed our new artist. But I wouldn't be able to write about it for two weeks if I did. Anyways, after my digression, I must tell you about the Cloak and Dagger Covers Project that David J. from Novi Split recorded. David recorded four exclusive cover songs (they are listed below). And it is absolutely imperative that you go download these four songs now. I'm not hosting them here, because it would be wrong of me to take away from Cloak and Dagger. They have all four MP3's for your downloading and listening pleasure and believe me it's extremely pleasurable.

These four amazing tracks can be found at the links below...Please for me at least download the Bruce cover. It's so freakin good.

Dancing in the Dark (Bruce Springsteen Cover)

The Very First Lie (Material Issue Cover)

Outside the Wall (Pink Floyd Cover)

Madonna of the Wasps (Robin Hitchcock Cover)

These four tracks are completely necessary pieces in your music collection. And again I'm sorry for not telling you sooner.

And don't forget about the contest...check it out here. Free Novi Split cds for the winners!

The Novi Split Contest!

2007-04-28T22:41:00.000-04:00

The wonderful folks at Hush Records have given A Better Offer a few cds and posters to give away from our featured artist. And I really want you to have this record. Yes, you A Better Offer reader and Shifted Sound listener. So I'm going to put my teaching abilities to the test here. I have written for a full week about Novi Split and his music. I am going to ask you one question, that you can find the answer to on this site. When you know the answer, send an email (with the answer of course) to thetwomirrors@yahoo.com by Friday May 4th with the subject Novi Split for Free! Make sure to include your mailing address and we will randomly choose the winners next Saturday. The question follows...

Who booked Novi Split's tour?

Okay, send in your responses to win free music shipped to your door. If you haven't hear Novi Split yet, here are three tracks that completely rule from the new record "Pink in the Sink."

MP3--Julie

MP3--Leaving It

MP3--California Skies

Novi Split--A Better Offer Exclusive Interview (part two)

2007-04-27T19:08:00.000-04:00

Here's the second part of my interview with David J. from Novi Split. And I decided to make you all wait one more day for the contest info. It will be posted tomorrow evening. The good news is that there is a good chance that you'll win some free music from Novi Split...So check back tomorrow.

ABO: In my opinion, one of the highlights of your new record, "Pink in the Sink," is the track "Leaving It". It's heartbreaking and lovely and the same time. The lyric, "your cold dead eyes are so bright to me," is completely heartbreaking and it captivates that feeling of knowing something has died, but no wanting it to end. Yet somehow, when I hear the end of that song I feel like everything turns out okay (hence my lovely opinion) Can you tell us about inspiration and your take on that song?

i've met a lot of incredible people in my life that i wish i could be. and i become very obsessed with people when they bring a joy to my life. i seem to love and respect these people through any situation they bring upon themselves, even if its clearly wrong. i watched a documentary about a woman who falls in love with serial killers and marries them while they're in prison for life or on their way to be killed. and i also watched a few 'romantic' movies in which the same story always repeats. you get this girl and this guy and they fall in love and then something fucked up happens and they break up. but then something even more fucked up happens and it makes them realize how important love is and they get married and thats the end of the story, but thats bullshit because humans aren't designed to get over anything. we hold our anger right into the fucking grave. we build walls and we kill everything. the idea that someone i cared for and myself can just wake up one morning years in the future and our minds can connect once again against impossible odds for just a moment is insane. then there's also the idea of pornography or drugs or any other thing you can be addicted to and the idea of becoming a man and leaving that all behind in the search to becoming a better person. to redeem the world by not giving into the world. its hard starting a new life when you can tolerate the shitty one you're in. its not worth the gamble. its a fun song to sing.

ABO: You seem to really enjoy doing cover songs (especially some offbeat ones). What inspires you to cover songs? And what is the greatest cover song you think that has ever been recorded?

people seem to forget that sinatra wrote like 0.01% of his songs. he just liked songs he heard and sang em. same with most every folk musician. its not much different than that. covers are the best thing about being a musician period. as for the best cover ever... theres a few. johnny cash's cover of 'a boy named sue' is up there. rod mckuen's cover of 'long long time.' al green's version of 'for the good times.' any song where its hard to imagine that anyone else wrote it because the relationship that the cover artist has with the song is so sincere, you know thats a good cover. how about UB40 doing 'red red wine.' how about harry nilsson singing randy newman, the whole record.

ABO: Finally, what are listening to right now?

i've been listening to the knife, graham lindsey, andrew jackson jihad, todd snider, as far as new music. rod stewart, randy newman and the frogs when it comes to classic rock. its hard for me to introduce new music in my life. when i like an artist i usually have to listen to everything they've recorded before finding someone new. i cant believe how much music gets released these days. some people put out like three records a year. find a hobby.

Novi Split--A Better Offer exclusive interview (part one)

2007-04-26T09:45:00.000-04:00

David J. from Novi Split was kind enough to take the time to talk with A Better Offer about his music, his love of cover songs, and his favorite musicians. We had so much to talk about, we broke the interview into two parts. And let me say, this is by and large the best interview I have ever conducted. David J. is just awesome and I hope you'll enjoy reading his responses as much as I did. Below is part one of the interview, and we'll post part two tomorrow--as well as the information about the Novi Split contest (free cds folks--free cds), so check back often.

ABO: Tell our readers a little about how you began to make music with Novi Split and how your experience with your former bands may have lead to Novi Split.

when i was about fifteen, me and a bunch of kids who all played metal decided to buy an old 1/4 inch fostex tape deck so we could record our bands and pass out tapes at school. all the equipment was always left at my house, so i would take whatever tape was left at the end of the reels to compose bad hip hop loops with a 1.5 second sampler that was in my friends guitar effects processor. then i would throw metal funk solo's over that and polish them off with really quiet vocals because i was scared of my voice. and thats just something i learned to enjoy. it helped me explore ideas that didn't fit into the sound of whatever band i was playing in. i was in a few bands growing up. at fourteen, i was in a band called 'your mom' that sounded a lot like the frogs. acoustic metal riffs with fuck word after fuck word improvised over the top. those were my glory days. with the exception of that band, i would always hit a wall with my writing. trying to write a collection of songs with a familiar tone bled me dry. i would get bored and turn to my 8-track and write a hot latin inspired metal funk song and i would feel like i was in the zone again. so i just kind of made the decision to live in that zone for awhile when dave jensen asked to put out some of the demo's i was working on. i thought he was crazy, but now someones interviewing me.

ABO: I've heard that the way you approach making and recording music is a little different than the typical artist. Can you tell us a little about how you write and record the songs for Novi Split?

the writing and recording process is a very spontaneous thing. a record i'd be listening to would skip and i'd record that and compose music over it then bang on a table, mumble some bullshit into a mic and you have a song. over the years i might have refined it a bit, but it always starts with a rhythm or a beat and then i put way too many instruments over it and then tear it all down but saving fragments of tracks i thought were cool and filling in the spaces. i do the same thing i always have but just put in about 10X the work. its natural to do at my age. its fun to see how far and stupid you can make your music sound. the performances are usually done in a couple takes. actually, everything but the rhythm tracks on this new record. i wanted a little more swing. i still dont know about mics or how to point them. it seems that the more expensive ones sound better and you point them at things you are recording. i wish i knew more about the tech side of all of this. ive just learned to manipulate signal into doing what i want it to do through EQ'ing and other avenues. i used to do a lot more 'field recordings' at different locations. now i just stick to places i think no one will be listening to me. solitude make for better recordings.

ABO: Tell us about the tour. What lineup are you taking on the road with you? And what are the setlists like?

the tour is something i booked myself. im not very good at it but i manage. i usually go out with a guitar. its hard to find a friend or two that would be willing to take a few weeks off of work to tour with my project. but for the east coast i found matt eckel a great musician who hates his job. perfect. he will be playing harmonica, piano, and drums all at once. its an experiment to see if i can get along with another person on stage. the set list usually include songs that i have written, songs my friends have written and a couple over covers that im obsessed with.

Novi Split on Tour

2007-04-24T23:00:00.000-04:00

Here's what left of the Novi Split tour. You should definitely get your little behind out there and see them if they are coming close to your hometown.

APRIL 27 2007 Milwakee, Wisconsin @ 8th note coffee house w/ city on film

APRIL 29 2007 Cincinnati, Ohio @ alchemize

APRIL 30 2007 penn state, PA @ claudia's house

MAY 1 2007 PHILLY, PA @ spazz house

MAY 2 2007 NEW YORK, NY @ PEETS CANDY SHOP

MAY 4 2007 Boston, Mass @ the lily pad

MAY 5 2007 Buffallo, NY @ 99 custer

MAY 6 2007 Toronto, Ontario @ the boat

And if you haven't heard his music yet, here's another MP3 for your listening pleasure. The track is called "Leaving It" and in my humble opinion, it's one of the most heartbreaking and lovely songs I've ever heard check it out.

MP3--Leaving It by Novi Split

And stay tuned, because we have an exclusive interview with David J. from Novi Split as well as another contest with free stuff!

And you can pick up his record from Hush Records here.

Background on Novi Split

2007-04-23T19:55:00.000-04:00

NAME: David Jerkovich

LOCATION: San Pedro, CA

BANDS, PAST & PRESENT: Novi Split. Ill Lit. The Real Diego. Kind of Like Spitting. The Cherry Chans. The Sexy Sexies. Sexplosion.

LYRICAL INSPIRATIONS: Records. Smart people with great ideas. I can't think of one inspirational moment that sent me over any edge though. I wish I had a Purple Rain moment to talk about. I wish I had a basement with a piano and a purple bike. You bet your ass. I write and record everything in a bathroom. It's what I've always done at the end of my nights. I swear to God, I sit on the can and play guitar all night. When I was younger I remember this kid telling me he wrote songs on a cliff outlooking the ocean. He said he felt some "real shit" out there. It was nice to think that it happened that way for people.

FAVORITE SONGWRITERS: I think we can all agree on the greats. People like Springsteen, Roger Waters, Phil Ochs, Tom Waits, KRS-1, Leonard Cohen, Woody Guthrie, Marvin Gaye, Prince, Billy Bragg, David Berman, John Lennon, Willie Nelson, etc. They all have the ability to make you and your whole crew say, "damn." But what really intrigues me are the questionable songwriters. People like John Prine, Raekwon the Chef, Robyn Hitchcock, Randy Newman, Rod McKuen. The people who seem to hit you in a way that even your crew can't understand. The songwriters you're almost embarrassed to love are the best....

Check out this track by Novi Split to get a taste.

MP3--Novi Split, California Skies

And check out the links to the right to hear more Novi Split

New Featured Artist: Novi Split

2007-04-22T15:46:00.000-04:00

Here we go again. For the next two weeks we will be covering Novi Split exclusively. We will have all things Novi Split. If you haven't heard their music yet, check out the links to the right. There is plenty of music to start with. But check back often because A Better Offer will have TONS of information about Novi Splits music, band information, and current tour dates--as well as MP3s and an exclusive interview. That's right. That's how we roll here at A Better Offer.

UPDATE! Download an MP3 of California Skies by Novi Split

Here's your first chance to support the brilliant artist that is Novi Split. Buy his record here.

The Rosebuds: And the winners are...

2007-04-21T11:53:00.000-04:00

The winners of the signed posters are:

John from W. Lafayette, IN
Tim from Palm Coast, FL
Chelsea (I'm still waiting on her contact info)

And the signed cd goes to:

David from Forrestville, MD

Congratulations to the winners and thanks to all who entered. We hope to have many more contests to come! And yes, this means that our time with The Rosebuds will come to an end today. We have loved every second of the past two weeks, and would like to send a big thanks to Toolshed Media, Merge Records, and especially The Rosebuds. Remember that the MP3's are only available for download through tomorrow (when we announce our new featured artist), but will archive all the old posts so you can always access any info about The Rosebuds in our archive.

And, I'm sure you've bought the record by now, but if not GO GET IT HERE!

The Rosebuds Demo version of Hold on To This Coat

2007-04-20T09:58:00.000-04:00

(MP3) The Rosebuds--Hold on to This Coat (demo) (LINK REMOVED)

The Rosebuds have given A Better Offer permission to post this wonderful demo version of "Hold on to This Coat." They originally posted it on their myspace page about 4 or 5 months ago. Check out how this song began. It's very similar to the final version but definitely worth listening to.

And the contest entries have to be in by midnight tonight. We have 3 signed posters and a signed copy of their new cd "Night of the Furies," courtesy of Toolshed media and Merge. We will announce the winners sometime tomorrow. Send an email to thetwomirrors@yahoo.com with the subject "Rosebuds giveaway."

Rearview Mirror: The Rosebuds

2007-04-19T14:49:00.000-04:00

So I had this idea for a reoccurring feature here at A Better Offer. I think we should take the time to hear where our featured artist(s) have been. We'll take a trip back to their older music... So I have gotten permission from the Rosebuds and Merge to post the following two tracks from the Rosebuds catalog. They will only be available through Saturday, so make sure to get them while you can.

(MP3)The Rosebuds--El Camino. (LINK REMOVED) From the Unwind EP. Released April 2005. This is the song that sold me on the Rosebuds and their music. It was not the first song I heard, but there was a moment when I said to myself, Man these guys are amazing. I hope you enjoy this song as much as I do. You can purchase the EP from Merge records here.

(MP3)The Rosebuds--Hold Hands and Fight. (LINK REMOVED) From the Birds Make Good Neighbors LP. Released September 2005. If you've never heard this track, please do yourself a favor and download immediately. Then go buy the outstanding sophomore record from the Rosebuds here. This is pop brilliance at its best with some of the most outstanding lyrics ever written. And you can hear two other tracks (Shake our Tree and Leaves Do Fall) from this record on Shifted Sound Episode 52.

And don't forget about the contest. We have 3 signed posters and 1 signed cd to give away. Simply send an email to thetwomirrors@yahoo.com with the subject "Rosebuds Giveaway" and we will announce the three winners on Saturday.

A Review of "Night of the Furies"

2007-04-18T11:31:00.000-04:00

With permission from the Rosebuds and Merge, we are posting an exclusive MP3 of Silja Line. It is the version from the record, but The Rosebuds and Merge have only given A Better Offer permission to post this MP3. It will only be up through weekend, so grab it now and listen. I am certain that it will convince you to buy the record.

MP3--Silja Line: On Settling for Normal (A BETTER OFFER EXCLUSIVE) (LINK REMOVED)

Night of the Furies by The Rosebuds

Well I’m sure it is apparent that I am completely enamored by the Rosebuds' excellent new record. I still however felt compelled to write a review of the record. So here goes... The Rosebuds left us in 2005 with Birds Make Good Neighbors—a indie rock gem. I was looking forward to Night of the Furies, but for whatever reason, I was not expecting what I got. When I first heard the record, a shy 9 days ago, I was a little surprised at the change in sound. This record is very danceable and very dark at the same time. This Rosebuds have found a way to write really beautiful songs that have very heavy subject matter. In our interview, they wrote, “we think, if you have a message you want people to care about, all the better if the song it lives in is good. There is a lot of beauty in things that are true—even if that truth is disturbing.”

The beauty of this record is that it is easily accessible for any music listener. Anyone can pick up the cd and have an enjoyable listen. It’s dancy, catchy, and the melodies are beautiful. But the more astute music listener can find meanings throughout. One can follow the story of the Furies throughout and find times when they crop up on the record. With this record, The Rosebuds have solidified their place as one of the most creative storytelling musicians today. The record opens with two instantly catchy songs, “My Punishment for Fighting,” and “Cemetery Lawns.” Lyrics such as “I’ve got blood in the palms of my hands/It’s only blood they’ll understand,” show that the catchiness is laden with the beginnings of the story of the Furies (see post below). The third track,“I Better Run,” brings Kelly’s vocals to a new level. She sings “she’s probably dead, but dead in a secret place/From drugs, dirty murder, or some such thing.” While these first few songs certainly set a tone for the record, The Rosebuds do not become complacent with this. They change things up musically with “Get Up Get Out” but keep the political fuel coming. In my mind the record really grabs you at track six. By that time you understand the way the records going. “Hold on to This Coat,” is a extra catchy little song and even it’s lyrics hint at the change that is coming. “Soon enough, the leaves will grow and your heart deep inside will start to show.” Now it’s on “Silja Line: on settling for normal” where this record really makes it’s statement. The track is absolutely beautiful. And I think it provides the most logical progression from where “Birds Make Good Neighbors” left off and where this record begins. Ivan sings about the “plain folks who don’t mind/the sound of screaming children”…and then continues with, “no way to change what’s been said and done/I’ve set my own course and I’ll try to carry on.” He is clearly ready for the inevitable—whatever that may be. Now The record ends as brilliantly as it began. Track 8 is “The Lights Went Dim,” and Kelly takes the lead vocals on this one. This is the first time I realized that the story of the Furies may not turn out like I expected. Kelly sings, “I'm certain that it’s true, though I hate to think my lover/Never made it through.” And finally the story of the Furies culminates on the last track on the record. “The Night of Three Furies” is another dark yet catchy track that tells the end of the story. And I’ll keep my theories to myself about what happens, and you go listen and make your own.

