February 2, 2010
Categories: Artist Watch List, Bands We Love, Video Magic . Tags: dear god i hate myself, Xiu xiu . Author: Sebastian Sebastiani . Comments: Leave a Comment
We’ll Follow you: An Interview with Future Islands! (Your New Favorite Band)
Since the first time I saw Future Islands play nearly two years ago, I wanted to post about them. I have rarely in my life fallen so instantly in love with a band as I have with Future Islands, yet I let their initial performance that I saw pass me by, telling myself I’d get to them as soon as I had another free moment. I tried to start their post many times since then, yet, every time I sat down at my computer thinking I was finally taking care of long overdue business, I found myself lacking an urgent angle to focus on except for my own ever growing love for them as a band. I could have posted a new video of theirs as it appeared, but writing a short essay about a band based solely on that made me feel a bit too eager. Since the initial time I saw them play I’ve caught them at least five times, each time finding myself more and more impressed. Now, after two ridiculously long years of sticking it out in wait for the perfect timely reason to sing my praises, the guys in the band graciously decided do an interview for minorprogression. This is not only a huge honor for our blog, but it is also a rather big deal for me, since Future Islands are one of the most slept on bands making music in this country right now and as you are about to find out, they are also one of the best.
Future Islands are a three piece made up of keyboards, electric bass guitar and vocals. This is a deceptively simple set up. Watching these guys prepare for a set you would never imagine what you are in for. They all appear friendly and mild mannered, down to earth and approachable. You get the feeling they have all been friends for a while. When they start to play however, all bets are off. Their songs are immediate, catchy, and thoughtful. Each one instantly burrowing its way inside your head. Their music alone would be reason enough to check out this band, but their live performance is what sets them over the top. This is especially true in the stage persona of Future Island’s lead singer, Sam Herring. In all the shows that I’ve been to in my life (god I can hear myself as a grandfather already, “In my day Shonny, we lishend to shomethin called indie rock” someone just kill me now) I don’t think I’ve ever seen a lead singer as energizing, frightening or unique as Sam. While the band bangs out dancy and catchy synth and base lines, Sam drags you by the ears straight into the middle of their music. You have no choice but to watch him and to hear him out; a sort of emotional, cartoon, train wreck that you never really know whether to laugh at or cry.
This interview has finally given me the opportunity to ask the band members all of my questions concerning their history and performance style. Sam even answers my question about his stage persona which I feared was maybe something he wanted left a mystery. In the end it turns out that Future Islands are exactly the band that they seem to be before they start playing music; friendly, down to earth and it also turns out, extremely generous of their time and energy.
Ellyn Maybe – There Were Two Girls Who Looked A Lot The Same
Check out this video from Ellyn Maybe’s album Rodeo for the Sheepish. It’s gorgeous daaaahhhhhhhhling!! Here’s her reading:
Ebony Bones returns to the states and wipes the floor with Lady Gaga’s face!
Okay everyone.
I understand it’s impossible to stay up on EVERYTHING happening in the music world. The vast amount of acts today is enough to make anyone loose their mind and I am usually somewhat forgiving of the majority of the universe missing out on some of the more interesting and exciting things happening nowadays. That said, there are some acts who have yet to win public acclaim that I think are so good that I get offended by their lack of buzz or followings and Ebony Bones is maybe the key contender on that short list of mine.
I’ve been blogging about Ebony Bones for two summers now, but like a lot of the rest of the press I didn’t know if the world was ready for her yet; her music is aggressive and dancy which should make it an easy sell, but it comes with maybe the most campy and over the top live performance that I know of today. She has a strong point of view in all of her songs and can often overwhelm those who come in looking for just another band. Fever Ray looks timid and naval gazing next to Miss Bones and Lada Gaga comes off like her bad Hollywood remake, however, the attention that both of those acts have received over the past year suggest to me that maybe the time is right for Ebony Bones’s act to finally start stirring up the attention it deserves.
She is a true original and one of the most engaging performers I’ve ever seen. Get ready to fall in love…
Here are a few videos of her and her band driving their audiences into frenzies.
Oh fair minorprogression readers, I know you are not stupid.
Here are the dates,
Go, or forever retire from knowing how to have a good time.
Tour dates after the Jump!
“Life on Mars: The James Bidgood Story”: What A Feeling……
Here’s the video Kevin Killian shot during “Life on Mars: The James Bidgood Story”… a video of the puppet show is forthcoming… I’ll be editing them together this week but for now you can wet your taste buds with this absurd little movie..
Performance Time: “Life on Mars: The James Bidgood Story”
This Friday , January 15th, at CCA in the lovely sf, yours truly will be staging new work from my play entitled “Life on Mars: The James Bidgood Story”… If your not familiar with James Bidgood and his lovely film Pink Narcissus then I strongly urge you to get with it!!
Join us for a night of costumed ribaldry, artistic blasphemy, and cultural craziness, along with drinks, food and other wonders! Shows begin at 7:30 and it’s a benefit soooo it’ll probably sell out which means get there early!!
As part the first night of SPT’s annual fundraiser we will present new plays, performances, and surprises from Julie Patton, Dodie Bellamy, Tonya Foster, Brent Cunningham, Stephen Boyer, Rodney Koeneke! Audience participation welcomed!
See smallpresstraffic.blogspot.com for updates, directions, photos, and more!
I’ve got news for you honey, Tune-Yards are the best new band of 2009
2009 has proved to be a bad year for list making. This is not only because tons of shit went down this year that we don’t really want to talk about but also due to the fact that most art worthy of public attention seems to have been announced too loudly for anyone to have missed it, proving little need for documentation. 2009 is without a doubt one of the least subtle years of recent memory. What was good this year has had its praise shouted out by EVERYBODY and has been noted EVERYWHERE. What was bad (or sad) this year has likewise been shoved down our throats till we’re made sick of it. Even art that gained mixed responses this year has seemed to draw more from the left or the right than from those stuck in the middle of their feelings, with a plethora of equally bombastic responses from both lovers and haters flying at us all with hyper speed. With everyone on their loud mouthed high horses this year, I’ve found myself playing devils advocate most of the time, positive that not everything is as black and white as this year, or rather, our responses to this year have suggested. This perhaps explains a bit of my missing in action here at minorprogression; a bit of the existential blog blues at the end of a year that has had no room for those feeling indifferent or not knowing quite what to think.
The exhausting nature of this year was often due to the fact that it was not a year for new artists. Almost all of the art I found myself being introduced to during this past twelve months was the work of people already on the radar. No where was this fact more apparent than in the world of music “popular music”. With the exception of very few titles, all of the really noteworthy albums that came out this year were the works of artists who have been honing their craft for at least an album or two, many of whom are already three or more albums into their careers. Part of my feeling a bit lost in the hype explosion was the fact that many of these great albums I could see coming from many miles away. Though there were many massive achievements in music this year, it’s hard to be surprised by the fact that Animal Collective, The Dirty Projectors and Fever Ray put out some of this years best material.
These facts only amplify the already celebration worthy emergence of Tune-Yards on the music scene, a band who are without a doubt the most exciting new music makers that I’ve been turned on to lately, with force that stands up to the big boys of the year with ferocious ambition and charm to spare. Here’s a video of them playing one of my favorite songs of theirs,
News:
