It's been an exciting month for music aficionados. Normally we like to focus on lesser-known bands and artists in this feature, but when heavyweights like Grizzly Bear and The Field are dropping new albums, it's hard to deny them the space (especially when said albums are so good). We also have new albums from NOMO and Tin Star Orphans to digest, spreading out the palette to cosmic instrumental gravy and the world's largest supply of freshwater country. Let's delve...

Grizzly Bear's latest effort, the follow-up to 2006's Yellow House, is named after the smallest link in the Elizabeth Islands chain, which lies off the coast of Massachusetts. Frontman Edward Droste's grandmother has a house on Cape Cod, where the band did a decent amount of work on the new album, and at one point they visited the tiny island, and were inspired. It must have been the right longitude and latitude, because the album is, simply, magnificent. Lavishly produced, and boasting both the heart-stopping harmonies and trademark guitar sound for which they are known, Veckatimest sounds like a logical progression from Yellow House, though some of the songs are a bit more immediate in their establishment. 

People have beeing going bonkers over "Cheerleader" and "Two Weeks" (and rightfully so) but man-oh-man, that is just the beginning. Just wait 'til you wrap your ears around the chorus in "While You Wait For The Others," or the staggering end of "All We Ask."

And really, as hyped up as this record has been, it's hard to do anything but stand up and clap 'til your hands hurt. The Grizz, confronted with insane expectations, deliver on all dense counts (count 'em, 12 new ear-tickling Grizzly Bear songs, ah ah ah ah!), giving us a meaty album that will provide pleasurable chewing  over for the rest of 2009.

Even the album art is perfect. Put it in lights.

Live!

Jun 2 2009 at Trocadero in Philadelphia, PA
Jun 3 2009 at Berklee Performance Center in Boston, MA
Jun 4 2009 at Le National in Montreal, QC
Jun 5 2009 at Phoenix in Toronto, ON
Jun 7 2009 at Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis, MN
Jun 8 2009 at Pabst Theatre in Milwaukee, WI
Jun 9 2009 at Buskirk-Chumley in Bloomington, IN
Jun 11 2009 at Bonnaroo in Manchester, TN
Jun 11 2009 at Cats Cradle in Carrboro, NC
Jun 12 2009 at Bonnaroo in Manchester, TN
Jun 13 2009 at Tabernacle in Atlanta, GA
Jun 15 2009 at Granada in Dallas, TX
Jun 16 2009 at The Parish in Austin, TX
Jun 18 2009 at Centennial Hall in Tucson, AZ
Jun 19 2009 at Wiltern in Los Angeles, CA
Jun 21 2009 at Fillmore in San Francisco, CA

Looking at the track listing for Yonder, and then listening to countrified songs like "Farmers' Pants," "Jesus Freaks," and a cover of The Goldcoast Singers classic  folk ditty "Plastic Jesus," well, one might assume that Tin Star Orphans hail from the American south. Hell, Frontman Zacahry Bennett sounds like he's singing with a  fat plug of Carolina chaw in his cheek, but this here band hails from Toronto, Ontario. It's just further proof that Canadians have a habit of doing American things better than Americans.

Respect must be given to Tin Star Orphans for utilizing the warble of a saw in a way that doesn't make you want to stuff your ears with cotton, in "The Night Wind," and opening opus "Juvenile Hall" yields a fiddle-fantastic crescendo. People apparently compare them to Wilco, but that doesn't make sense. Wilco never made ten gallon, sawdust-on-the-floor reels like this.

Live!

Jun 18 2009 at Cadillac Lounge - NXNE in Toronto, ON
Jun 18 2009 at Horseshoe Tavern - NXNE in Toronto, ON
Jul 18 2009 at Axis Gallery & Grill in Toronto, ON
Aug 19 2009 at Le Divan Orange in Montreal, QC
Sep 12 2009 at Portstock Music Festival in Saint Catharines, ON

Sometimes a new record makes you think of some weird idea the second you listen to it for the first time. With Invisible Cities, Nomo's speedy follow-up to 2008's Ghost Rock, all I can think is that, "Wow, if I ever decided to ingest peyote and tear across the desert, this is what I would want to hear, and at a deafening level." It must have something to do with all those ethereal bells, not to mention an overall sense of  "what in blue blazes is that sound?" The sextet is known for incorporating all sorts of non-instrumental objects in their percussion grooves, and it's just mind-boggling that the band has made an album this hefty in only a year. Actually, Ghost Rock came out in June of last year, and Invisible Cities dropped this May, so make that 11 months.