If you don’t own this record yet, I strongly suggest you purchase it here. OR ENTER OUR CONTEST WHERE YOU COULD WIN AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY!

A Rosebuds Contest

2007-04-16T09:54:00.000-04:00

A Better Offer would like to announce our first contest! The fine folks at Merge and Toolshed Media have given A Better Offer 3 signed Rosebuds posters and 1 signed copy of their fantastic new album "Night of the Furies," to give away to our readers. All you have to do to win one of these prizes is send an email to thetwomirrors@yahoo.com by Friday. Please put "Rosebuds giveaway" in the subject line. We will randomly select 4 winners and post them on Saturday morning. Easy you say? That's right, Easy Like Sunday Morning.

Good Luck.

An interview with The Rosebuds

2007-04-15T10:45:00.000-04:00

Here at A Better Offer, we strive to give you the most complete coverage of the best music availiable. As you know we are midway through our coverage of the Rosebuds--we've got a whole other week to go. And now Kelly and Ivan have been so kind as to answer a few questions that we sent them about their music and their new record, "Night of the Furies." Enjoy!

ABO: Tell our readers a little bit about how The Rosebuds came to be.

A: Ivan was writing songs and playing the guitar and I was in an all-female performance group and just doing some stage acting stuff and he booked us a show at a local venue and then told me that we had a show later that night. I’d never been in a band but I wasn’t afraid of being on stage so I agreed. So he showed me some songs he’d written and we worked out a five-song setlist for later that night. We drove down there and hung up some Christmas lights, plugged in our Sears drum machine, and gave some girl in the audience a tambourine and just started playing. Everybody liked it and said that we should play again the next week so we said yes. The next week we played and when we finished this guy came up to me and said, “Man, you guys are fucking great! How long have you been playing!?” And I said, “It’s our second show.” So we got asked to play again and at the third show, we had our own audience. Some people even brought their own merch. One guy made T-shirts for us to sell and somebody made some stickers. The sound man taped the show and we started selling that to people who wanted to buy the record. So that’s how it started. We just kept playing and eventually Merge heard about us and when we sent them a demo in the mail, they invited us to put it out.

ABO: We’ve posted information about the creation of “Night of the Furies,” from the Merge website, but can you talk specifically about how this record was made and how that was different from how your previous records were made.

A: It’s different in that we produced it ourselves and so that gave us all the freedom in the world to do anything we wanted. That was everything. That’s what made “Furies” what it is—just having personal and creative freedom to do anything.

ABO: What about the change in sound... Was that a direct result of the inspiration for this record? If so is it a direction you see your band continuing to go?

A: We were playing a song live that was a garage-style, rave-up, rock n roll song and when we tried to get a version on tape, we weren’t happy with the way it was sounding. But we didn’t want to just kill the song so we went home and Ivan worked up a smoother version of the song, slower tempo and the same chords, and was singing the same lyrics until he accidentally went into this other thing, vocally, and then he listened back and decided to scrap most everything except that other little vocal thing. And the vocal thing was, “learn to forget” which became the first step into the song “Night of the Furies.” But it was still a smooth song—same vibe as the new demo of the old rave-up. So he added a bass to that, which is the first time we’ve ever had a bass that carried it’s own melody and just adding that bass is how the new sound was born.

ABO: What role do the three Roman goddesses (especially Tisiphone) play in this record? And how much did she affect the man who was charged with singing these stories? Are there specific points that they come out in the record? Or are they just consistently part of the songs?

A: There are so many things we were thinking about and writing about—heavy ideas and subject matter—that the Furies became a way for us to address these ideas lyrically. I’d like people to look back at us in 50 years and appreciate the music, but also the stories we tell and the style in which we tell them. The use of the Furies as a metaphor for political topics, life experiences, philosophical positions—all that stuff—protects us from sounding too prosaic. In other words, employing the Furies figuratively gave us a similar kind of freedom that the self-production step gave us. Concretely, however, the Furies are their own amazing story and we wanted to explore them for a while. If there’s ever been a time in the history of man-kind that we’ve needed the Furies, it’s now.

ABO: What about the live show…What can your fans expect to see on this tour? How many musicians will be part of your touring band, and how will the set list play out…and if this has changed at all from previous tours.

A: We are a five-piece band now. We played some shows with Yo La Tengo, then we went to Russia for a festival, and then we went to SxSW with this line-up and the response is like old times again—people see us now and like it in that way that makes them want to help us somehow. For example, we played at SxSW and so many writers saw us and then started writing about our shows and keeping up with us. And we realize how much that helps us but what the kick-ass part of it all is, it’s all DIY—they want to help and don’t expect anything for it. Unlike traditional/major print magazines and traditional media that rely on advertising and “one hand washes the other” dealings, these blogs and online magazines don’t give a shit about that—they just say what they want and what they really believe. Well, you know what I mean. So, even though we can’t buy all that traditional advertising (like bands on major labels can) and get the benefits of that exposure, we mean something real to real fucking people and it helps us more than all that other stuff anyway.

ABO: The first single, Get Up Get Out, is dancy and dark all at the same time (which is certainly a theme that runs through the new record). Can you talk a little bit about this track and how you go about choosing a single on such a conceptual album?

A: We were surprised to find a handful of early reviewers not acknowledging the darkness and heaviness of this song. And the others too. Writers who don’t understand metaphor. Or writers who don’t pay attention to lyrics. Baffling. But there is that darkness, like you say, amid the danceable music. Our last record dabbled in that as well. But for “Get Up Get Out,” we mean for it to be political and heavy but we don’t want to just write protest songs that have no hooks. Who gives a shit about that? We think, if you have a message you want people to care about, all the better if the song it lives in is good. There is a lot of beauty in things that are true—even if that truth is disturbing.

Rosebuds perform Get Up Get Out for Yahoo music!

2007-04-13T09:59:00.000-04:00

The Rosebuds recorded a magnificent version of Get Up Get Out while at SXSW. If you have not heard yet, their trip to Austin was well received by all. Check out the reviews here. Yahoo music recorded this version of Get Up Get Out and has is it for your viewing pleasure at the link below. Let me just say this. Kelly plays a nice big grand piano for the keyboard part and it is simply stunning. You have got to watch this clip. And when you're done, I'm sure you'll be convinced that Night of the Furies is well worth your $13. Buy it here.

Check out the video here (video courtesy of yahoo!)

Rosebuds Tour Dates!

2007-04-12T11:18:00.000-04:00

The Rosebuds have announced their tour! Check out the dates below.

5/18/07 - Grey Eagle - Asheville, NC

5/19/07 - Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC

5/22/07 - Rock & Roll Hotel - Washington, DC

5/23/07 - Johnny Brenda's - Philadelphia, PA

5/24/07 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY

5/25/07 - Iron Horse Music Hall - Northampton, MA

5/26/07 - Great Scott - Allston, MA

5/28/07 - Horseshoe Tavern - Toronto, ON

5/29/07 - Blind Pig - Ann Arbor, MI

5/30/07 - Grog Shop - Cleveland Heights, OH

5/31/07 - Little Brothers - Columbus, OH

6/01/07 - Subterranean - Chicago, IL

6/02/07 - The Stone's Throw - Eau Claire, WI

6/03/07 - Seventh Street Entry - Minneapolis, MN

6/04/07 - Jackpot Sallon - Lawrence, KS

6/05/07 - Larimer Lounge - Denver, CO

6/08/07 - Neumos - Seattle, WA

6/09/07 - Media Club - Vancouver, BC

6/10/07 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, OR

6/12/07 - Great American Music Hall - San Francisco, CA

6/13/07 - Cellar Door - Visalia, CA

6/15/07 - Glass House - Pomona, CA

6/16/07 - Spaceland - Los Angeles, CA

6/17/07 - Plush - Tucson, AZ

6/19/07 - The Cavern - Dallas, TX

6/20/07 - The Parish - Austin, TX

6/21/07 - Spanish Moon - Baton Rouge, LA

6/22/07 - Bottletree Café - Birmingham, AL

6/23/07 - The Earl (outside) - Atlanta, GA

While I have never had the pleasure of seeing the Rosebuds live, I have heard their KEXP performances (stay tuned for links) and heard from Richard about their wonderful live show. If they are coming near you--do everything you can to get out there and see the Rosebuds live.

And here's an MP3 of Get Up Get Out, their first single from their new record, "Night of the Furies"

The Rosebuds on Shifted Sound and our partnership

2007-04-10T11:13:00.000-04:00

The Rosebuds were featured on Shifted Sound episode 55. Shelby played two songs, “Cemetery Lawns” & “My Punishment for Fighting”. Both tracks are from the new record "Night of the Furies." If you are still unsure about purchasing the new record, listen to episode 55 of Shifted Sound to hear two of the highlights from the record. They are actually the first two songs on the record and they provide an outstanding preface to the story behind the album. I got my copy in the mail Tuesday (thank you Kelly and Merge) and I'll post my full review towards the end of the week. I'll try to restrain from posting any other personal comments about the record until then.

And now for the partnership...A Better Offer and Shifted Sound have joined forces to bring you the most complete and comprehensive coverage of all the bands covered at A Better Offer. Here's how it works. A Better Offer and Shifted Sound will get together to select music that we will cover, the Shelby will play two of their tracks on an episode of Shifted Sound and we will write about them exclusively for two weeks. So check out Shifted Sound now to hear two tracks from the Rosebuds!

If you have not subscribed to Shifted Sound yet, I strongly encourage you to do so. Shelby puts on one of the finest podcasts around. He always lets you know where you can purchase the music you hear on shifted sound in his show notes and also links the bands website. His philosophy is extrememly similar to ours at A Better Offer. It's basically here is a band or artist we think you should be listening to and here is where you can find out more about them. You can subscribe here.

Featured Artist #2--The Rosebuds: Info about Night of the Furies

2007-04-09T13:20:00.000-04:00

The following information about the new record "Night of the Furies," (it comes out today folks!) was orginally posted on the Merge Records website. I am so excited to hear the entire record tomorrow. I have only heard the single Get Up Get Out (which you can download here). Expect a full review and exciting news about a partnership soon!

The Rosebuds--Night of the Furies

The Furies were Roman goddesses named Tisiphone (avenger of murder), Megaera (grudging), and Alecto (constant anger). They were born from night and they punish crimes on Earth that go unpunished.

We conjured them during a tropical depression in the summer of 2006.

