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“Weightlifting” is an Exercise in Superior Songwriting

The lyrics to the opener, “Welcome Back,” on the Trash Can Sinatras new album, Weightlifting, could easily be a message to the band themselves. A few seconds into “Welcome Back” Francis Reader, the Trash Can Sinatras’ front man, sings: “Welcome back, back to health, back from the edge where we found you.” These lyrics mirror the reality the band has faced since 1996’s A Happy Pocket. After the release of A Happy Pocket, the band ended up declaring bankruptcy, but due to their love of making music together they managed to come back from the brink of financial ruin to release Weightlifting, a musically solid collection of songs that are as good, if not better (in some respects), that their previous albums. That is to say if you are a fan of their earlier albums, you will surely love the new record. Weightlifting picks up where A Happy Pocket left off and the two albums can be played back-to-back seamlessly despite the eight years that have passed between the two releases.

Tilly and the Wall
Team Love

I fell in love with Tilly and the Wall before I had even heard them. My jaw dropped when I saw their website, which is currently covered in hearts and crocodiles with flashing neon bands of color. Good graphic design will do that to a girl. I ordered 'Wild Like Children' shortly after my friend Jason Anderson (of K records fame) told me, and I quote, "They will be your NEW FAVORITE BAND OF ALL TIME!!!" Let's just say he wasn't far off. 'Wild Like Children' was the only disc in my stereo for weeks, because it truly is that good. I went on a crusade telling all of my friends how good this record makes me feel. It's hard to put a finger on what specifically made me go gaga for, as their fanbase fondly calls them, The Tillies.
Instead of using a traditional band set-up, TATW toss aside the notion of having of a proper drummer and opt for hand claps and tap dancing instead and various other forms of percussion. The beats are infectious regardless of what they are made with. In some respects, this is like an Elephant 6 record. There are "woos" and "ba-bas". The harmonies are creamy and dream-like. Their friends join in and help out with the recording process. They use non-conventional instruments to create vibrant and catchy bursts of sound. The lyrics sometimes touch upon the nonsensical. Regardless, this doesn't sound much like anything ever put out on Elephant 6.

While I would say they are an indie pop band, 'Wild Like Children' spans the entire range of the indie subgenre. 'Nights of the Living Dead', sounds like a fluffed up Thermals song. 'A Perfect Fit' sounds like any number of syrupy electropop songs that have, in the past couple of years, come into fashion. The song structure, the content and even the lyrical style of 'I Always Knew', are similar to Rilo Kiley (minus the mention of plane crashes). Nevertheless, Tilly and the Wall create their own sound and keep the album feeling fresh throughout.

My favorite tune off the record is 'Bessa', a song about a love leaving, and dreaming about better times. It's an old storyline that's been made time and time again throughout the ages, but the Tillies add their special formula together to make a special sweet and sad version, ending with: "I guess I better wake up then. I guess I better get going. I guess I better move on now and find my own way." It's the 'I Will Survive' of the indie world.

'Wild Like Children' was the first release on Conor Oberst's new record label, Team Love, which is a subsidiary of Saddle Creek. Having the advantage of being on an indie superstar's label, they've supported Pedro the Lion and Rilo Kiley on tours thus far. Their live show is rivaled to be even better than their record, complete with the tap dancing! At the rate at which people are falling in love with the Tillies, I'm certain that next time around they'll be the ones headlining.

DAFT PUNK released a Japanese animation movie called 'Interstella 5555' which uses their album, 'Discovery' as a soundtrack. Actually, that's the only thing you'll hear in the movie as there's no dialog, so it's more like a full-length music video. They just released action figures based on the characters from the movie on their official site. They're 55.55 pounds and only 5,555 sets were made.

What's that you say? That's not the original cover of the Super Furry Animals single 'The Man Don't Give A F#ck'? Nope... sure isn't. It's a *new* one. The Furries classic bring-down-the-man anthem is being re-released on September 20 as a prelude to the forthcoming Songbook (to be released on Oct 4 in the UK). While the live version of 'The Man Don't Give A F%ck' included on the single was recorded at the Hammersmith Apollo on the last night of the band's Spring tour this year, it won't appear on Songbook... the band's first singles compilation. So what will be on Songbook?

SEBADOH's reunion tour is pretty lean, as Lou Barlow put it:

"No record label, no record, no guestlist, no drummer."

Lou and Jay Lowenstein have just completed their US tour with a show at the Los Angeles Troubadour. I'm no Sebadoh historian but I believe this is ther first tour in five years.

Gotta say we (ok, me) love the trend of cute lil Flash games that coincide with new releases. You can now play Tour De Glasgow and peddle yer little bicycle through the maze of Scottish streets while bopping along to the forthcoming new Delgados record 'Universal Audio'... oh and you get a bonus for cycling over people with pies!

You can also peddle away with a new iPod if yer lucky. The Delgados UK label Chemikal Underground Records is holding a little contest where you can not only win a new ipod but the pod comes loaded with the label's entire back catalogue (Bis, Mogwai, Aerogramme, the Delgados and more).

American rock stars aren't the only ones prone to indulgence despite what you may have assumed by P Diddy's new HP iPod encrusted with 120 diamonds. For instance.... back when Oasis was still selling out arenas Alan McGee, former head of Creation Records, presented Noel Gallagher with a 1978 Rolls Royce Shadow 2, in fact this 1978 Rolls Royce. Yes, that is a link to eBay UK where the current owner is auctioning it off. With 8 days left the bidding is only up to £10,000... I'd expect it'll end up a lot higher. Didn't anyone tell Noel it wasn't nice to sell off presents?

In other Noel news (oh yes I'm making a BIG assumption that you actually care), he's supporting fellow Mancunian Ian Brown by showing up in his new video for 'Keep What Ya Got'. Oh the irony...

As if the Kings of Convenience could be any more adorable... they have produced a new video for their new UK single, 'I'd Rather Dance With You'. Cuter than puppies and kittens flying kites and pushing each other on swings, and other cute things.

"Do you want to be in the new KILLERS video? Call this casting agency - they're looking for people. And give them my name, too, okay?"
Thus began my second excursion into the world of the music video (we'll not mention the fiasco that was The Bluetones 'Fast Boy', okay?). So I rang up the number my friend Nina gave me, and discovered the shoot was happening on Monday, around the corner on Brick Lane, and that I was in the right age group they wanted. I was told to arrive at 1pm and to wear what I would to a gig, but wear neutral colours ONLY. I mean, we don't want to show up the band in a purple catsuit or anything...

Ken Stringfellow - Soft Commands
YepRock Records

After about 10 hours being out and about on the Chicago city streets, I found myself walking about 9 blocks home from a strange bus stop without my usual accouterments. Accouterments, being the ipod. In my silence of sirens, traffic and sprinklers I was given a good chance to reflect upon the hours of beaches, urban jungle, rare sites and general weekend merriment when I realized that I was humming. It took me a second to place the song, but it was 'For Your Sake' by Ken Stringfellow.

I thought to myself about the oddity of a full day of noises, films, conversations and how strange it was to have Ken's song pop into my head. That song was not what i had been listening to earlier in the day. It was nowhere near the top of my mind... but it was reverberating... and doing so of it's own accord.

This, I determined during the rest of my walk home, was the sign of blissful song writing. When the song could detach itself from the source and become so ingrained as to be your company in the darkness... the artist had done something right.