Even if you don't particularly care for drawn-out, highly detailed instrumental jams laden with horns and stardust, one can't deny that Nomo has established a sound all their own. It appears they are even going with a recurring style for their album art, as  the covers of Ghost Rock and Invisible Cities look like two halves of one gigantic whole.

The only beef I have is, do we really have to spell NOMO in caps?

Live!

Jun 2 2009 at Druga Dogba in Ljubljana, Slovenia
Jun 3 2009 at Sud-Pole in Luzern, Switzerland
Jun 4 2009 at FestiI’neuch in Neuchatel, Switzerland
Jun 5 2009 at L’usine in Geneve, Switzerland
Jun 6 2009 at La Terra Trema Festival in Cherbourg, France
Jun 7 2009 at Aeronef Festival in Lille, France
Jun 12 2009 at Ann Arbor Summer Festival in Ann Arbor, MI
Aug 17 2009 at Millenium Park in Chicago, IL

Barry Manilow never met a man he didn't like. Well, I have yet to encounter a Field song I didn't like, and substituting 'like' for 'love' wouldn't be that far of a stretch.

Yesterday and Today, like From Here We Go Sublime, is a beast of a listen. Unlike Sublime, however, man behind the curtain Axel Willner has elected to craft six really long tracks, versus ten shorter ones. We might as well throw out all those abused terms (of which I myself am guilty) like 'epic,' 'vast' and 'extended dissertation.' They are all here, of course, but they leave a lot to be desired.

Two things set The Field's brand of electronic goodness apart, and they are both so obvious it's a bit anticlimactic. Simplicity and repetitiveness. Yesterday and Today. We're keeping things uncluttered and clear here, but don't let that fool you into thinking this is a boring record. Far from it. By making subtle adjustments throughout each seemingly unchanging soundscape, Willner achieves a sonic perfection similar to nature. The sun rises and sets every day (not really, I know, thanks Wayne Coyne), but it's never the same. A wisp of cloud is all it takes to change things significantly, and Willner proves that point over and over again (gently clobbering us over the head with it, in fact).

Of course, there are also volcanic eruptions that spew ash into the atmosphere and change the entire make-up of a sunset, and we get a little bit of that as well in Yesterday and Today. Check the shift in lead single "The More That I Do."

It's funny, whenever I listen to music like The Field, at the beginning of each song I always wonder, "Now how is this beat going to progress through the plot and achieve its climax?" This often leads to a lot of a disappointment, but with The Field, it never does. It may seem like it, the first three or four listens, but then comes that "Eureka!" moment, when I realize Willner is coming from the future, where I have yet to trod.

Live!

Jun 3 2009 at Casbah in San Diego, CA
Jun 4 2009 at Glass House in Pomona, CA
Jun 5 2009 at Avalon in Los Angeles, CA
Jun 6 2009 at Mezzanine in San Francisco, CA
Jun 7 2009 at Doug Fir in Portland, OR
Jun 8 2009 at Nectar in Seattle, WA
Jun 9 2009 at Richards on Richards in Vancouver, BC
Jun 11 2009 at Urban Lounge in Salt Lake City, UT
Jun 12 2009 at Beta in Denver, CO
Jun 16 2009 at Double Door in Chicago, IL
Jun 17 2009 at Grog Shop in Cleveland, OH
Jun 18 2009 at Tattoo in Toronto, ON
Jun 19 2009 at Les Saints in Montreal, QC
Jun 20 2009 at Webster Hall in New York, NY
Jul 10 2009 at Les Ardentes Festival in Liege, Belgium
Jul 11 2009 at Loop Festival in Brighton, UK
Aug 1 2009 at Nachdigital in Leipzig, Germany

Link to this article:
http://www.breakthruradio.com/index.php?b=article.php?id=1016

Pontiak is a power trio hailing from Warrenton, Virginia, near a place called Holtzclaw Road. Comprised of the Carney brothers, Van (guitar/vocals), Jennings (bass/organ/vocals) and Lain (drums/vocals), the band is currently touring in support of their latest release, Maker, which came out April 7th via Thrill Jockey records. Maker marks the band's third full-length album, and the brothers Carney will be swinging through the American south over the next few weeks in full support of it.