We were almost in a fever from the threat of falling trees. The wind was not the worst we’d seen, but it peeled back the skin of old fears. In this condition, the senses are heightened. You surely know what I mean. We began to speak—just out loud--to clear away the fear hanging all around, and this is what we said:

On the night the Furies came down, some people walked outside and pointed up at what they first thought were fireflies. The lights grew nearer and brighter, however, and before any of them could understand what was bearing out, the Furies were upon them. And it became clear to all of them that some would have to run and some would hide, and still others would simply stand there, mouths agape, and watch.

There was a man who was not fearful at all. He was very curious, but not afraid, necessarily. He stood in a group of others like him by the lakeside and waited. Most of those people waited by the lakeside until the morning, when they went back into town to see who was left. The man, however, found himself transported suddenly and inexplicably to a vantage point whereupon he witnessed many great and terrible things throughout the night.

At length he encountered the Furies who spoke to him harshly at first, enlisting him to recount the story of their night so that the survivors would never forget. They chose him because he appeared to be the most beautiful of all the men and women of the world. They chose him because he loved dogs and birds and was a very sensitive, good-natured individual. He could also sing and he sang lovely tunes to himself when he was happy and when he was very nervous, as he was now.

Upon hearing him singing to himself, one of the Furies fell in love with the man. Since the goddess who punishes crimes, especially murder, couldn’t simply kill the man in order to make him her lover, and since he was already chosen to tell the story of the Night of the Furies, she would have to leave without him. This was a torturous thought for her. She spoke to the man gently—it was not difficult considering the ferocity of her voice was naturally quelled by her trepidation and softened by her sadness. Upon hearing her sadness, he became enraptured and vowed that he would recount the stories and, as a way to continue their affair, he would sing the stories aloud so that she and everyone else could hear.

Knowing that she would hear him singing these stories gave her comfort. And, when the man should die, she imagined, his voice would go silent--her proof of his entrance to the underworld, where they could be reunited.

And so they agreed and parted with a feeling of happiness for these songs as well as a deep, deep longing for the day they would end.

We set about recording these and other stories right away and Night of the Furies is the result. It is a dark, sexy, danceable, nuanced, and sublime record. We produced it ourselves, which was the only way it could have been done, naturally, considering the content.

We dreamed the music and the stories and then built it with the expert help of our friends--the musicians and the engineers: Justin Vernon, Matthew McCaughan, Mark Paulson, Brian Paulson, Charles Story, Jonathan Yu, Wes Phillips, Lee Waters, Daniel Hart, and Brad Cooke.

Buy the record here!

2nd Featured Artist: The Rosebuds!

2007-04-07T16:06:00.000-04:00

Brace yourself kids...A Better Offer will be covering The Rosebuds exclusively for the next two weeks. Check back often. The Rosebuds are sending tons of great info on their music, releases, tour information, and much more. We will have an interview with the band sometime next week! Keep checking and for now, go preorder the new record, "Night of the Furies" for only $13 from Merge Records. It will be officially released this Tuesday, April 10th.

Check out the first track Get Up Get Out here.

It's almost time to say goodbye...sort of

2007-04-06T10:09:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to take a quick second to let you know that Saturday is the last day we will be covering Arizona. However, we WILL archive all posts and music so any new readers we attract can always access our Arizona content (and we will do the same for all bands that follow). I'm going to post these links again, as I strongly encourage you to purchase their music. I assure you that A Better Offer nor its authors do NOT receive any financial gain from you buying music we write about. In fact we don't even post advertisements on this site...We simply want to support outstanding music. And Arizona is some of the most fantastic stuff around. These guys are on the brink. And I hope you'll come along for the ride.

Buy Arizona's Welcome Back Dear Children via Insound

Buy Arizona's Welcome Back Dear Children via Itunes

The WOXY setlist and review

2007-04-03T22:32:00.000-04:00

***This picture is not from the WOXY performance. It's from their myspace page.***

So Arizona played an outstanding and unique set Friday on WOXY. They played four tracks listed below and there was an interview with the band inbetween tracks two and three.

David

Some Kind of Chill

INTERVIEW (who knew WBDC was mostly recorded sequentially?)

Somersby/Te Amo Tanto

StreetSweeper (new/unreleased track)

So the show starts off rather normally. Both David and Some Kind of Chill were stellar and the band sounded great. However, the true brilliance of this show comes after the interview section. The boys start out their third song by playing the opening notes to Somersby (hands down my favorite Arizona track), then launched into a haunting version of Te Amo Tanto. At the conclusion of Te Amo Tanto, they played the ending notes of Somersby. It was really incredible how wonderfully those two tracks meshed together. If you didn't know the songs, you would have thought they went together. It is really worth your time to listen. Then they played Streetsweeper a new song that they played in St. Augustine when I saw them. And that track has completely taken form over the duration of this tour. I have to admit, that it was not one of my favorites originally, but this version here at WOXY is especially great. They song hasn't changed form much, but the boys have just become really great at telling this story through music.

Check out the show and interview HERE!

And by the way we are only covering Arizona through this weekend, and coverage of a new band begins on Monday, April 9th! We are going to miss Arizona, but don't worry all the posts will be archived on the site, so we can revisit our friends often.

Zak

Arizona appearing on woxy - Lounge Acts

2007-03-26T23:27:00.000-04:00

Arizona is scheduled to play on woxy.com's Lounge Acts on Friday March 30 at 3:00pm. They archive their shows in case you miss it.

Click here to subscribe to their podcast via iTunes.

Somersby by Arizona

2007-03-26T22:22:00.000-04:00

So the following is a review of Somersby that I wrote for the two mirrors--way back in October of 2006. Ben was kind enough to give some great insight into this track. People, you gotta hear this song. I rant and rave for a long time, but just give me four minutes. And I swear you'll understand. And the artwork was done by Deems as he listened to Somersby. Read on...