The tour itself has been going strong since May 1st, and Pontiak has already hit all major western and northeastern cities in the United States. The current leg ends at Dude Manch on June 18th in Richmond, Virginia, after which the band will take a 4 week break. Then Pontiak will be traveling across the pond with dates to make in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Wednesday night at the Common Grounds in Gainesville, Florida, Pontiak played their 24th live show since May 1st, and I am sorry to say that not a lot of people showed up. Such is the nightlife in Gainesville when summer classes are in session, with the bulk of the 50,000 strong student body elsewhere.

The three bearded brothers of Pontiak posted up like most power trios tend to, though there were two significant additions to the dais. An additional kick drum, snare and crash cymbal were arranged directly opposite Lain's drum kit, so that whomever took up this post would have their back to the crowd and their eyes locked directly on Lain's. (This would turn out to be guitarist Van, but not until later on in the show). Also, Jennings had a Nord Electro 2 ready for freddy, in addition to his bass.

That said, Pontiak began with a Helmet-like dirge, and the etiquette for this particular Wednesday night show was immediately established. There were about 15 people there, and none were within spitting distance of the middle. Most were near the corners, at the bar, or peppered about in little pockets, all clearly avoiding the front. Stoicism reigned, and when someone strolled in from the porch outside, unknowingly bursting their way onto the deserted floor, they then quickly retreated and fell into purposeful obscurity, conforming to the rigidity of the inside crowd.

The few of us in there were standing still as statues, completely focused on the music Pontiak was making. It was like standing around an artwork at a museum, with everyone lost in their own eyes (or ears, in this case). Imagine that, and then picture a lone drunken girl in a dress, carelessly weaving about and bouncing off these statuesque people like a pinball. It was a fascinating scene. Had it been choreographed, I would not have been surprised.

So, yes, there was a certain mood in the air. That's when Pontiak began doing things I can't describe very well, as I am not sure of certain musical terms and definitions. One thing I know for sure; Pontiak were not about the typical ebb and flow of most shows. This was not to be a Song, Break, Song, Break ("Well hello Gainesville"), Song, Break ("It sure is hot up here") type format. There were about three breaks (more like intermissions) from the music throughout the set, all with little or no commentary. I remember hearing "We are from Virginia," once, but that's it.

Musically, reference points for Pontiak include the patience of Wilderness, the vast epics of Pelican, and the unexpected soul of VietNam. At one point, they played a long, slow-moving song that can best be described as what dub music would sound like if it had originated in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia, versus the island of Jamaica. Other times they sounded like a far darker shade of Pink than Floyd.

Many weird comparisons exploded in my mind whilst listening to them.

1. Drummer Lain was like Alfred Hitchcock in his transitions, utilizing a toolbox jammed silly with dissolves, fades, and watershed-moment-wipes. The flow of the music reminded me of the iconic drain shot in Psycho, with everything washing and swirling into a cataclysmic, vortex-like torrent.

2. This is what "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak would sound like, if the video had been shot at a beach near the Earth's molten iron core, in vivid Technicolor (and not a beach, shot in black and white, with a model).

3. Why is David Lynch's Lost Highway coming to mind? Everyone in this band has eyebrows (and more importantly beards).

4. White Zombie's classic "Black Sunshine" has been lapped and knocked into the third-turn wall by a thickly-tired Pontiac motorcar. The fire is still burning. 

5. The bears at Yellowstone would love this.

Again, though all this hare-brained imagery was galloping through my mind at a breakneck speed, I stood as still as everyone else. The concentration permeating the atmosphere was akin to that of an exam.

The music was far-reaching, dynamic, and full of surprises. When guitarist Van sat down at his simple drum post to match up with brother Lain's complete set-up, a perfectly-in-sync drum march ensued. The song that evolved from this austere beginning again defies description, but it wasn't long before I  was imagining vicious biker gangs wielding shotguns from iron horses, locked in gasoline-powered combat against other frothing mobs of crazed motorcycle enthusiasts.

When bassist Jennings finally turned to his keyboard, a welcome and classic style emerged from his settings. The organ sounded exactly like the kind utilized at the beginnings and ends of old-time radio dramas; you know, the rich, soupy sheen that encapsulates the word 'vintage'? Organs at old ballparks have a similar sound,  though more cheeky. Jennings' particular flavor of this classic tone, however, had a bit more crackle and husk. The song that followed marked one of the more 'mountaineer dub' moments of the set.

As far as the vocals, well, they were few and far-between. Some were comprised of verses, and others were nothing but ascending/descending "Whoahhhhhhhh-oahh-oahh" group chants. This seemed to happen at all the right places, however, and music doesn't always need words. In Pontiak's case, actually, the music was quite enough. Words would have bogged down the message.

Looking back, it must have been a hell of a show, because the music inspired all sorts of weird ideas in my brain. At this point in my life,  I guess I can say I have been to a lot of shows, and few have inspired such vivid mental imagery. Pontiak's realm of music is not for everybody, but for those with patience and a scorn for immediate accessibility, it's the cat's pajamas. Once you commit, you will dig it. Promise.

Live!

Jun 11 2009 at New World Brewery in Tampa, FL
Jun 12 2009 at Backbooth in Orlando, FL
Jun 13 2009 at Criminal Records in Atlanta, GA
Jun 14 2009 at Farm 255 in Athens, GA
Jun 16 2009 at New French Cafe in Asheville, NC
Jun 17 2009 at Nightlight in Chapel Hill, NC
Jun 18 2009 at Dude Manch in Richmond, VA
Jul 21 2009 at Parklife Festival in Milan, Italy
Jul 26 2009 at Supersonic Festival in Birmingham, UK
Jul 28 2009 at Captain’s Rest in Glasgow, Scotland
Jul 31 2009 at The Borderline in London, UK
Aug 2 2009 at DB’s in Utrecht, Netherlands
Aug 6 2009 at Elfer Club in Frankfurt, Germany
Aug 7 2009 at Lokal in Berlin, Germany
Aug 9 2009 at Hana-Bi in Ravenna, Italy

Ape School (aka Michael Johnson)

"Ape School is what I called the university where I work at, when I first got there. It's a jazz school primarily. And this isn't a derogatory thing toward the school or anything, but I guess the nature of a music school is that they just drill the kids with rudiments. They are more like trained animals sometimes. All these guys can rip every mode and every key, and it just struck me that, to a certain extent, there is a show dog quality to it. They are just turning out kid after kid, all of them virtuosic musicians. Any kid you pick out of a hallway here is technically far superior to me, but they don't necessarily have their own voice or ideas. Not to say they are idealists, but they haven't developed beyond being excellent musicians."

"Also, I have an obsession with chimps, and I use apes to describe humans. I believe in evolution, you know? So, I just started calling this place Ape School. Originally, the record was going to be called Michael Johnson, with the album name being Ape School. Then when Ninja Tune came on board, they decided that 'Michael Johnson' wasn't very Google-able, but Ape School is."

For this week's edition of HMNI, we have the beautifully layered guitar wash of up-and-coming Gainesville band Averkiou, the venerable one-man music army Gary Levitt (who records under the name Setting Sun) and the decadently dope, yet somewhat dangerous dance floor music of Tigersapien.

Let it be known!

"I came up with the name Setting Sun because I was looking for a moniker that sounded like a band or a solo artist, a la Cat Power or Bright Eyes," says Gary Levitt, of Setting Sun. "Those were inspirations. Then came finding a name that would reflect the sound and feel of the music. That was no easy task, so I scoured lyrics from songs of mine and Setting Sun popped out from my song 'It's Light'. To my surprise, the name was not already being used so I grabbed it."

For more on Gary Levitt and Setting Sun, check this interview with the independent veteran, who was recently featured on the Matt and Emily show. And don't forget to swing by the Setting Sun website, as there is a free EP of dapper remixes to be had!

See Setting Sun live!

Mar 5 2009 at Club NME @ The Annex in New York, NY
Mar 18 2009 at SXSW || Lamberts in Austin, TX
Mar 19 2009 at SXSW in Austin, TX
Mar 28 2009 at Roots Cafe (solo) in Brooklyn, NY

It's a rather excellent answer, don't you agree? What makes it even better, dear BTR listener, is that the cover of their new EP has a zebra on it.

Catch 'em live!

Mar 5 2009  at Common Grounds w/ Bambara in Gainesville, FL
Mar 6 2009 at Harvest of Hope Festival in St. Augustine, FL
Mar 8 2009 at Craig’s House in Durham, NC
Mar 9 2009 at Velvet Lounge in Washington, DC
Mar 10 2009 at The Annex in New York, NY
Mar 11 2009 at TBA in Brooklyn, NY
Mar 12 2009 at The Czar w/ Slavagoh in Richmond, VA
Mar 13 2009 at Basement Speakeasy in Arlington, VA
Mar 14 2009 at The Boot with Ceremony in Norfolk, VA
Apr 10 2009 at Common Grounds in Gainesville, FL
Apr 16 2009 at The Czar Bar in Tampa, FL
May 16 2009 at POP MAYHEM in Gainesville, FL