Song Title: Somersby (MP3 )

Band: Arizona

Album: Welcome Back Dear Children

Time: 4:08

Somersby finds itself nuzzled in at track 10 on Welcome Back Dear Children and it follows Surviving the Savior which is a tough act to follow. However, it quickly proves itself as the highlight of this record. Somersby begins with a keyboard piece that according to Ben, “is some kind of vibraphone/Wurlitzer hybrid patch on a Yamaha keyboard.” This keyboard piece is crucial to the song, as it comes back in the end in a reinterpreted form as if to remind of where we began. After this intro keyboard, this “absolutely wild guitar orchestra” explodes to begin the story of Somersby. This explosion was the result of a “stream of consciousness style” that was suggested by Nick. In my humble opinion Nick’s most valuable suggestion was to “follow its form a little bit.” I truly believe that songs can take on a life of their own. And while I am not a musician myself, I certainly understand the power that a song can take on. Ben explains that the band began to feel like Somersby was about “a kamikaze deep space scientist who had reached the end of his wits and had set his space craft on a collision course for the sun.” If you can stay with this idea for a moment, in my mind, during this sound explosion you can envision the scientist freaking out and heading for the sun. At the conclusion of this explosion, the opening keyboards are reinterpreted and I can just see this scientist in slow motion heading for the sun as his life flashes before him. Ben let me know that, “The final ending is a reinterpretation of a riff I recorded 2 years ago at the same time I wrote the piano part, but I never intended the two to go together.” It’s rather interesting to me that the beginning and ending keyboard pieces were not written for the same track.

There are so many more layers to this song but one of the more interesting things that Ben shared with me was about the lyrics. He originally had many more lyrics to the song. However the line “Somersby, oh Somersby, a man with a thousand eye's can't see that all that I want... and all I must get... is everything that ain't happened to me yet,” is the line that is the focal point of the song. According to Ben, “it’s the only original vocal part that made it to the final song” I really like this idea that even the most visually astute person can’t see that you will eventually get everything you need in life. That little word yet is so powerful in this lyric.

And I think I would be doing a disservice to the musicians out there if I were to try and interpret what Arizona was doing technically. So here a few quotes from Ben about the technical aspects of Somersby and the entire Welcome Back Dear Children album.

The song starts off with a reversed sample of Danny Kadar dropping my Jamison 2x12 combo amplifier and causing its reverb tank to go haywire.

Another funny little piece of information about Somersby is that during the mix, either Alex (bassist/engineer) or Danny forgot to unmute the kick drum channel on the console (for the technical minded out there, WBDC was mixed on a super nice big format Neve console to tape) or something, because it was mixed to tape without a bass drum.

Alex actually had to go back and line up the original kick drum track to the master and blend it in before the CD could be duplicated. So if you really listen, you can hear the kick is separated from everything else just a bit.

Also, I hope to do a sequel to Somersby one day- Arizona has a lot of "character" songs, like Jubilee, David, Sylvester Wheat vs. Finneas B, and I think it would be fun one day to do a song or an album that was all about the goings on of these characters.

Somersby is a great example of how the drums got done on Welcome Back Dear Children. The majority of the song is played by Nick on drums, but that very ending part is played by Alex. A lot of the drums on WBDC are hybrid performances with Nick playing most of it with Alex adding his touches in key parts.

New/Unreleased Arizona song courtesy of Shifted Sound

2007-03-25T16:31:00.000-04:00

Shifted Sound recently played a new/unreleased song from Arizona entitled Thimble. This podcast also contains an interview with Zak from A Better Offer, so you can get some more insight on what our blog is all about.

Click here for the Enhanced Edition for iPod/iTunes.
Click here for the MP3 version of the podcast.

Also, check out an older Shifted Sound podcast (#23) for more music and an interview with Arizona.

Click here for the Enhanced Edition for iPod/iTunes.
Click here for the MP3 version of the podcast.

We highly recommend subscribing to the Shifted Sound podcast. Click on the link below to subscribe via iTunes. IT'S FREE!!!!

Splintering Live in St. Augustine

2007-03-23T14:40:00.000-04:00

Splintering by Arizona
Uploaded by thetwomirrors

So this is the clip of Arizona performing "Splintering" when we saw them in St. Augustine. This is the last track they played during their set. Just watch and see how wonderful this band is. There is not much more I can say here. Just watch.**

**While the clip may be a little blurry and dark at times, I think you'll get the point. GO SEE THEM LIVE WHILE YOU CAN!

Pant + Whisper video

2007-03-21T09:38:00.000-04:00

Check out the video for Pant + Whisper. The track comes from Arizona's first EP--The Sun and The Room. Which by the way you should get your hands on pretty quickly because if it's not gone yet, it will be soon. The boys from Arizona did not make this video--it was done by a fan. But it provides an exceptionally accurate depiction of the song. There is an image about halfway through where there is a close up on her lips--and it is simply unforgettable. The blurred imagery is just exactly what you'd expect to visually tell the story of the song. So do yourself a favor and press play and enjoy the music and the images.

ARIZONA // Pant + whisper
Uploaded by theyoungfrancis

Video was directed by The Young Francis and Dr. Breint (edited 4/6/07)

Arizona's tour

2007-03-19T10:20:00.000-04:00

So do whatever you can to get out and check out Arizona's tour. My wife and I caught them in St. Augustine on March 10th (the other mirror was there too). They opened for Band of Horses which was both good and bad. The good--The room was packed for the Arizona show. The bad--They were the opening act so they only played about 9 songs. It was still well worth the trip. They are playing mostly stuff from Welcome Back Dear Children, but they did play two new tracks (Streetsweeper--from their upcoming EP, and Asheville--from a movie they scored). The guys are extremely friendly and put on an amazing and energetic show. They have great shirts for sale and a listening station set up if you want to hear the record before you purchase it. Check them out! P.O. Zak

Mar 20 2007
8:00P
Casablanca
Phoenix, Arizona

Mar 24 2007
9:00P
Hodi's Half Note w/ Carey Ott
Fort Collins, Colorado

Mar 25 2007
8:00P
Saddle Creek Bar
Omaha, Nebraska

Mar 26 2007
11:00P
Big V's
St. Paul, Minnesota

Mar 27 2007
3:00P
103.3FM KUMD - Live on air
Duluth, Minnesota

Mar 27 2007
10:00P
Univ. of MN Duluth Rafters w/ The Brushstrokes
Duluth, Minnesota

Mar 28 2007
8:00P
The Dry Bean (Free Show!)
Madison, Wisconsin

Mar 29 2007
8:00P
The Hideout
Chicago, Illinois

Mar 30 2007
7:00P
WOXY Lounge Acts
Cincinnati, Ohio

Mar 30 2007
8:00P
Dirty Jacks
Cincinnati, Ohio

Mar 31 2007
10:30P
The Basement
Columbus, Ohio

Apr 18 2007
10:00P
The Annex - NYC Homecoming show, wear a tux/ball gown!!
New York, New York

May 5 2007
8:00P
Luna Lounge
Brooklyn (Williamsburg), New York

(Picture from left, Ben, vocals and guitar, Zak, from a better offer, Nick, vocals and guitar, Andrew, keys and guitar)

Arizona's Welcome Back Dear Children

2007-03-16T18:13:00.000-04:00

***This review was originally published at The Two Mirrors in August of 06. I have added a few additional comments noted at the bottom.

So I thought I’d treat this record right and give it a proper review. RD turned me on to this band about a month ago and I clearly remember my first reaction. As I listened I thought… this band has something special. I remember listening thinking that in a year I’d remember the first time I heard them and smile. It reminded me of the first time I listened to The Arcade Fire, The Decemberists, Broken Social Scene, and Bright Eyes. It’s like I could tell that someday soon I would get it. Don’t get me wrong I don’t think Arizona necessarily sounds like any of those bands above, but I just felt I was listening to something new and fresh that would undoubtedly be part of my current listening for a long time. Having said that I heard Welcome Back Dear Children in its entirety last night and here are my early reactions.

The album starts with Te Amo Tanto, a dreamy pop song that provides a nice backdrop to the record. It leads straight into Some Kind of Chill—a track we’ve all been listening to non stop for over a month. It’s interesting to hear it in the context of the whole album. I still get chills when he sings, “It’s gone looking for space, as people all will, until they get to that place…” Track three provides quite the surprise in Away. I am certain that this song will have that same feel that Some Kind of Chill provides after repeated listens. The album continues its wistful pop feel through Diventa Blue and that leads us to the standout. Splintering is the track that sold me on this band when I first heard them. The rock in this track sells it and it’s the first time on the record that they veer from that dreamy pop feel that you were just getting comfortable with. Just when you get comfortable there, Arizona take you on another little detour with Old Man With a Bad Back Climbing up a Staircase and David. These two tracks are oriented around a piano and are just straight up good indie pop. The later is a little more pop than Old Man… but they both have pretty fantastic moments. Now Waking Up is just a short little ballad centering on an acoustic guitar that even has a little Wilco flair to it. Surviving the Savior fits nicely at track 9 because it sort of weaves itself through the musical moments that have presented themselves so far on this record. You have the acoustic guitar, that amazing voice, and a good bit of rocking at the end. Somersby is a great little song that is most similar to Splintering if you liked that track. It’s got some nice oh ohs in it and it’s got a got bit of rocking in its soul. The drums on this track are really amazing. Now I’m no drum expert, but they just seem to stand out to me on this song. Stay With Who You Know finds itself at track 11 and it seems to be the song that I’m struggling to fit into the context of the record. It’s a good song, but I can’t seem to put it into context yet. Don’t get me wrong, I have only listened 5 times or so, and I’m sure I’ll make some sense of it soon. It just has a completely different feel to it. And at 4:43 it clocks in as the longest song on the cd. Through the Soot and On Judgment Day close out this record in the same dreamy style that began it.

Overall, I am completely and utterly impressed by Arizona. The fact that this is their debut record just amazes me. It seems that there are a very few bands in my extensive library that have created such beautiful music on their debut record. I hope that you all take my advice and go to itunes and buy Welcome Back Dear Children soon. I assure you that these guys are on the brink of success and you’ll be glad you were along for the ride.

Notes from eight months later...I still think that this was by far the best record I heard last year. That's right, it was my number one record of 2006. The only real addition I would add would be the brillance of Somersby (full review of that track and MP3 coming soon). And I would also like to note that Te Amo Tanto is one of the best opening tracks around. I strongly encourage you to purchase this record (if you have not done so already). And I would suggest you buy an actual copy. The artwork is done by Deems and it is just super. Deems listened to the record while he did the artwork. It doesn't get much better than that.

Purchase Welcome Back Dear Children via Insound.com

Purchase Welcome Back Dear Children via cdbaby

Purchase Welcome Back Dear Childen via ITunes

However you choose to do so, just buy it.

And to hear some Arizona--download the latest shifted sound podcast, that Shelby was kind enought to let me co-host!

Featured Artist: ARIZONA

2007-03-12T23:09:00.000-04:00